tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159902448499102985.post604565483874557435..comments2023-03-25T11:59:40.769-07:00Comments on College Writing II - TR - Spring 2015: Hardworking and Strugglingshilohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14959677775982862372noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1159902448499102985.post-5334108510438381472015-03-12T11:36:07.637-07:002015-03-12T11:36:07.637-07:00I agree with what you've said, but for me pers...I agree with what you've said, but for me personally, this piece was actually about a different dynamic revolving around our worldviews. In my mind, it's not so much that we think of poverty as living in the streets, but rather that we look down on poverty and see it as a product of laziness, lack of ambition, etc. But this is an account from a woman who, by all means, is in poverty, but shows herself doing grimy, difficult work for a meager living. Additionally, there is something of a culture developed in these low-wage working worlds—the carpooling, the lunch-sharing, the general grind of it all—which defines a bit of the mindset surrounding the experience. Living within your means is a pretty incredible thing for people in positions like the one portrayed in Nickel and Dimed to do. It is, though, a great insight to her life of blue-collar work, as you mentioned. Many people have never and will never get that sort of life experience, working for low wages, paycheck to paycheck at a job which is physically demanding and even belittling in some cases. It's not just about giving an insight to what it's like, in my opinion—it's also about showing that those in poverty have not automatically earned their place there, it can be a result of misfortunes (as you said) and tough circumstances. It's like a lottery of punishment, in a sense and it's something we should strive to have greater understanding about as a society. Many people still believe that working hard has an unbreakable direct correlation to success, but that's simply not the case. Of course they're related, but many people are simply dealt bad hands in life, sometimes with no way out.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02371382802662275168noreply@blogger.com