In "Evaluation," the final chapter of Nickel and Dimed, Ehrenreich observes:
Some odd optical property of our highly polarized and unequal society makes the poor almost invisible to their economic superiors. The poor can see the affluent easily enough -- on television, for example, or on the covers of magazines. But the affluent rarely see the poor or, if they do catch sight of them in some public space, rarely know what they're seeing, since --thanks to consignment stores and, yes, Wal-Mart -- the poor are usually able to disguise themselves as members of the more comfortable classes.
Write a paragraph based on personal observation and experience that supports or challenges Ehrenreich's analysis. Girls: due Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 7:30 am. Boys due Wednesday, Nov.16 at 7:30 am.
POST-ASSIGNMENT COMMENT FROM MRS. J:
I've been very interested to read all your comments here. I especially want to recommend Carmit Soleman and Dylan Cooper's response -- Carmit's because she engages in some very interesting speculation about the causes of the invisibility of the poor and Dylan's because he presents his position so cogently (yes, I know there's a glitch in his third line ... another testament to the importance of proofreading ... but get over it...)
13 comments:
I think that often people forget about the poor people. It is easy to go about one's business and not think twice about those who are struggling to survive every day. For me, this is sometimes the case. I am a member of the middle class, and I think that this might help me to see both the rich and the poor members of society. I do not know how many people stop to wonder about the people who are working the registers at stores, or the people who are sweeping the aisles after a spill, but sometimes I do. I was at Dollar Tree yesterday, and there was a young man working at the register. I was thinking about how nice it is that he is working to get money and go make a future for himself. When I see someone older working at Wal-Mart, I sometimes wonder if this is the best job that they can get. I am sure working at Wal-Mart is not the best job to have when you want to support yourself and your family, and it dawns on me that perhaps some of the people working there simply aren't qualified to do anything else. They are then stuck with low salaries. They might even have second jobs. We cannot really know, because there is a uniform, and we cannot judge if someone is rich or extremely poor if they are dressed just like everyone else. It is all to easy to see the richer members of society, because their images are splashed all over the internet, magazines, and the news. People pay too much attention to the rich people and how glamorous their lives are, and not, in my opinion, nearly enough time thinking about the poor people. I feel that people are always focused on how they can improve their own lives, and not how they can prove other peoples lives. For this reason, they ignore the downtrodden. Additionally, facing reality is not something people like to do, and because the poor people don't go about and drag attention to themselves, most people don't really think about the poor people in society. But if we look hard enough we can see them. If we stop to consider what is happening in the world, we can inform ourselves about the plight of the poor, about the people who are on the brink- if one thing goes wrong, they are out on the street. I like to think that every once in a while I stop to think about the bigger things in life.
Unfortunately, I am inclined to agree with Ehrenreich’s statement that the status of the poor is often hidden from everybody else in society. Barely do we hear about the plight of the lower society, especially not in their work place. On the cover of magazines, we only see the affluent people in our society such as our celebrities from Hollywood, wealthy judges, lawyers and politicians. Nobody seems to find it particularly interesting or relevant to write about the struggles of the indigent and hard working people among us. As Ehrenreich depicts in her essay, the impoverished people in our society must work under very difficult circumstances in order to make an income. Perhaps the reason for this is that the American people would rather hear about their wealthy and successful people in society rather than what they would consider to be “failures.” On the other hand, capitalism could have a role in this as well. Maybe we don’t hear about the lower class’ difficult situation because we believe in “The American Dream.” We believe that anyone can aspire to get out of that life and its struggles in order to achieve greatness. Therefore, they do not feel the need to advertize the situation of the poor because they can help themselves into a better life. That is why most Americans are ignorant about the fact that their country also contains thousands who do not live under glamorous conditions.
Here in Memphis, the poor and rich are closely integrated in a tight knit society where both classes are aware of the other’s situation. The poor are not disguised well, or even at all, even in places like Wal-Mart, where it is relatively difficult to notice the economic status of customers. Whenever I am out in public, I can easily discern between the affluent and poor people based on their clothing, their kids, or sometimes even their overall disposition. It may sound superficial to label people as poor or rich based on their outward appearance, but it is part of human nature. In many places, one cannot easily brand people as rich or poor, but I believe in Memphis particularly, it is not difficult because we are exposed to such levels of poverty on a daily basis. We grow accustomed to seeing people who live less comfortably than we do and sometimes, as a result, ignore their presence. But when we are observant of our surroundings, we can easily pick up on the subtle differences that distinguish the poor from the richer classes.
