The author in “Serving in Florida” would most likely
disagree with the statement that “ Everyone in America already has an equal
opportunity to be successful”. In terms of money not everybody is treated
equal. Now that is not to say that we should change ourselves into an all equal
sharing economy like communism. No, what we must see is that not everybody is
given the same opportunities as others. It is very likely that someone coming
from a middle-class or wealthy family would receive more opportunities than
somebody in a poor family. That doesn’t mean that nobody can get out of being poor, it just means that
more opportunities are more likely coming from a wealthier position that
someone starts on. That is the key, “where do we start?”. The authors
experiment and background are examples of 2 different starting points. Where
she references that in this parallel universe , where her dad didn’t get out of
the mines and she didn’t get a college education, explains the 2 starting
points. One where she starts in a capable position to get a college degree and
likely be paid more. Or one where she has to start from practically the
opposite and gets the , very rare, benefit of having $1000 help start. Now
after considering where you start, we have to understand that getting a job is
even more of a challenge to equal opportunity. The author states that finding a
job is about being at the right place at the right time. Which is true because
dependent of your level of education , even then you can never surely secure a
job. Its more about timing and being lucky enough that the interviewer likes
you enough to higher you. However this still doesn’t mean that everybody has
equal opportunity to be successful because in reality who would have a higher
chance to gain a regular grade office job? A person with at least a degree in
said profession , or the just new immigrant who is looking for a start up to
the American dream?
I agree with how you see the author's perspective on inequality. The author takes the statement "everyone in America already has an equal opportunity to be successful" and breaks it down to the reader that there are several instances in which that statement could be false from first hand experience. She explains a situation in which she is given the worse end of the stick, which is normal for a lot of Americans who work minimum wage, have low standards of living, and never good opportunities. I personally think the images the author has given the reader gives us a fresh new pair of eyes into a life of unfortunate events, which is someone's actual day-to-day life. Some are given more than others and it's unavoidable. The story also gives us a look at people around herself that might have it even worse than her, but had the opportunity to work at the same setting which may be a step up for them. The author's step up is when she explains that she's landed her dream job. However, it's housekeeping. Most people take "opportunities" like that and see it a different way. The way the author described her previous job(s) and how they put her in a position of poverty, emphasized how something as simple as a better paying job by a few cents could make a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading with most of the blogs, I agree with yours the most. After the author’s experiment she will completely disagree with the statement that “Everyone in America already has an equal opportunity to be successful.” The author of “Serving in Florida” wanted to imagine and experience first-hand the reality of low incomed people and how much work they have to put in every day just to barely make a living and at times not even make enough to afford a place to sleep in. I agree with you that someone that was born into a wealthy or upper class family and environment, they are fortunate enough to have the privilege to be exposed to a vast number of opportunities. Sometimes, wealthy families even have connections or friends that can get you admitted into a job or academic college. While on the other hand, someone brought in into a lower class literally has to work for everything they want to have or need. Even then, all their hard work will not move them up but only maintain themselves stable.
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