nickel and dimed close reading questions (good luck)

What are the three rules that Ehrenreich imposes upon herself?

1. She could not use any prior knowledge to her advantage when applying for jobs. 2. She had to take the highest paying job offered to her. 3. She had to take the cheapest accommodations she could find that offered an acceptable level of safety and privacy.

How do the maids rebel against the social hierarchy?

?????

Why does Ehrenreich say that, at the tent revival, Jesus is there only as "Christ crucified," not as "the living man"?

????????

Ehrenreich mentions "Following Mao's central instruction, as laid out in the Little Red Book." Identify the rhetorical device in this quotation and explain its significance.

Allusion, essentially referring to arbitrary rules.

Ehrenreich states "the Industrial Revolution is not an easy transition." Identify the rhetorical devices used in this comment and explain their significance.

Allusion, expresses times of change and eventually struggle

Ehrenreich calls one of the British customers "Princess Di." Identify the rhetorical device this is an example of and explain its significance.

Allusion, referring to Princess Diana who was rich and affluent, just like the house. Also they were both British which sparks the allusion.

What is ironic about Alyssa and Ehrenreich's wardrobe concern?

An employee can't afford a shirt from Wal-Mart on clearance with a stain on it.

Describe the living situations of the restaurant employees.

Awful. They always share houses/apartments with others. Always very cramped.

How do people treat maids? What generalization do they make about cleaners?

Bad, as slaves and not as humans.

How does Ehrenreich use the identify "Barb" to distance herself from her "mental wickedness"?

Barb sounds less dignified than Barbara does.

Contrast Ellie's style of management with Howard's style.

Barbara likes Ellie, who's polite and demure, though she doesn't like the assistant manager, Howard, who spends ten minutes taking attendance at the first meeting. He admonishes associates for loitering and talking to each other and for committing "time theft."

Why does Ehrenreich not receive a paycheck after her first week at The Maids?

Because most people leave quickly and it gives them an incentive to stay.

How is the process of obtaining a job restrictive to some potential employees?

Because some do not speak english, have stable living conditions, etc.

What are some of the hidden costs of poverty?

Being fat because they cannot afford healthy food, being depressed because of the conditions they are in and not being able to seek help, never knowing where their next meal might come from, etc

Why are unskilled jobs not "truly 'unskilled'"?

Each job requires concentration and new terms, tools, and skills.

How does Ehrenreich invert claims that poor people have problems of "dependency"?

Everyone else is dependent on them for low wage work.

How does Ehrenreich challenge the stereotype that poor people are somehow considerably different from or inferior to middle- or upper-class people

Everyone is a person and all deserve the same claim to basic respect and civil liberties.

How do the footnotes and citations of studies contribute to the persuasiveness of Ehrenreich's writing?

Gives warrants to backup her claims.

How does Ted respond to employees who are not well?

He tells them to tough it out

In the meeting, Philip complains about "gossip." What does the repetition of the word indicate about him?

He thinks that the gossip is about him and is self-conscious about it.

"[H]e...ascend[ed] from boilermakers to martinis before booze beat out ambition." What does this description of Ehrenreich's father reveal?

He used to have ambitions before he became an alcoholic

For what personal reason does Ehrenreich want to take care of the Alzheimer's patients?

Her father had alzheimers.

What does the scene of Ehrenreich watching a Walmart commercial on a television in Wal-Mart illustrates?

How small she actually is and how big the company is.

Why does Holly refuse to stop working and get her injured ankle tended?

In order to impress Ted. Also, she needs the money from working

When Gail mentions that she is living in her truck parked in the hotel lot, Ehrenreich responds, "With the Hearthside offering benefits like that, how could anyone think of leaving?" This question is an example of what rhetorical devices?

Irony and satire

How is the official calculation of poverty fundamentally flawed?

It is solely based on the cost of food (which stays the same) and does not count on the cost of living (which has skyrocketed.

