Critical Review: Nickel and Dimed
Darien J. Dawson
Owen Cantrell
ENGL 1101
07/14/2013
Critical Review Analysis: Nickel and Dimed Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a mentally challenging read in more ways than one. In this book, Ms. Ehrenreich guides us through her adventure into starting over from the bottom of the social barrel. Her experiment with poverty begins with an agenda, a few amenities, some rules, and a lot of ambition to dive into her new lifestyle. The overall take from this book I received is one that left me critically thinking. Ehrenreich’s uses her arguments, examples, and evidence to state and support her conclusion: the working poor should be paid more. However, her final verdict is not one I am not entirely against, nor do I find it practical. After reading her story and doing some analyzing of my own, I’ve decided that her argument seems valid, yet, her conclusion standing alone does not. The author’s argument states that people cannot survive in today’s society on low or minimum wage pay. Only career people make it in this sort of society. In her book, she writes, “And that is how we should see the state of poverty of so many millions of low-wage Americans – as a state of emergency.” (Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. Pg. 214. Published 01/01/01.) This “emergency” is a nation-wide epidemic, and has been known to be accompanied by many other social issues. Her argument’s focal point preaches on the injustice of low-wage workers in terrible situations being treated unfairly with no option to do better for themselves. This is a point I am 100% in agreement with. Commonly, those who work jobs of low income, have little to no accommodations, and have their life situations out in the open are not treated with respect. A man or woman can have all of the traits of an excellent worker with impeccable character and still be disrespected as a person due to their circumstances. This circulating issue makes poverty so much more of a problematic struggle,
Owen Cantrell
ENGL 1101
07/14/2013
Critical Review Analysis: Nickel and Dimed Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a mentally challenging read in more ways than one. In this book, Ms. Ehrenreich guides us through her adventure into starting over from the bottom of the social barrel. Her experiment with poverty begins with an agenda, a few amenities, some rules, and a lot of ambition to dive into her new lifestyle. The overall take from this book I received is one that left me critically thinking. Ehrenreich’s uses her arguments, examples, and evidence to state and support her conclusion: the working poor should be paid more. However, her final verdict is not one I am not entirely against, nor do I find it practical. After reading her story and doing some analyzing of my own, I’ve decided that her argument seems valid, yet, her conclusion standing alone does not. The author’s argument states that people cannot survive in today’s society on low or minimum wage pay. Only career people make it in this sort of society. In her book, she writes, “And that is how we should see the state of poverty of so many millions of low-wage Americans – as a state of emergency.” (Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. Pg. 214. Published 01/01/01.) This “emergency” is a nation-wide epidemic, and has been known to be accompanied by many other social issues. Her argument’s focal point preaches on the injustice of low-wage workers in terrible situations being treated unfairly with no option to do better for themselves. This is a point I am 100% in agreement with. Commonly, those who work jobs of low income, have little to no accommodations, and have their life situations out in the open are not treated with respect. A man or woman can have all of the traits of an excellent worker with impeccable character and still be disrespected as a person due to their circumstances. This circulating issue makes poverty so much more of a problematic struggle,
Cited: Nickel and Dimed By Barbara Ehrenreich. Publishes Jan 1, 2001. Pages 214.