Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Study Guide
Vocabulary
penury (p. 7) / homogeneous (p. 8) / surfeit (p. 14) / agape (p. 20) / solipsism (p. 26) / “bev” (p. 37) / mephitic (p. 46) / entropy (p. 48)postprandial (p. 63) / glossolalia (p. 67) / soteriological (p. 68) / cineast (p. 75) / prima facie evidence (p. 78) / basal (p. 78) / tchotchke (p. 82) / penitent (p. 84)
encomiums (p. 109) / untouchables (p. 117) / deciduous (p. 121) / WIC (p. 132) / pallid (p. 134) / allopathic (p. 134) / unctuous (p. 137) / aphasic (p. 142)
“time theft” (p. 146) / angstrom (p. 147) / apotheosis (p. 157) / Sisyphus (p. 165) / adjutant (p. 165) / mite (p. 168) / hortatory (p. 178) / abasement (p. 178)
Big Box (p. 178) / apps (p. 180) / “economic man” (p. 206) / obeisance (p. 212) / “disappearing poor” (p. 216) / “social contract” (p. 220) / “working poor” (p. 221)
Discussion Questions
1. In the wake of recent welfare reform measures, millions of women entering the workforce can expect to face struggles like the ones Ehrenreich confronted in Nickel and Dimed.
Have you ever been homeless, unemployed, without health insurance, or held down two jobs? What is the lowest-paying job you ever held and what kind of help -- if any -- did you need to improve your situation?
2. Were your perceptions of blue-collar Americans transformed or reinforced by Nickel and Dimed? Have your notions of poverty and prosperity changed since reading the book? What about your own treatment of waiters, maids, and sales-people?
3. How do booming national and international chains -- restaurants, hotels, retail outlets, cleaning services, and elder-care facilities -- affect the treatment and aspirations of low-wage workers? Consider how market competition and the push for profits drive the nickel-and-diming of America's lowest-paid.
4. Housing costs pose the greatest obstacle for low-wage workers. Why does our society seem to resist rectifying this situation? Do you believe that there are realistic solutions to the lack of affordable housing?
5. While working for The Maids, Ehrenreich hears Ted claim that he's "not a bad guy . . . and cares a lot about his girls." How do the assumptions of supervisors such as Ted affect their employees? How does Ted compare to Ehrenreich's other bosses? To yours?
6. Ehrenreich is white and middle class. She asserts that her experience would have been radically different had she been a person of color or a single parent. Do you think discrimination shaped Ehrenreich's story? In what ways?
7. Ehrenreich found that she could not survive on $7.00 per hour -- not if she wanted to live indoors. Consider how her experiment would have played out in your community: limiting yourself to $7.00 per hour earnings, create a hypothetical monthly budget for your part of the country.
8. Ehrenreich experienced remarkable goodwill, generosity, and solidarity among her colleagues. Does this surprise you? How do you think your own colleagues measure up?
9. Why do you think low-wage workers are reluctant to form labor organizations as Ehrenreich discovered at Wal-Mart? How do you think employees should lobby to improve working conditions?
10. Many campus and advocacy groups are currently involved in struggles for a "living wage." How do you think a living wage should be calculated?
11. Were you surprised by the casual reactions of Ehrenreich's coworkers when she revealed herself as an undercover writer? Were you surprised that she wasn't suspected of being "different" or out-of-place despite her graduate-level education and usually comfortable lifestyle?
12. How does managers' scrutiny -- "time theft" crackdowns and drug testing -- affect workers' morale? How can American companies make the workplace environment safe and efficient without treating employees like suspected criminals?
13. Ehrenreich concluded that had her working life been spent in a Wal-Mart -- like environment, she would have emerged a different person -- meaner, pettier, "Barb" instead of "Barbara." How would your personality change if you were placed in working conditions very different from the ones you are in now?
14. The workers in Nickel and Dimed receive almost no benefits -- no overtime pay, no retirement funds, and no health insurance. Is this fair? Do you think an increase in salary would redress the lack of benefits, or is this a completely separate problem?
15. Many of Ehrenreich's colleagues relied heavily on family -- for housing and help with child-care, by sharing appliances and dividing up the cooking, shopping, and cleaning. Do you think Americans make excessive demands on the family unit rather than calling for the government to help those in need?
16. Nickel and Dimed takes place in 1998-2000, a time of unprecedented prosperity in America. Do you think Ehrenreich's experience would be different in today's economy? How so?
17. After reading Nickel and Dimed, do you think that having a job -- any job -- is better than no job at all? Did this book make you feel angry? Better informed? Relieved that someone has finally described your experience? Galvanized to do something?
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in AmericaProject
(taken from
Purpose:For a journalistic assignment, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to become a member ofthe working class. For an in class assignment, you will see whatit is like to be a member of the workingclass. You will choose a city (one of three Ehrenreich used in her book). Youwill then find a job and a place to live.You will buy clothes, groceries, and gasolinefor your car. After attempting to "get by", you will write an essay comparing yourexperience to the author's.
Task One
(due 10/6/11)
Find a job that you are (1) qualified for, and (2) that pays an hourly wage. Assume that you already have your high school diploma. Otherwise, you may apply for any job for which you have the required skill.
Once you have found a job:
1)Print out the ad and place it in your folder
2)Enter the hourly rate of pay into the appropriate space on your worksheet.
3)Write a paragraph about your new job. Why this job? What do you imagine a day will be like at your job? Add this paragraph to your folder.