Ehrenreich calls the underpaid workplace a "dictatorship." What is the effect of this word choice?

It is strong and emphasizes how much power bosses and big corporations have over their employees. It makes the employees seem small and unimportant.

Ehrenreich notes that workers often choose to stay with "the devil [they] know." What does this expression mean, and what rhetorical term is it an example of?

It means that they choose to live with the people willing to let them live with them but they might be rude. It is a metaphor/hyperbole

Roberta cannot remember the third pillar of Wal-Mart philosophy, which she claims "precisely fits[s] her own." What might this suggests about her introduction?

It suggests that Walmart does not really encompass these values.

Describe George's employment situation and living conditions.

Lives in terrible conditions in close confinements with lots of other people.

How does Ehrenreich attempt to stand up for Holly? Why does her attempt fail?

Make her stop working, she refuses to stop. She Stands up to Ted and he basically pushes over it.

How has the business of cleaning services changed in the mid-1990's? How are these services operated?

More people have cleaning services. In business form.

What details illustrate the level of poverty in which the cleaners live?

Never clean, always hungry, and cannot get medical help.

Why is it difficult for the working poor to receive help?

No money and no one trusts them because of their education level and cleanliness.

According to Ehrenreich, how have the poor become socially invisible?

No one cares about them.

How do the cleaners Lori and Colleen feel about the owners having "so much while others, like themselves, barely get by"?

One aspires to be like them, while the other just enjoys the "simple" life.

Describe the "cruel irony" of the prosperous economy.

One can work as hard as they can and still not be able to make ends meet.

Why does Holly look sickly?

Pregnant

What is the definition of affordable rent? How has Ehrenreich's perception of affordable rent become skewed?

Rent one can afford while simultaneously obtaining food and other basic necessities.

How has Ehrenreich been affected by the stress of her job and living situation?

She cannot sleep at night and is very stressed and anxious.

Why does Ehrenreich decide not to work the job at Menards? Do you think she made a good decision?

She does not think she can successfully work 10 hours in a row. I think it was a poor decision because she left so much money on the table.

What social skills are involved in low-wage jobs?

She had to figure out who was in charge and who was good to work with.

Why does Ehrenreich quit her job at Wal-Mart?

She has gone under and can no longer afford the life she is living. This is very ironic because she is unable afford her terrible living conditions.

Why does ehrenreich find Todd's pitch refreshing? Why is the job at Mountain Air questionable?

She initally feels like she will be able to help people. However, these do not turn out to be the true values of the country. This ultimately leads to her not getting a job offer.

Ehrenreich states that the Clearview Inn "forms a toilet-seat shape around the parking lot." What does the description suggest?

She is comparing the Clearview Inn to a massive toilet.

Ehrenreich refers to herself at her new job as a "Wal-Martian." What is the effect of this term.

She is in a foreign land.

Contrast Ehrenreich's success at her jobs with her success with her finances.

She worked very hard at her jobs, while her finances always went under forcing her to quit her current job and move onto the next one.

After describing the various bathroom messes, Ehrenreich asks, "You don't want to know this?" What is the effect of this direct address to the reader?

She's serious and knows the readers will be disgusted by this.

What incidence causes Ehrenreich to feel degraded while cleaning Mrs. W.'s house?

She's standing there watching her sweat and scrub the floors then asked her to go do another spot.

Locate an example of irony in the scene at the Wal-Mart orientation and explain why it is ironic.

The associates are encouraged to think of managers as "servant leaders," serving both them and the customers. But the music turns ominous as the video warns of problems with "associate honesty," like thefts by cashiers. This is ironic because people are supposed to be "servant leaders", yet they still steal things.

Why does Ehrenreich have such difficulty finding a viable apartment?

The vacancy rate is less than 1% and even lower for "affordable" housing.

How is Ehrenreich's job at Wal-Mart tricky?

The women's section where she works is always rearranged.

What happens to Ehrenreich's room? What changes at work?