I agree with Ehrenreich that thanks to consignment stores such as Wal-Mart, the poor can easily disguise themselves as members of the more comfortable classes. When we think of people being poor, we picture someone foraging in the garbage or begging for money with torn clothes. There are many people who are poor, and lead a very difficult life. Those people might have enough money to buy themselves the minimum needs such as food and clothing, and our society enables them to do that due to the low cost of clothing in stores such as Wal Mart. This creates a disguise for the poor people since no one then notices what condition these people are actually in. In today’s society, the things that are publicized are those about the famous stars who are on a higher social status than the poor. There are much less news about the poor and the difficult life they must lead, therefore people are ignorant towards the conditions the poor are actually in.
I think that Ehrenreich’s observation at the end of “Nickel and Dimed” is quite interesting and relevant to our society. I am lucky enough to live a fairly comfortable lifestyle. I have a beautiful home, nice clothes, and plenty of food on the table. However, as I skim through my pop culture magazines every Saturday morning, I can easily perceive a greater, affluent society. I see pictures and read articles of a society that spends their money like water. This correlates to Ehreneich’s belief that “the poor can see the affluent easily.” However, I do think that the wealthy class is aware of who is poor and who is not. For example, when I drive just fifteen minutes from my neighborhood, I undoubtedly notice a more poverty stricken area where people dress differently, drive louder cars and live in dilapidated houses. Yes, I do think consignment stores like Wal-Mart help less fortunate people feel more comfortable and presentable, but I do not think that truly disguises their identity. There are other factors that play in to it such as the way they speak or where they live. This is why if you just walk past someone in a grocery store you may not notice anything, but if you have an actual interaction with them, you can easily fathom their true self.
A few months ago, I walked through the subway system in New York City and noticed a few beggars sitting down by the trains. Not surprisingly, 99% of the people would walk by pretending like they did not notice the beggars and the people wanted nothing to do with them. In modern times, we, the middle class, tend to want to stay away from and ignore the lower class. The lower class represents something that everyone in the middle class strives to lean away from. As humans, we only focus on the positives in life and place our attention on how we can achieve success. Therefore, the idea that we would pass by the beggar as if nothing has happened may be wrong, but is justified by human psychology. From the beggars perspective, it is easy to focus on the middle class. They can only imagine what life would be like with money, a solid home, and a substantial amount of food. There are, however, cases when the poor don't wish to stand out in public (contrary to beggars). A poor woman may want to be respected and not looked down upon, she may casually walk into a grocery store even without intentions of purchasing food. All in all, it is important to understand the mindset of those who are poor and Ehrenreich's claim in the conclusion of her book is accurate.
They say you have to walk a mile in someone's shoes to get a true sense of his or her situation. In today's society, the lives of rich and poor people differ greatly. Poor people generally look up to the poor as economic superiors and are introduced to many affluent figures or celebrities in tabloids, television programs and by extension, the media as a whole. On the contrary, the poor are practically invisible to the rich. Until the rich begin to stop and realize what is really transpiring in lower class society, society will continue to seem unequal and highly polarized.
When I visit Wal-Mart, I cannot differentiate between people and label people as poor or rich. Stores like Wal-Mart, which sell clothes and basic necessities at cheap prices, enable poor people to disguise themselves as somewhat well-to-do, comfortable individuals and families. The rich people thus assume they are in solid conditions, but the truth of the matter is that they are simply trying to fit in. The rich fail to stop and consider arduous, menial labor poor people must commit to due to lack of proper education and/or money. In such a respect, I agree with Ehrenreich's assertion that the poor certainly "see" the rich, but the rich do not always "see" the poor. The wealthy simply look at their first perception of the poor and consequently overlook the poor people's situations. But the poverty-stricken do in fact get a substantial look at the well off people in society from both the media and on the streets (luxury cars and clothing). Therefore, Ehrenreich's observation is factual and well-evidenced in contemporary society.
