Part three of Barbara Ehrenreich's novel Nickel and Dimed titled Selling in Minnesota emphasizes that trying to live off of a low wage job and rent an apartment is almost impossible. While in Minnesota Barbabra decides that she will not be a waitress, maid, or nurse. She plans to work in retail. The search for a place to live was extremely hard in Minnesota. Everywhere is either too expensive or there aren't any rooms available. Barbara soon realized that she is beginning to make some mistakes. Her first mistake occurred when she decided not to take a room because it did not have a kitchenette. Many, including herself, wind up living in...............motel rooms, renting by the week. Her second mistake was when she decided to work at Wal Mart earning only seven dollars a hour instead of a hardware store called Menard's where she would earn ten dollars a hour. While working at Wal Mart she realizes that workers are not paid enough for what they have to do. They are required to do so much to please the "guest". Throughout her stay in Minnesota Barbara also notices a change in her attitude. She finds herself getting upset with the Wal Mart atmosphere-from the customers not putting things back to her nagging boss . Before resigning from Wal Mart Barbara tries to encourage some of her coworkers to start a union. If she could have stayed a Wal Mart employee any longer she believed she would have been able to help the start the union they deserved.
Dscussion Questions
Barbara says " I think we could have done something, she and I, if I could have afforede to work at Wal Mart any longer." Do you think she could have afforded to stay? If she wanted to help so bad, don't you think she would have made a better effort to stay and help?
Barbara declined the job at Menards because of her lack of plumming terminlogy. Menards didnt seem concered with that fact so do you believe it was wise for her to work at Wal Mart instead?
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I think that Barbara was concerned, but she did not want to help that bad. If she did she would have found a way to stay and help the Wal Mart employees start a union.She also had a career as a writer before starting her project so she should have had enough money saved up to stay longer if necessary. I think that Barbara should have continued to push through to stay longer and help Wal Mart form a union.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Barbara was concerned of the peoples needs as well as the way they where treated and even tho she tried to start something she wasnts fully comitted to it. If she where to have had a great aspiration for it she would of done the impossible to make something work out and stay there. I think that she could of done something to stay longer at walmart and help the employees out.
ReplyDeleteI do not think she could have afforded to stay because rent was too much. And besides if she did she would have exploded with anger on the customers and boss. She must have not cared as much as she say she did because if she did then she would have stayed and helped the people out.
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