There is a sewage backup so she has to change rooms. The time of shift changes from 10-6 to 2-11.

What is Ehrenreich's view toward unions?

They are a positive way to inspire change

Why do employers prefer to offer benefits instead of raising wages?

They can be taken away more easily when the market changes.

Ehrenreich is delighted when a manager praises her work. How is this incident similar to how the maids responded to Ted?

They have no one in their lives to tell them when they are doing well at something, so when they get positive recognition, it is a big deal.

How have wages changed in the late 1990s? How does Ehrenreich feel about this change?

They raised but not enough. the middle and upper class wages increased drastically while the lower class wages barely increased

What, according to Ehrenreich, is the purpose of her job at Wal-Mart? Do you think her evaluation is accurate?

To inspire the movement to start a Union

What is "time theft"? How are the people running the orientation hypocritical about time theft?

Wasting time. The orientation takes forever and robs the employees of their time.

What news does Ehrenreich share with her coworkers, and why does she do so?

Who she actually is and that she is quitting.

How do Ehrenreich and her coworkers measure their work? What does this measurement illustrate?

carts

Ehrenreich decides not to move to California for "worry that the Latinos might be hogging all the crap jobs and substandard housing for themselves, as they so often do." Identify the rhetorical device in this quote.

jargon?

What rhetorical device is the phrase "it's the market, stupid" an example of? What is the significance of the line?

jargon???

When describing her work, Ehrenreich says, "Think Sisyphus here or the sorcerer's apprentice." What rhetorical device is this found in this phrase?

metaphor and allusion

Ehrenreich says that "each [clothing] item wants to be reunited with its sibs and its clan members" What rhetorical device is the quote an example of?

personification

Identify the rhetorical device and analyze the significance of the sentence "Wal-Mart's appetite for human flesh in insatiable."

personification/hyperbole

Ehrenreich says, "I sleep and wake up, sleep and wake up again. What rhetorical device is in this statement and what is its effect?

repetition

What objects does Ehrenreich bring to Main that suggest that she is still somewhat naive about the experiences of the working poor?

?????

How does Portland seem to defy the traditional economics of supply and demand?

???????

What is the significance of the Aleve commercial Ehrenreich mentions?

???????

Why is Ehrenreich particularly reluctant to research the difficulties of poverty by working low-paying jobs?

Ehrenreich feels that actually living in property would help her better understand the traumas lower class americans have to go through. Additionally, writing about actual experiences would be much more powerful for a book or article. She feels reluctant to this type of research because she is no longer a young and spritely journalist

Ehrenreich states that smokers create "an atmosphere in which oxygen is only an occasional pollutant." This line is an example of what rhetorical device?

Hyperbole

Ehrenreich expresses her willingness to "get [her] hands dirty." Identify this rhetorical device and analyze how it affects the tone of the narrative.

Idiom, it shows the reader that Ehrenreich is prepared to actually enter the workforce wholeheartedly, rather than just reading about it.

What does Ehrenreich discover about housing in Portland?

It is very expensive

In what ways are managers "the class enemy"

No one likes them because their only job is to make sure everyone else is working while they do not do work themselves.

Describe how Ehrenreich is treated while she applies for jobs.

Pretty rudely. Most of the people are not actually hiring or simply do not get back to her.

Ehrenreich calls her get-togethers with friends from her usual life "conjugal visits." What does this diction illustrate?

She feels like she is in prison

Why is Ehrenreich reluctant to take a drug test?

She had recently smoked marijuana.

What does the phrase "canned labor" suggest?

That her house is the only way out of the heat and it is still a mild form of labor even though she is away from work.

Why was Ehrenreich's position as an investigative journalist not really a deception?

That's her actual job, she is a writer. She is actually undergoing the experiences that these people face.

Employees at the hardware store refer to customers ast "guests." What inference can you draw by the use of this word?

They strive to treat their customers as respectful as possible.

