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Nickle and Dimed. Nickel and Dimed, by Barbra Ehrenreich, depicts the truth
about low-income living in the United States. But rather ...
Nickle And Dimed. “The Rich Get Richer, While the Poor Get Poorer” Now
more than ever do I understand the phrase, “the rich ...
Nickle And Dimed. Barbara experienced several managers through an
employee’s perspective. All of the managers shared the similarity ...
... In the book Nickle and Dimed by Ehrenreich the people she encounterd were
in poverty and they were all working minimum wage jobs. ...
Submitted by April08127 on March 15, 2008
Category: English
Words: 1192 | Pages: 5
Views: 76
Popularity Rank: 98,837
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“The Rich Get Richer, While the Poor Get Poorer”
Now more than ever do I understand the phrase, “the rich get richer, while the poor get poorer.” In “Nickel and Dimed,” author Barbara Ehrenreich decides to take on one of her most challenging projects as a journalist and writer. Using the old fashioned method, she will go undercover as a minimum wage worker to see how these people survive. As for her own background, she considers herself to be a member of the middle class, living near Key West, Florida. Barbara’s family growing up had endured its own struggles to stay away from the poverty line. Therefore, she feels very lucky to have a desktop job, where she makes a good living. She really wants to know what it’s like just trying to make meat ends day by day.
Barbara decides to begin her journey of low-paid jobs in Key West, mostly because of laziness she admits. She finds an efficiency to live in for $500 a month. Her first job is a waitress at a family restaurant attached to a hotel. The hours Barbara works are from 2 until 10 P.M. and the rate of pay is $2.43 plus tips. Being a waitress, however, turns out to be quite exhausting. Waiting constantly on customers’ wants and needs seemingly takes every ounce of her energy, both physical and mental. Customers will complain and complain, and then will hardly tip. As time goes on, Barbara learns more and more about what her co-workers do to make it on such a low income. First of all, they barely eat. Most of them live in tiny one bedroom apartments or trailers with other family members or roommates. Some even live out of
their car or van night after night. A lot of the employees have more than one job to survive. Barbara is amazed at how they can do this day after day, and not be completely exhausted of it
all. When asked this, one employee just said that it was what she was used to. Barbara then attempts this two job way of living for one...
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