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This writing assignment was completed in English 111. Its purpose was to choose two sections of Barbara Ehrenreich’s novel Nickel and Dimed and compare and contrast them. Comparative Components We have all been told to be happy with the lives we were given and when things get bad, to make the best of it. But is it possible to financially and emotionally survive on a low-wage job without government assistance? Barbara Ehrenreich voluntarily switched from having an upper-middle class status to being a working-class citizen in order to find out. Ehrenreich’s intentions were to determine if low-wage workers could match their incomes with everyday expenses. Ehrenreich gives a vivid first-hand account of her experiences in her book Nickel and Dimed (1-230). She not only discovered how many people live in extreme poverty but she observed and experienced the struggles that low-wage workers have to deal with their entire lives. Finding affordable shelter proved to be harder than expected and applying for jobs with no qualifications was even more difficult. Ehrenreich gave up a significant chunk of time in her ideal life to do extensive research on a social class that she knew nothing about. Ehrenreich relays her experiences differently in “Chapter 1” than through her “Evaluation” by changing her style of writing, specificity, and vocabulary. The style of writing Ehrenreich uses in “Chapter 1” differs extensively from her “Evaluation” in that she uses a great deal of sarcasm. When applying for a job at a local super market in “Chapter 1,” she finds that the interview process is done completely by computer. Ehrenreich is appalled and writes, “…apparently, no human on the premises is deemed capable of representing the corporate point of view” (Ehrenreich 13). The entire interview is compiled of multiple-choice questions and if answered acceptably, a job is offered. Ehrenreich uses sarcasm to point out that it seems that no person can take the time to observe whether someone is a worthy candidate for a job. Another instance where Ehrenreich uses mockery occurs when she first walks into Jerry’s, a local restaurant, where she is thinking of applying. She relays her first impression of the restaurant by commenting that it is a “fat person’s hell,” in the sense that everything served is bound to irritate bodily functions (Ehrenreich 29). Even after being horribly repulsed Ehrenreich applies for a job and becomes a waitress at Jerry’s. Comparatively, the tone in her “Evaluation” is more professional. She looks back on her experiences as a low-wage worker and truly sees where she made mistakes. Her very first realization was that all jobs require a certain level of skill (Ehrenreich 193). Also, in her reflection she realized that if she had stayed in Key West any longer, she would have had to keep two full-time jobs and possibly ride a bike to work instead of driving (Ehrenreich 197). Here in the “Evaluation,” Ehrenreich understands the true meaning of being a poor working class citizen and illustrates it through first-hand knowledge along with credible statistics. For example, she cites a study that was done by the Economic Policy Institute to determine what a livable wage amounts to. For a family of three, one adult and two children, the comfortable wage was $14 per hour. Shockingly she writes, “about 60 percent earn less than $14 an hour” (Ehrenreich 213). Holding two jobs is critical when making minimum wage and paying bills. In a recent study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics it was found that, “5.3 percent of U.S. workers held more than one job” (United States Dept. of Labor). In “Chapter 1,” Ehrenreich gives a specific, first hand account about her experiences while waitressing in two different restaurants. She notes, very distinctively, the common characteristics of her co-workers. Instead of owning homes, they live in apartments, hotels, and even vehicles. A majority of her colleagues at both restaurants have roommates, some being a relation while others are strangers who can afford half of the monthly rent (Ehrenreich 25-26). According to a study done by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1998, it was discovered that “one in five homeless persons is employed” (Employment and Homelessness). Similar to her other co-workers, George, a Czech dishwasher lives in a crowded apartment with other Czech dishwashers. In the midst of getting to know George, Barbara learns Jerry’s does not pay him. Instead, he is paid $5 an hour by the “agent” that sent him over to the United States. The agent then gets the difference of his actual earnings at Jerry’s and the $5 an hour he gives George (Ehrenreich 38). In her “Evaluation,” Ehrenreich is less specific by broadly reflecting on all of her jobs as a whole. She writes, “Each job presents a self-contained social world, with its own personalities, hierarchy, customs, and standards” (Ehrenreich 194). Ehrenreich recalls co-workers from each job telling her who has an authority position. She was collectively told who not to be lackadaisical in front of, and who not to trust. Most of those insights however, she had to learn by personal experience. Another aspect Ehrenreich learned from practice was that each job was physically demanding. Again being broad, she states that if they had been permanent jobs, each would have proved to be damaging to her body (Ehrenreich 195). With waitressing, one is on his/her feet all day, carrying heavy trays of food and during rush hours there is no slowing down. Ehrenreich also learns that in the jobs she applies for, like waitressing, there is no need to have a mature vocabulary, so to further enhance her position in “Chapter 1” Ehrenreich tones down her vocabulary. Instead of trying to impress the reader with large, superfluous words, she uses common words. After taking a multiple choice questionnaire Ehrenreich declares, “Apparently I ace the interview, because I am told that all I have to do now is show up in some doctor’s office tomorrow for a urine test” (Ehrenreich 14). Every word she uses in the sentence is quite ordinary and familiar. Since “Chapter 1” is her first-hand account, Ehrenreich portrayed her experience in the words in which she saw it. Another instance where Ehrenreich uses everyday language occurs when there is nothing to do at Hearthside. She claims that employees start putting emphasis on the little tasks. Her exact words are, “You start dragging out each little chore because if the manager on duty catches you in an idle moment he will give you something far nastier to do” (Ehrenreich 22). Because of the commonplace vocabulary used in “Chapter 1” Ehrenreich captivates readers right away. People relate to words they hear all the time and can easily understand. However, Ehrenreich’s “Evaluation” serves as an overview of her experience by presenting facts and statistics about her findings. Because of the new tone Ehrenreich uses her vocabulary is somewhat more mature. When looking back on the amount of money she spent she recalls, “On small things I was thrifty enough; no expenditures on ‘carousing,’ flashy clothes, or any of the other indulgences that are often smugly believed to undermine the budgets of the poor” (Ehrenreich 196). Ehrenreich knows the “Evaluation” is not the time to capture the reader’s attention. A more advanced vocabulary is applicable for her overview. Therefore, when reflecting on a statistic, Ehrenreich announces, “To put the wage gains of the past four years in somewhat dismal perspective: they have not been sufficient to bring low-wage workers up to the amounts they were earning twenty seven years ago…” (Ehrenreich 203). She then recites percentages of workers that earn enough money to survive, and so on. This statement again proves that Ehrenreich’s intention in her “Evaluation” was to get her point across in an orderly and scholarly manner. To engage her audience, Ehrenreich pulls the reader into her story by being very specific, having a personal tone, and using common language. These components were also significant in relating the relevance of her work. After captivating her reader with “Chapter 1,” Ehrenreich becomes broader, takes on a more serious tone, and uses more mature vocabulary. Subsequent to spending three months in a totally different lifestyle Ehrenreich wrote her “Evaluation” to inform the affluent. The struggles and lifestyle of low-wage workers is unknown to the middle and upper class: hence the purpose of Ehrenreich’s “Evaluation.” She relayed her own experiences to the statistics of low-wage life and discovered the ugliness of today’s society. Works Cited Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2001.
“Employment and Homelessness: NCH Fact Sheet #4.” National Coalition for the Homeless. Feb. 1999. 29 Oct. 2004. <http://www.nationalhomeless.org/jobs.html>
United States. Dept. of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Multiple Jobholders in 2002. 26 Jan. 2004. 29 Oct. 2004. <http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2004/jan/wk3/art02.htm>
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