Ehrenreich notes that "[employees are barred from using the front door." What does this rule indicate?

This labels them as property not guests.

Why are the wait staff unwilling or unable to take a break when the restaurant is not busy?

To appease to manager and they are "on the clock"

Why does Ehrenreich mention the price of her "$30 lunch" or "salmon and field greens"?

To contrast the luxurious life she currently lives with the meal-to-meal life she is about to enter.

Describe Ehrenreich's living conditions at the Blue Haven.

Very tight

What main effect of welfare reform does Ehrenreich mention?

Welfare reform makes it so people are not able to obtain a "living wage".

As she applies for jobs, what does Ehrenreich discover about the low-wage economy?

White, english speakers automatically do better in finding jobs.

Identify the rhetorical term in the sentence, "[W]e stayed behind, Cinderella-like, in their usually deserted homes."

metaphor/simile

Why has Ehrenreich failed in her initial plan of finding a higher-paying job? How does she feel about her lack of success?

no one is hiring?? she can't get one??

In what way is there a lack of communication in the hiring process at Menards and Wal-Mart?

At Menards, the amount she would be payed is never clear, while at Walmart they don't give a specific time you will be working or station you will be assigned

Why does Ehrenreich call the "history and philosophy of Wal-Mart" the "Cult of Sam"?

Because everything revolves around Sam Walton's ideals. Rather they are all carried out, however, is a completely different story.

Why do these workers feel like they must conceal their full capabilities?

Because if a boss sees what someone is capable of, they will over exert them and take advantage of them.

Why does Ted's approval mean so much to workers at The Maids?

Because no one else in their lives is there to give them recognition for anything so it means a lot, especially coming from their boss.

How does Caroline's life show that Ehrenreich's experiment is a realistic scenario?

Because their situations are very relatable. While Barbara is suffering for a only a short time, this is some people's lives. Bad living conditions in unsafe environments.

Why do low-wage workers have difficulty comparing wages or negotiating for better pay?

Because they are not well informed. (Financial advisors) they are also afraid of being replaced

Why does Ehrenreich make an effort to "recruit Pete as an ally"?

Because they are working together anyway so might as well be friends in case she ever needs something.

Why is it difficult to determine how people were affected when they lost welfare benefits?

Because they lost benefits rather than wages.

How does Ehrenreich begin to rebel against Wal-Mart?

By inspiring people to start a Union and she wastes their time by doing personal stuff while on the clock

The statement "You might imagine...that people who live...on $6 to $10 an hour have discovered some survival stratagems unknown to the middle class" is an example of what rhetorical device?

Irony, the middle class could survive like this if their life depended on it.

What literary device is the statement "I am the vacuum cleaner" an example of and what does it suggest?

It is a metaphor for the fact that she sucks everything up

What events cause Ehrenreich to leave her job at Jerry's?

Overloaded, people were being cruel so she just gives up and walks out.

Why might workers continue to smoke, despite the health hazards?

Relieve stress and curb appetite

In what ways does Ehrenreich limit the hardships she will endure? How do her limitations reflect her privilege as someone from the middle class?

She limits herself by saying she needs a car, she cannot go hungry, and she cannot be homeless. It is important to note that a lot of lower class people do not have the option to put these restrictions on themselves. For example, if they are not able to purchase a car, they just do not have one.

Why does Ehrenreich decide to move closer to Key West?

The rent is cheaper

What is ironic about Roberta's response to the Wal-Mart survey Ehrenreich completes?

There are three "wrong" answers to a test with no wrong answers.

In the comment "Forget that you will have to do this again tomorrow, forget that you will have to be alert...just burn, burn, burn! What is the effect of the repetition?

Work is repetitious and feels like it is never going to end

Ehrenreich states that a number of low-paid workers write. What does this hobby suggest?

Writing is an avenue people use to express their feelings. Additionally, writing is one of few hobbies that is affordable for all people.

What has happened to George? How does Ehrenreich react?

