The Lives of the Working in "Nickel and Dimed"

In the year of 1776, with a total population of roughly 2.5 million people, the United States of America was founded on the moral premise that, “by working hard, you would have a good life.” And yet 237 years later, with a staggering population of roughly 314 million people, does that premise still hold true? This highly debated question was answered in the novel Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Here, she explores the lives of the working, poor low-wage population, in a first person perspective, while working as an undercover journalist.

But while doing, she uncovers a bigger truth for the country to hear, and that truth is, despite hard work and rigorous hours of labor, there is no guarantee at all, that that person will experience a “good” life, as shown in her journey.

Despite the rigorous amounts of labor and toil, it was shown that the hard work only resulted in a dangerous risk to one’s health and a decline in self-respect and one’s self-esteem.

But worst of all was the commonly lingering deficit between one’s income and expenses, thereby making it nearly impossible to find even a tiny yet livable housing environment. Overall, the moral premise that, “by working hard, you will lead a good life”, no longer stand in its truth.

Firstly, despite one’s hard work, there is no guarantee that they will live a good life, due to the lack of rest and dangerous toll that exact work can take on their health.

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This was first experienced by Barbara Ehrenreich during her time in Key West, Florida, where she worked as a minimum-wage waitress in Jerry’s Restaurant. After rigorous 8 shifts, with a brief 15 minute lunch break, Ehrenreich describes the miserable toll each day at waitressing took on her, despite her decently strong muscular physique and experience at the job before. She sums up her pain by stating, “I’ve now started by tossing back drugstore-brand ibuprofens as if they were vitamin C, four before each shift, because of the repetitive stress on my upper back that has now transformed into full spasm form, thanks to tray-carrying” (Ehrenreich 49).

On another occasion, as a maid in Portland, Maine, Ehrenreich reflects on the extent that her and her co-workers’ hard work had taken on them physically. “I do not know how my co-workers and I survive these hellish conditions…but ours is a world of pain managed by daily doses of Excedrin and Advil…It also seems the owners have no idea of the misery that goes into rendering their homes motel-perfect, for example the fact that their floors are cleaned only with the purest of fresh human tears…….I also can’t begin to explain how this form of “exercise” is totally asymmetrical, brutally repetitive, and as likely to destroy the musculoskeletal structure versus strengthen it” (Ehrenreich 125).

It comes down to the question, that if a person is forced to do this kind of tedious labor and hard work at this kind of a job, how is it even possible to experience a “good” life? In present day, a “good” life means good health and safety and even though everyone experiences pain at various points in their life, no one can truly claim to be living a “good” life if they’re compelled to swallow pills nearly every day, since they can’t afford therapy or some other long-term relief solution.

Shortly before Ehrenreich’s time working for The Maids comes to an end, she summarizes a previously unmentioned, eternal pain by stating that, “I can put up with shit and snot and every other gross substance I encounter in this line of work, but the main thing that truly kills me is the human pain. I try not too…but it kills when I have to work alongside people who are crying, fainting, starving or otherwise visibly suffering” (Ehrenreich 112). These are just a few examples of the pain and physical strain that have occurred as a result of hard work. Though working hard is still important, there is no guarantee that an individual’s health will be taken care of, in order to promote a “good” life.

Secondly, hard work cannot guarantee that you will live a good life due to the possible pain it can cause to a person’s moral dignity and self-esteem. Self-respect, dignity, and self- esteem are a major part of who we are and what makes up our eternal whole; an underappreciated and yet important piece of what makes up a “good” life. We all liked to be looked up upon, respected, and appreciated for whatever job we do and the honesty and integrity we do it with.

Despite working hard however, and following all the rules, it does not guarantee that we will be respected and treated with dignity. Ehrenreich first experienced this in the form of her manager when she was working at Jerry’s restaurant in Key West, Florida. From intolerable insults and name calling to complaints and looks of constant disapproval, managers were the primary people to truly break an employee’s self-esteem at many of Ehrenreich’s low-wage jobs. After one-week at the job, Ehrenreich stated, “And B.J. [the manager] was worst known for her biggest task…standing by the counter and yelling at us from her chair…yelling at me because I talked to a customer longer than I should’ve” (Ehrenreich 51).

