Nickel and Dimed was first introduced to me in high school. I read the book and spent almost a semester discussing the social issues that were relevant to Ehrenreich’s different jobs and struggles as she moves across the country. To reread these chapters of the book was completely different from the perspective of a college student. In a sense, though from a fortunate family, I work three jobs to pay for my expenses and realize how hard it can be to make rent each month. I also view these issues on the Staff Support Team at Santa Clara Community Action program because I am constantly engaged in issues such as these that are seen through each program in our organization. The most compelling insights are from speaking with our campus workers as they come in for tutoring in English. As much as I would like to believe that I understand what it’s like to truly experience the low-wage life, I could never scratch the surface.
Success, as for most students at Santa Clara, is an option that was given to me since I was young. My parents knew the right things to do, the right schools to put me in so that I would perform well. Ehrenreich is a well-educated woman who made a good living, but she decided to dedicate her life for some time to a research, to find out what it’s like for those who have not always had the formula for success. Her story is so powerful to me because of her perspective; she is able to see exactly what was wrong because she lived a stable life. The reader finds out what a different life is for someone who must SURVIVE off of $6.45 an hour, if it’s even that high for the particular state. This book causes me to want to look more into the ideas behind the excessive cost of housing and the reasons why we have no living wage in America.
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