He was accused of stealing something and gets fired. She is very upset because she knows he did that if he did it then it was just to keep him or someone he knew from going hungry. She knows it was not a malicious act. Ehrenreich doesn't stick up for him, instead she is silent and regrets it later.

In what way does being a white native English speaker determine the types of jobs Ehrenreich works and influence where she decides to live?

She is more respected, can easily communicate with others, and is an overall more attractive option for employers than a nonwhite person with low literacy.

How does Ehrenreich fare while working two jobs?

She realizes it is basically impossible and overworking on the body

How is the personal trainer sympathetic to Ehrenreich? How do her statements indicate her lack of awareness about cleaners' difficulties?

She sees her sweating and offers her a glass of water. She did not previously realize how hard of a job it was.

Where does Ehrenreich initially stay in Minneapolis, and who is her roommate?

She stays at a friend's house who is out of town. Her roommate is a cockatiel.

How does Ehrenreich view her work?

She tries to do the right thing and actually take care of her customers, which is ironically what management does not want.

Why does Ehrenreich "aspire" to be "trailer trash"? How is her aspiration ironic?

She wants to dive into the life of a poor person. It's ironic because this is the type of life no one wants and also it what she is striving to achieve. Trailers are more expensive than the motels she is staying at and more safe.

Ehrenreich imagines that she is a princess serving her subjects. What does this fantasy reveal about her attitudes toward her wage-earning customers and coworkers?

She wants to help them and make their lives easier

Why does Ehrenreich decide to work in Portland, Maine?

She's visited there before and it's primarily white so she would lose that advantage. "for its whiteness"

Ehrenreich describes job fairs in which a person looks at "employers' tables, like a shopper at the mall." What rhetorical device is this phrase an example of and what is its significance?

Simile

Ehrenreich describes a customer's house as "like a beached ocean liner, the prow cutting through swells of green turn." Identify the rhetorical device and explain its significance.

Simile, the houses are fancy

Ehrenreich mentions "the threat of the drug tests, hanging over me like a fast-approaching SAT." What rhetorical device is this phrase an example of?

Simile. Compares threat of drug tests to an SAT.

What does the difference between success at a job and financial viability indicate about welfare reform?

That it needs to be fixed so hard working people can obtain a living wage.

Describe the hiring process at the restaurant. How does this process create an uneven power relationship between potential employer and employee?

The manager has all the control and she gets the job almost immediately. The hours are not chosen by the employee just assigned to them

Who do you think is the primary audience for this text? Discuss whether this book appeals to multiple demographics.

The middle and upper class that are unaware of the problems the lower class faces on a daily basis and to create awareness.

What compromise does Ehrenreich make when she chooses housing? What hidden costs might her decision have?

The place of residence she chose is located very far away. A hidden cost would be gas

How does Ehrenreich initially feel about her job as a dietary aide? Why does her perception change after the first meal?

She is just doing it for the money, but she starts to enjoy it and realizes that this is her opportunity to actually make a difference.

What does Ehrenreich's closing paragraph implicitly call for?

A revolution from the lower class for higher wages.

How do employers limit workers' drives to unionize?

By making it seem like what they are getting is fine and by limiting their ability to "gossip". They change who they are working with often and allow them to attend meetings to say what they want to improve

In what ways are the rich and poor separated? How does this separation affect social awareness?

In the way they live, eat, act, travel, etc. They are so separated that it is rare that a rich person feels sympathy for a poor person because they never encounter them.

Ehrenreich remarks, " I am beset by requests as if by bees." Explain how the comment conveys the busy aspect of serving."

It is constant work/ nonstop

How is the tip-based pay of serving preferable to receiving a paycheck at other low-paying jobs? How is it problematic?

It is handy because they sometimes get tipped more for their service than a regular pay check would entail. On the downside, on a slow day they might not receive many tips.

What does Ehrenreich do to help Holly? How do her efforts fail?