In addition to rude and grumpy managers, the numerous drug tests, pre-employment “personality’ tests, and lack of trust that was exhibited by bosses before and after hiring, greatly affected Ehrenreich’s self-esteem. She even quoted after her interview at Wal-Mart in Minnesota that, “the personality tests were a load of bull…casually asking about my personal crime, theft and drug use…..despite that I had already taken the test…my new feel towards pre-employment tests – zero tolerance,” (Ehrenreich 170).

In addition to these questions, many of the other ‘personality’ tests Ehrenreich was forced to take asked personal questions and downright untrustworthy questions such as how many goods have stolen this year, how many years have you done in prison, are you commonly known for getting into fistfights with fellow employees, etc.

Moreover, in a 2001 study performed by the American Civil Liberties Union, pre-employment testing was shown to not have lowered absenteeism and accidents, but instead lowered productivity, due to the testing’s negative effect on employee morale. Alas, despite hard work and excellent behavior, the possible damage that that job can cause to your self-esteem can only further distance a person from having a good life.

Third and yet most importantly, despite one’s hard work, there is no guarantee that they will be able to attain a suitable housing environment, with even the most basic essential amenities; a vital part of living a “good” life. Due to the lingering deficit between income and expenses, in the wages of the working poor, it can often become nearly impossible to find a suitable housing environment. As a matter of fact, according to a 2009 survey by the National Report of Coalition, a reported 1/6 of all homeless people in America are employed full-time.

The struggle to actually find a place however has proven to be more difficult than ever before and was also experienced by Barbara Ehrenreich multiple times during her time at her various low-wage jobs. It first became evident in Key West, Florida, where the nearest affordable shabby motel room was an hour and a half away from her work, “…a drive much too far and costly to consider…” (Ehrenreich 36). She finally settled for a barely affordable beaten down rental trailer that was only an hour away from work.

After her first three weeks at the job Ehrenreich came to her first realization that, “There are no secret economies that nourish the poor; on contrary there are a host of special costs…I mean, if you can’t put up the two months’ rent to secure an apartment, you end up paying into debt for a room by the week” (Ehrenreich 41). The housing dilemma was also experienced during her time in Portland, Maine. During her search to find an affordable place to stay, Ehrenreich quotes, “…after a briefing on the Twin Cities’ industrial history, I am informed that there is currently a major affordable-housing crisis…and the cheapest place I could find was a rundown studio [an hour away from work] and the price — $164 a week…way beyond my budget” (Ehrenreich 190).

Furthermore, in a 1998 study performed by the Rental Housing and Urban Development Association, it was reported that there were only 36 affordable rental units for every 100 families in America. Therefore, in spite of hard work, there is no guarantee that you will even a have a roof over your head; one of the most essential components of living a “good” life. The moral premise that “if you work hard, you will have a ‘good’ life”, is simply no longer true. As depicted by Barbara Ehrenreich, working hard is simply not enough to have a good life, since a “good” life requires more than what is necessarily in our hands.

She describes the low-wage working population to be a population of desperation: desperate in finding a home, and food to feed themselves, desperate for a break or occasional day-off to rest their uncontrollable pains, and desperate for kindness from bosses and managers to help boost their self-esteem. This is the reality of the working low-wage population.

And after reflecting on the years of toil and struggle, Barbara Ehrenreich reflected for the last time by stating, “I grew hearing over and over, to the point of tedium, that ‘hard work’ was the secret of success: ‘Work hard and you’ll get ahead’ or ‘It’s hard work that got us where we are.’ But No one ever said that you could work hard – harder even than you ever thought possible – and still find yourself sinking every deeper into poverty and debt.” (Ehrenreich 298).