The experiment took place in florida, maine, and minnesota, with the author finding a job and lodgings in each location. Sep 01, 2001 nickel and dimed exposes the antiamerica of flophouses, multiple house sharing, employees sleeping in cars, and the homeless who work forty hours or more weekly. Nickle and dimed, by barbara ehrenreich, is a book that looks into the minimum wage experience of many americans, and the struggle it takes to live off of a minimum wage salary. Shes often written about poverty, and at the moment the book opens, millions of americans are about to leave welfare as the 1996 welfare reform legislation kicks in. Living on the minimum wage by fran abrams 192pp, profile books. Nickel and dimed book report barbara ehrenreich is a journalist who wrote the book nickel and dimed. Nickel and dimed is not only important but transformative in its insistence that we take a long hard look at the society we live in. Posted on 17 september, 2011 27 january, 2016 by s. Response to nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich essays. The last time anyone had urged me to forsake my normal life for a runofthemill lowpaid job had been in the seventies, when dozens, perhaps hundreds, of sixties radicals started going into the factories to proletarianize themselves and. Nickel and dimed humble independent school district.
On not getting by in america, essayist and social critic barbara ehrenreich applies this notion to minimumwage workers. Written from her perspective as an undercover journalist, it sets out to investigate the impact of the 1996 welfare reform act on the working poor in the united states. Nickel and dimed opens with barbara ehrenreich, a writer and journalist from key west, florida, at a lunch with her editor discussing pitches and article ideas. Nickel and dimed is most definitely a political book, and it had a very political premise.
Francise prose, o, the oprah magazine valuable and illuminating. In her new afterword she explains why, ten years on in america this book is more relevant than ever. When one is charged a little bit at a time until the expense grows beyond expectations, that is called being nickel and dimed. She claims that there is no such thing as unskilled labor, pg 193.
On not getting by america by barbara ehrenreich 1726 words 7 pages. Nickel and dimed reveals lowwage america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generositya land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate stratagems for survival. As a class, conduct a detailed conversation about nickel and dimed as a pointbypoint examination of this very assumption. The author goes into detail about employers oppressive acts such as drug testing and says that some. Within american culture, it is common for those who enjoy such advantages. To this end, the bulk of its criticism might well be directed at the walmart empire. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of nickel and dimed by barbara ehlereich. On not getting by in america is a book written by barbara ehrenreich. Many college freshmen are required to read nickel and dimed, but anyone who knows little about what working class america is like should definitely take a look. On not getting by in america metropolitan books, is one of americas most reliable critics of the rich and powerful. With nearly a million copies in print, nickel and dimed is a modern classic that deftly portrays the plight of americas workingclass poor. Nickel and dimed reveals lowwage america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generositya land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate. The book is told as a memoir from ehrenreich point of view over a year when she traveled the country seeing if she could make ends meet living off of a minimum wage salary.
Nickel and dimed free summary by barbara ehrenreich getabstract. Barbara ehrenreichs nonfiction bestseller, nickel and dimed, is the story of an essay writer who went undercover as a low wage worker to find out how nonskilled workers make ends meet. Nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich by leticia bleek on. Nickel and dimed book report america encourages the value of selfreliance to achieving ones goals and dreams. The perspective the author chooses is a first person informal one. Written from her perspective as an undercover journalist, it sets out to investigate the impact of the 1996 welfare reform act on the working poor in the united states the events related in the book took place between spring 1998 and summer 2000. Quizzes are a variety of multiple choice, short answer, truefalse and fillintheblank questions and cover the important information. Nickel and dimed study guide chapter 2 summary ehrenreich moves to maine next because of the large number of white, englishspeaking people in the lowwage workforce, where she notes there is an abundance of work available. Those who used to be middle class, despite often working two jobs, now endure a daily scramble to prioritize such needs as food, housing, childcare, and health care. Fourth quarter 2001 73 b barbara ehrenreich, pundit from the left and author of the bestselling nickel and dimed. Mencken has assailed the smug rhetoric of prosperity with such scalpellike precision and ferocious wit.
Read free book excerpt from nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich, page 1 of 4. Introduction in the searing and often funny book nickel and dimed, the barbara ehrenreich lived for one year on low wage jobs as a waitress, a nursing home aid, a maid, and a walmart worker. The book chronicles barbaras experience living as a low income hourly wage earner in the united states, working at jobs that pay six to seven. She wants to know how life is for a minimum wage worker. Read it for the smoldering clarity of ehrenreichs perspective and for a rare view of how prosperity looks from the bottom. A father, two sons, and an unlikely road to manhood, 2008 offers this eloquent memoir as a letter to his teenage son, bearing witness to his own experiences and conveying passionate hopes for his sons life. She went undercover, working a series of low wage jobs across the united states, and wrote a scorching indictment of the. Nickel and dimed research papers examine a novel written by barbara ehrenreich about welfare reform in america. She leaves her regular life to explore the experiences of a minimum wage worker. At the risk of being stoned, i have to say that it seems to have taken an atheist to do a christians job. Atlantic senior writer coates the beautiful struggle. Barbara ehrenreichs nickel and dimed and fran abramss below the breadline expose the grim banality of life on the minimum wage on each.
