Literary Analysis Essay on "Nickel and Dimed" and "Serving in Florida"

Introduction

The experiment by Ehrenreich Barbara can be described as a job well done. It might not be the best job to do, but it requires some level of humility to withstand the process. In the essay Serving in Florida, we find the author describing a lifestyle of mediocrity at best. As a server for a restaurant in Florida, we are given a behind the scene look into the low-income wages, paycheck to paycheck lifestyle, and the double standard demands enforced by management. Management is described as a means to ensure an income for the company. The demands are that everyone stays busy during peak times and that when times are slow, you are kept busy with side tasks, cleaning, and restocking. It is unacceptable to take a moment to talk with a co-worker. Ehrenreich Barbara's experiment began near her place of residence in West, Florida (Ehrenreich, Serving in Florida 134). In the research, Barbara's shows the reality of living in a low-income life and their attitude towards it. The narrative essay details the struggles she endures while trying to live off low-paying jobs. Barbara details the process she takes to sustain life in a critical situation. The essay shows an understanding of the lives of people in a low-income life.

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I think that by stepping down the academic ladder, she has been hoping to learn about minimum wages and understand all aspects surrounding their expenditure. These aspects will include finding out whether they have enough money to support their basic needs or even some luxury. The author also seeks to understand the alternatives in case the income is not enough to cater to the needs (Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed 81). As the reader, this experiment gives me in-depth and primary knowledge regarding minimum wage since the author engaged herself; therefore, she provides the most accurate information about the subject matter.

Barbara's approach is more effective as she provides raw data that she collects and experiences herself. Unlike the use of economic data and analysis, she went a step further and put herself in the investigative position. She felt the pain and the financial struggles any other commoner could have gone through. Sometimes, the economic data analysis reports may not give reports that could be as accurate as this experiment simply because they may lack the experience. Very few people could leave their luxurious lifestyle to fit into a primitive one. Barbara left her journalism job to become a hotel maid and waitress. She further moved from her home to live in a trailer park. This way, she brings out the true income life picture that was better than using statistics. For instance, the narrative essay of Ehrenreich shows how she and other workers are induced to accept harsh conditions in the work environment. The payment for Ehrenreich's first job is not sufficient to support the life of a person (Ehrenreich, Nickel and Dimed 83). Aside from that, employees are treated as criminals. For example, they are watched by their managers as they work, and they have no privacy. Due to the way they are treated, the workers do nothing to better the quality of their work environment. Later in her life, Ehrenreich manages to get a second job at a restaurant called Jerry's to cover some expenses. The second job presents Ehrenreich with more struggles. For example, Ehrenreich did not have any breaks and would have to constantly stay on her feet for about six to eight hours a day. In the end, Ehrenreich resigns from her first job, and her manager feels indifferent toward her leaving.

Ehrenreich talks about the struggles other people and her face when trying to live a low-income. She discusses that the payment for working at the hotel ranges between six to ten dollars. Although employees are getting paid, it is not sufficient to carry out their living-style. Ehrenreich states that "nearly one-fifth of all homeless people are employed in full- or part-time jobs" (Ehrenreich, Serving in Florida 133), and the stories she co-workers tell her supports this statistic. For example, Gail shares a room in downtown with a male. The rent is about two hundred and fifty dollars, and although the rent is manageable if paid by both of them, there is an issue: Gail's male friend makes inappropriate comments toward Gail which makes her uncomfortable. Despite such concerns, Gail is not able to kick him out because she could not pay rent by herself.

Additionally, the people Ehrenreich works with are affected by health insurance. Since most of their money goes towards paying for rent and food, people are forced to not pay for health insurance. One example of how this situation affects people in a low-income lifestyle is the example of Marianne's boyfriend. Due to an accident that occurred during work, he was not able to attend work for some time and lost his job. Aside from that, Ehrenreich begins to make calculations regarding her lifestyle. As a result, she decides to get a second job to use her car. She would work her first job from eight in the morning until two in the afternoon and would pick up her second shift at around two-ten in the afternoon until ten o'clock at night. The author has to battle the struggle of working two jobs to make money to pay rent and for other good, as most of her co-workers do. According to Ehrenreich, living a low-income life is "a crash course in exhaustion management" (Ehrenreich, Serving in Florida 137). She shows an understanding of the low-working class people. Throughout her essay, she writes about the long hours she has to work, and the little pay rate people receive. This aspect serves as a learning experience for the author, and she writes her essay to inform others of the struggle low-income people face.

In the end, the author achieves her intention; hence the method was effective in laying a similar perspective on the lives of those who live in the low-income lifestyle. Ehrenreich's essay demonstrates the conditions she and other people face in their work environment. The author also gives an insight into how most people struggle to make a living off what they earn in their jobs. For her, it was a struggle to work two jobs to make payment for her apartment and other expenses. The essay serves as an insight into the harsh reality low-income people live. The experience enables her to understand a different side of life that she might not have been aware of in the past.

Works Cited

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Nickel and Dimed: On (not) Getting by in America. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2001. Print.

Ehrenreich, Barbara. "Serving in Florida." 50 Essays: A Portable Anthology. By Samuel Cohen. 4th ed. Bedford/St. Martin's, 2007. 129-138. Print.