The discussion we had in class Friday regarding the struggle of the middle and lower classes in America made me think of a book I read as a sophomore in high school. The novel was called Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich, and it was basically an expose on the failings of America's economy. The author was actually inspired by the 4 million women (most of had children to support) who in 1998 were being forced into the labor market after welfare benefits began to run out. She wondered how these women could support their families on $6 or $7 an hour salaries and thus decided to pose as "an unskilled worker, a homemaker needing to earn a living after divorce." Barbara spent three months (one month in each of the three different parts of the U.S.) and worked as waitress, maid, a nursing home aide, and a Wal-Mart cashier. At some points she was borderline homeless and was working two jobs at once just to stay afloat. Although I honestly skimmed this book back in high school rather than critically reading it, the sentiment nevertheless left an impact on me as I found it both extremely shocking as well as disturbing. Here is an article that goes more in depth about the novel (http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/05/13/reviews/010513.13gallagt.html) I also might present this as a Show & Tell, but i would highly encourage everyone to check it out because it's extremely eye-opening and relevant to our class discussions.
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