Dec 01, 2009 nickel and dimed book report barbara ehrenreich is a journalist who wrote the book nickel and dimed. She takes an old school approach of getting her information by. Undercover in lowwage usa by barbara ehrenreich 240pp, granta. May 08, 2001 the powerful story of a fathers past and a sons future. Nickel and dimed and below the breadline books the. All of the minor characters in the book had their names changed by the author to protect their privacy. Free summary of nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich. Nickel and dimed reveals lowrent america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity a land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate stratagems for survival. Nickel and dimed nickel and dimedanalysis of the essay. Nickel and dimed was not ehrenreichs first book about social injustices. These quizzes were designed to go with the guiding questions for each chapter.
She is an experimental scientist that has to do this experiment by experiencing what it is like to live on a low wage. The events related in the book took place between spring 1998 and summer 2000. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge the truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people. Instantly acclaimed for its insight, humor, and passion, this book is changing the way america perceives its working poor. Clevery subtitled how not to get by in america, the book is a chronicle of ehrenreichs adventures in survival as a member of the lowwage workforce that serves our meals, cleans our homes, and cares for our elderly.
On not getting by in america study guide contains a biography of author barbara ehrenreich, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a. Some of the other protests surround the political messaging of the book, the marxist perspective. Read it for the authors perspective and for a rare view of how prosperity looks from the bottom. Monkeynotes online study guide book notes summary for. The idea of selfsufficiency is the cause of controversy for welfare programs. I just finished reading barbara ehrenreichs nickel and dimed and it really opened my eyes. On not getting by in america metropolitan books, is one of americas most reliable critics of the rich and power. Barbara ehrenreich is the author of nickel and dimed, blood rites, the worst years of our lives a new york times bestseller, fear of falling, which was nominated for a national book critics circle award, and several other books. On not getting by in america study guide contains a biography of author barbara ehrenreich, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. However, in this book summary, well cover what happened when one journalist shed. Aug 02, 2011 nickel and dimed is not only important but transformative in its insistence that we take a long hard look at the society we live in. Barbara ehrenreich is our premier reporter of the underside of capitalism. On not getting by in america is one of the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2010 coming in at number 8 according to the american library association the events portrayed in the nonfiction work take place between 1998 and 2000 and investigates the impact of the 1996 welfare reform act on the working poor.
As she begins the project she sets three rules for herself. A successful author, barbara ehrenreich decides to see if she can scratch out a comfortable living in a bluecollar america. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides that feature detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, quotes, and essay topics. Get an answer for what is the authors purpose in nickel and dimed.
On not getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich is based on ehrenreichs ethnographic research on the tricks that people in lowwage jobs are able to survive in america off their income. Nickel and dimed in america between 1998 and 2000, i went to three different cities, and tried to support myself on the wages i could earn as an entrylevel worker. But even those who are inclined to think too much of money and power have been heard to admit that ehrenreichs political medicine goes down easy, thanks in large part. In 1998, barbara ehrenreich set out to explore the effects of welfare reform on the poor and working classes of the united stats. This engrossing piece of undercover reportage has been a fixture on the new york times best seller list since its publication. Barbara ehrenreichs book, nickel and dimed and not getting by in america, is, i am sure a very detailed expose of the. Then, ehrenreich writes, her book was an illustration that despite the relative good times. Nickel and dimed teachers guide grades 912 teachervision. You will never see anything, from a motel bathroom to a restaurant meal, quite the same way again. Nickel and dimed 2001 offers a firsthand account of lowincome life in america. The family book report nickel and dimed in this book nickel and dimed. This book is, of course, more than a report on, and expose of, not getting by in americait is also a detailed critique. The author went underground to learn why a huge number of hardworking people must struggle to earn enough money to live a comfortable life, eat decent food and afford the most basic shelter.
Study guide for nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich. This study guide consists of approximately 62 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of nickel and dimed. I have great admiration for barbara ehrenreich to have done this experimentactivity. Sep 17, 2011 the book isnt sensationalised or overly explicit, and the scenes are definitely contextually appropriate. No ones mind will be changed by karls book, but its a valuable report from the scene of an. On not getting by in america barbara ehrenreich goes undercover to see how people living at minimum wage live. Complete study guide including character descriptions, study questions, chapter summaries, and more by. The powerful story of a fathers past and a sons future. Response to nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich essaysin barbara ehrenreichs book, nickel and dimed, she makes a few groundbreaking conclusions after working as a low waged worker for periods of time.
Barbara ehrenreich is the author of nickel and dimed, blood rites, the worst years of our lives a new york times bestseller, fear of falling, which was nominated for a national book critics circle award, and eight other books. Nickel and dimed summary from litcharts the creators of. Nickel and dimed analysis of the essay nickel and dimed by barbara ehrenreich critical reading step 1 barbara ehrenreich goes is a journalist that goes undercover to figure out how low waged workers get by. Nickel and dimed reveals lowwage america in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity a land of big boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate strategies for survival. Barbara ehrenreich as a nonfiction narrative, the author was the main character of the book, conceiving and carrying out the lowwage experiments. A frequent contributor to time, harpers, esquire, the new republic, mirabella, the nation, and the new york times magazine, she lives near key west, florida. Barbara ehrenreich tells the reader how the idea for this book came about. We may take them for granted, but the people earning the minimum wage are the nations backbone, serving our food. On not getting by in america by barbara ehrenreich new york, ny. Still nickel and dimed a decade later the new yorker.