Task Two
(due 10/10/11)
Find a place to live. Since you have no furniture, you will either have to find a furnished apartment or a roommate. You may only choose from ads that specify the monthly rent.
Once you've found a home:
• Print out the ad and put it into your folder.
•Enter the monthly rent into the appropriate box in the expenses section of your worksheet.
•Write a brief paragraph about why you chose this apartment or room, and add the paragraph to your folder.
Task Three
(due 10/14/11)
Buy food for one week. Use the links to an area grocery store, and check out the sale paper/ads. Think about how and what you will eat for seven days. Fill in your grocery list. The worksheet will automatically multiply your total by four and enter your monthly grocery bill in the appropriate box.
• Write a paragraph about the choices you made.
•Did you account for three meals a day?
•Did you make healthy or less healthy choices?
•What impact did price have on your choices?
•Describe what you will eat in a typical day.
•Add this paragraph to your folder
TASK FOUR
(due 10/18/11)
Expenses:
Gasoline:
Look up the price of a gallon of gas in your city. Enter that number into your worksheet.
Clothing:
You will need to buy
• Pants
•A shirt
•A pair of shoes
Choose only from the three links provided and enter price of each item into the worksheet. Print out pictures of the clothes you chose, and add them to your folder.
Entertainment:
Find one fun thing to do in your city that you can afford. Enter the cost of this activity into your worksheet, and print out a description or picture of the event to add to your folder.
TASK FIVE
(due 10/20/11)
Check your bottom line. How did you do for the month? Did you make it? If not, can you do something to improve your situation? Could you find a better job? A cheaper apartment?
Turn in your worksheet, your folder and your reflection essay to Ms. Kurtz on 10/24/11.
Reflection Essay- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Final Draft is due 10/24/11
Prompt: After attempting to “get by” for the last few weeks, reflect on your journey as a working person. Finish your exploration of the book by talking about what it taught you on the subject of poverty in America. Not just about what it costs to “get by” but about how people living in poverty make ends meet—how they, in Ehrenreich’s language, “[try] to match income to expenses.” Your reflection essay should be just that—a reflection. Reflection involves deep, inner searching and frank honesty.
Your class login information is as follows:
Class Name: AP Language and Composition
Class ID: 4252430
Class Password: apwriters11
Reflection Essay- Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
Final Draft is due 10/24/11
Prompt: After attempting to “get by” for the last few weeks, reflect on your journey as a working person. Finish your exploration of the book by talking about what it taught you on the subject of poverty in America. Not just about what it costs to “get by” but about how people living in poverty make ends meet—how they, in Ehrenreich’s language, “[try] to match income to expenses.” Your reflection essay should be just that—a reflection. Reflection involves deep, inner searching and frank honesty.
Your class login information is as follows:
Class Name: AP Language and Composition
Class ID: 4252430
Class Password: apwriters11
If you have questions, please see Ms. Kurtz
AP English: Language & Composition Name ______
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America
ReflectionRubric
Length
/ —the essay is very close to three pages long; is typed with one-inch margins; the font is standard 10 or 12; paragraphs are indented 5 spaces6 / 4 / 3 / 1
Organization
/ —The paragraphs are clearly distinguishable—introduction, body, conclusion; the organization reflects flow of ideas as well as logical progression; uses either point by point or block organization; whether the essay is comparison, contrast, or comparison/contrast is clear8 / 6 / 4 / 2
Introductory Paragraph / —Introduces the topic, engages interest, the ideas narrow/funnel down to the thesis statement—the thesis statement (the last sentence in the paragraph) is the main idea of the essay—what you will prove in the body paragraphs; no more than one paragraph; the title of both works and the respective creators are mentioned
8 / 6 / 4 / 2
Concluding Paragraph
/ —Summarizes the major points of the paper while not repeating those points; gives a sense of closure4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Topic Sentences
/ —The ideas in each paragraph are governed by the topic sentence of that paragraph; the topic sentence refers subtly to the idea discussed in the previous paragraph, refers briefly to the overall thesis idea, and refers more specifically to the new ideas to be discussed in the paragraph8 / 6 / 4 / 2
Paragraph Development / —The topic sentences are fully supported with specific detail from the text(s)
16 / 12 / 8 / 4
Rhetorical
Analysis / —Support in the paragraphs consists of reflection—thesis, data, warrant or commentary4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Sentence
Structure
/ —Has a variety of sentence structures, ideas flow smoothly from sentence to sentence, transitions are employed when necessary to make connections4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Diction
/ —Has made a conscious effort to find the best word for communicating ideas; avoids slang or jargon4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Topic Selection
/ —The reflection topics from the respective work are good choices; essay connects the argument’s development, emotional response (tone), or theme of the respective work.4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Eliminating Wordy Constructions / —Hacker rules—1a, 1b, 1c, and 2a are not evident; no sentences begin with there are or a similar construction; needlessly complex constructions like due to the fact that (and others) have been eliminated;
8 / 6 / 4 / 2
Spelling
/ —Essay is free of spelling errors4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Punctuation
/ —Compound and complex sentences are punctuated correctly—Hacker Rules 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21,8 / 6 / 4 / 2
Proofreading
/ —Has no typographical errors6 / 4 / 2 / 1
Agreement
/ —Subjects and verbs agree; pronoun and antecedents agree4 / 3 / 2 / 1
Overall
Impression / —This category rounds out the number to 100 and gives me 4 points to play with!
4 / 3 / 2 / 1
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