1. In this section of the book, another Wal-Mart associate brings the author a sandwich because she knows Ehrenreich is having a hard time making ends meet financially (163). How do you think Ehrenreich felt when she accepted the sandwich?
As this book progresses, the author is realizing more and more what it means to be poor. Earlier in the book, Ehrenreich bought a can of pop for another maid because she knew the other maid couldn’t afford to buy it. Now the author is on the receiving end. At this point in the book, several things have made the author realize what it means to be poor, but having a co-worker bring her food really emphasizes it. When Ehrenreich was working with The Maids, she was poor, but she seemed to stay ahead of the other maids. It almost seemed like she didn’t want to become quite as poor as they were. The author is now in her last location and trying hard to make it through the last few weeks. The further along Ehrenreich gets into her experiment, the more she learns about what it means to be poor.
2. Throughout the book Ehrenreich has dealt with unpleasant supervisors. She is currently annoyed by Rhoda at Wal-Mart. How can we use this in our everyday lives?
The author has had to work for some not-so-great employers. The reason for these bad experiences may be because 1) they have personalities that don’t mix well together, and 2) her supervisors/employers might simply just be rude. This shows readers that sometimes we have to do things we don’t necessarily want to do. There will always be people out there who have clashing ideas or personalities from our own. It could be a classmate, a co-worker, a boss, or just an acquaintance. In her book, Ehrenreich shows her readers how to work around it and not let it get to you.
3. One thing that has changed for Ehrenreich because she is living on near minimum wage jobs is her living conditions. She is now living with screenless windows and without air or a fan (158). How would your living conditions and anything else change for you if you tried this experiment?
I can’t say that I currently have great living conditions. Living in a dorm room definitely has its challenges, but I know it is far better than how the author is living. There are also a number of things that I maybe take for granted that I would have to give up: shopping, going out for lunch or an ice cream cone, driving, entertainment, and my cell phone plan are just a few. My physical health would probably become very poor. In this book Ehrenreich has held jobs that are physically demanding on her body and are very tiresome. Plus working two jobs would be draining and could very possibly limit sleep.
4. Ehrenreich performed this experiment more than ten years ago. How do you think her experiment would differ in today’s economy?
Ehrenreich’s experiment would be vastly different if she repeated the experiment in today’s economy. I don’t think it has become easier for people to live on minimum wage over the last ten years. If anything, I think it has become much more challenging. I think finding a job would be next to impossible. Even if the author did find work, she knows that having one job paying minimum wage isn’t enough for her to pay enough rent to live inside. Finding a job that pays more than minimum wage with the skills and experience she lists on her resume would be incredibly difficult.
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