Make her take a break. She is stubborn and prideful and refuses to stop.

What do the instructional cleaning videos focus on, and what do they ignore? How might this focus be symbolic of the low-wage economy?

Making stuff look good, not actually "cleaning" anything. It symbolizes how it looks like the wages for low class workers are rising when it is still not enough for them to live off of. It looks good from an outsiders perspective because you cant see the "filth".

Why are customers perceived as "the enemy? How do managers and servers view customers differently?

Managers see them as money makers while workers see them as unappreciable people controlling them

Ehrenreich states that hotel rooms that people have checked out of require "the whole enchilada" of cleaning. Identify what literary term this phrase is an example of and analyze why the author chose this phrase.

Metaphor and slang, this shows that the hotel rooms needed to be scrubbed to the brim and this is compared to a whole enchilada.

What is the effect of the word "no" in the description of the house with "no air conditioning, no screens, no fans, no televisions"? What literary term is used?

Parallelism, is emphasizes the lack of amenities

Ehrenreich mentions that she is rarely addressed by her name and is "most commonly [called], 'girl.'" Why do so few people use her name, and what effect does it have on her?

People simply don't care. It is dehumanizing and objectifying.

What tests must Ehrenreich take while applying for jobs? How might these tests be problematic or flawed?

Personality tests, they are easy to see what the correct answer or the desired answer is.

Ehrenreich calls the kitchen at Jerry's "a stomach leading to the lower intestine that is the garbage and dishwashing area." Identify the rhetorical device used here and explain its significance.

Personification, the kitchen works like a machine.

What does the comment "[poverty] just smells too much like fear" suggest?

Poverty is scary. Those that fall below the poverty line are unable to make ends meet and are not always guaranteed basic human necessities such as food, water, and shelter. Those in poverty often times have nowhere to turn.

How does Ehrenreich feel about leaving her job?

Relieved but defeate

How does Ehrenreich feel about the personality tests she takes at Wal-Mart and The Maids?

Rigged to those that are intelligent and know not to answer every single question honestly. She also thinks that the drug tests are degrading

How does Ehrenreich's scientific background influence her decision to go undercover as a journalist?

She cannot use her science background in her pursuit of a job. She cannot use prior knowledge she has to get an advantage when applying for various jobs. Being a scientist she desires to experimentally discover the secrets of poverty in America

How does Ehrenreich try to bond with George, the Czech dishwasher? What does his response indicate?

She feels bad for him he seems nice and young so she wants to teach him English and other things to help him succeed.

How has working two jobs without any days off affected Ehrenreich's mental state?

She feels like a machine and she is starting to lose her mind.

Ehrenreich celebrates her jobs and her plan to get better work by buying a meal for over twelve dollars with tip. What does this celebration indicate?

She feels like she is making it and can reward herself

How might Ehrenreich's initial account of Gail's life reinforce stereotypes? How does she humanize Gail?

She is a single mother with kids living paycheck to paycheck whose boyfriend was killed in jail. This portrays Gail as fitting into the trailer trash stereotype. She humanizes Gail through getting to know her and showing Gail's care for Barb

Identify how the tense shifts from the Introduction to this chapter. What is the effect of this change in tense?

The tense shifts from past to present, allowing the reader to feel like they're there experiencing this with the author

How has management taken away employees' civil liberties?

They are robbed of free speech, they cannot sit down, they have no privacy, etc.

How does The Maids maximize worker productivity?

They assign different people different jobs and they all have a "leader" per group

How does class prejudice impact how companies operate?

They distrust minorities which leads them to spend large sums of money on drug testing and personality testing instead of using this money to pay their employees.

Why don't European tourists tip? Why is this lack of tipping problematic?

They make a livable wage so tipping isn't mandatory. When they come to the states, they do not know tipping is mandatory.

What actions illustrate the distrust owners feel toward employees?

They plant cameras or purposefully leaves piles of dirt in small corners.