I think that the author
of “Serving in Florida” would disagree with the statement “everyone in America
has an equal opportunity to be successful” because of her personal experience
in the minimum-wage marketplace. I believe that everyone in America has the
opportunity to be successful, and I’m sure the author would too, however, this opportunity
is not always equal. The author talks about how most of the employees that she
works with are in financially desperate situations because of prior experiences
they have had that negatively impacted their lives. Although I agree that
people “make their own path” through life, sometimes there are outside elements
that are out of their control and really can limit opportunity. The author also
talks about how if she had not had a little over $1,000 in buffer money
starting out her low-wage lifestyle she most likely would have been in really
bad shape. There are always money-related problems that arise in everyday life
that the minimum-wage salary does not take in to account. One’s potential opportunity
can be limited to prior financial stability, educational experience, networking
connections, etc. There are so many factors that can influence potential success
in America, even one’s gender or race can have a profound effect on the limiting
of opportunities. Although these limitations can be mildly annoying at times,
they are not an excuse, the opportunity is still there it might just require
more effort. The author also talks about the way the employees are treated, and
I think that this sheds light in to how people are categorized by their social
class. Minimum wage employees are often treated as “disposable” because of
their lack of wealth and influence. Even though a large number of minimum-wage
workers might be felons or drug addicts, it is unreasonable to cast this label
on every poverty-stricken person. Respect is oftentimes directly related to one’s
financial well being, and it is becoming increasingly easier to de-humanize
people based on their economic standing. Overall, there is opportunity for
everyone but it is not necessarily equal and might be more visible to some than
to others. I think that the author would certainly agree that America offers
more potential opportunities to the average person than a place like
Afghanistan might, however, we cannot allow this to blind us from positive
social change.
I agree with your statement “I believe that everyone in America has the opportunity to be successful, and I’m sure the author would too, however, this opportunity is not always equal” and too believe that Barbara Ehrenreich would also feel this way because of her own personal feelings of having to do labor for a minimum wage. Her personal experience may make her opinion a bit bias, however, because many people have also had such an experience, this opinion is not hard to relate to or understand. “Serving in Florida” highlights the idea that though the idea of the “American dream” isn’t completely dead, it has become more of a fantasy or improbability than an actual reality. I also believe that the author would strong disagree with the statement “If people work hard enough, they will achieve success” because of the same reason she disagrees with “everyone in America has an equal opportunity to be successful”. Both statements seem to only be applicable or reasonable if a person is in just the right position to succeed, Ehrenreich makes the point to show us that not everyone is in such idea positions regarding economic standing. This ideology is one I believe many lower middle class Americans can also agree with.
ReplyDeleteDear Kaden,
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of your points above and would like to go on to say that since we depend so heavily on the government for well-being and help, Barbara would also agree that the government has a responsibility to care for the poor. Not so much so that they are given better treatment than the higher classes, but at the bare minimum, wages that can sufficiently cover health needs: food, shelter, and medicine. It is the government’s responsibility to take care of all its people, which means not dismissing the lower class simply because they have the "opportunity" to live a better life. Opportunity does not equate to success as individual circumstances have proven again and again. In Barbara’s experiment, she is working a full time job as a waitress, being paid barely over minimum wage, and has only been able to sustain herself because she began the endeavor with some saved up cash in her pocket. Her colleagues, however, do not have it so easily. While being paid around the same as Barbara, they are in many unsustainable living situations such as staying in vehicles, motels, or splitting rooms, all because of financial constraints. And yet, the government and the states believe that the minimum wage is sufficient for survival. You could get a second job as Barbara begins doing at the end of the excerpt, but with the arrival of said job, her (mental and/or physical) health is bound to go. Working tirelessly to merely get by is no way to live a sane life. The government should take it upon themselves to see that every working person has the access to sustainable health, at the very least.
-Nayem CL
Barbara Ehrenreich, the author of “Serving in Florida” would disagree with the statement that “people who are very poor are probably to blame for their poverty.” As she describes her experience as a server Ehrenreich goes over the struggles of making ends meet and trying to have money for other expenses while sharing her coworkers struggles too. One example would be in the beginning, “no one from the approximately twenty places at which I have applied calls for an interview” with not getting called back the author talks about the application process as it asks mainly question pertaining to if you are “illegal” or have been incarcerated. Ehrenreich being neither of these puts her in a good spot for a job but still receives no call back, people that do not fit into these establishments requirements find it harder to find jobs and have money to support a family or themselves. Ehrenreich and her coworkers are surrounded by the same struggle of maintaining housing and having money left for basic necessities. The author talks about working eight hours a day on tips and a small wage while always being on her feet doing labor for management, and most of the employees are struggling in their living conditions while trying to make a good living. Most of the employees live in flophouses and do not have enough money to buy an apartment leaving them stuck in their housing situations. I don’t think that the author would agree with this statement because of how hard she tried to get a job and then to earn enough money to support herself. I think in contrast the author might agree that “America has a problem with income inequality” and the job opportunities available to those who need it the most.
ReplyDelete