Ehrenreich’s evaluation on the invisibility of the poor in the eyes of their economic superiors in America seems to be spot on. While wealthy celebrities are featured in the mass media – pop magazines, television, and popular Internet websites – the working poor rarely share the spotlight. It is only in movies in which some homeless man has won the lottery that the poor are featured; however, these films tend to ignore the other 99.9% of the poor, who do not win big and instead suffer from abject poverty. It is true that at consignment stores and other areas where people of all backgrounds congregate, it is very difficult to discern the difference between those well off and those who struggle to place food on their family’s table.
In Memphis, Tennessee, the problem of ignoring the plight of the working poor is, nevertheless, not related to Ehrenreich’s claim that it is challenging to differentiate between socioeconomic classes. The city is divided into wealthy suburban areas and poverty-stricken regions. The reason many wealthy Memphians tend to not have much contact with the poor is because of the geographical separation of their homes. This factor prompts apathy; the wealthy simply have no motivation to step out of the boundaries of their rich areas and see what life is like for the “other side.” Hopefully, Ehrenreich’s novel can inspire a large segment of America’s populace, especially people who live in divided cities, to look beyond their comfortable community and reach out to help those less fortunate.
As has always been the case in society, there are the poor and the rich. The divide is always clear, with the poor on the very obvious other side of the line. However, in today's culture, it is often difficult to determine who exactly is poor. The rich are easy to discern, often driving expensive cars, appearing on television, and staying aloof from the "common people." Yet the poor person is hard to distinguish from the average looking American. Thanks to discount discount stores, such as Walmart, the poor can easily hide themselves in good looking clothing. When seen on the street, the poor look like any normal person. When the wealthy Americans see the poor, they often overlook them, thinking that the person is not different from any of the other Americans. I myself can attest to this sad conclusion. I often find myself overlooking the majority of people in Walmart, thinking that they are here just to find a good deal, like me. It hardly ever occurs to me that they might be shopping here because it is the only place that they are able to afford, often because the other shoppers look similar to me. Life is hard for the poor, more so when those more fortunate overlook them.
I see Ehrenreich’s conclusion to her book as a complete truth. When I go out, as a Jew who is not the wealthiest person, I am able to see the affluent and financially comfortable people right away. They always look so happy in their expensive clothes, driving expensive cars and going to expensive parties. I have always felt not just left out but also invisible to them. I consider myself to be lower middle class, not exactly poor but close enough. But, Ehrenreich does supply a good point on how lower class people try to fit in, with their appearance. Since I am not of upper class, I can outright realize the higher class folk, but I am also able to see who is of lower class. However, with places such as Wal-Mart, people are able to “disguise” themselves more to look like they are not poor. Over the years it has gotten harder to see who belongs where, but I still remain able to tell for the most part. Everybody tries to fit in and wants to be part of the upper class, so they try their best to look the part, even if they do not feel it. They are, indeed, becoming invisible. Ehrenreich does a great job with breaking down society and understanding different classes in society work today. I agree with her conclusion and feel that I can connect to her points.
For centuries, people who experience financial success often think that they are better than people who have not been so fortunate. Tom Krayson, a family friend of mine who runs a drive-thru at Wendy’s, is simply never going to be given the same respect that we give to Tom Brady, Tom Hanks, and Tom Petty. The financially successful are relatively easy to spot because of the sport utility vehicle they drive or the upper end jewelry they are wearing, but unless we see someone behind the counter at a fast-food restaurant, we have no way to know that they are financially subpar. I have seen people walk into Goodwill, a thrift store of sorts, and take home a once 90 dollar American Eagle Dress shirt for under 10 dollars, and no one would ever be able to distinguish where he or she purchased the shirt; although it is very tough to make ends meet when the restaurant employees’ salaries are completely inadequate. This makes the poor essentially invisible to us; however, this is not as unfortunate as Ehrenreich makes it out to be. Because of thrift stores as well as places like Wal-Mart, the poor do not have to be constantly reminded that they are financially unable to afford higher end clothing. When I walk down the street, I have no idea if the person I wave to as I walk by is poor or not. If there was a more distinguishing feature to point out who requires food stamps and who doesn’t, then being financially unsound would be much more psychologically taxing than it already is. I feel that the poor would rather blend in with society then be distinguished as a poor person.
Barbara Ehrenreich, in her book Nickel and Dimed, makes the claim that “[s]ome odd optical property of our highly polarized and unequal society makes the poor almost invisible to their economic superiors.” In many places in the United States, this may be the case. However, in Memphis, since the upper class, lower class, and everything in between are so heavily interspersed throughout the city, it is no wonder why I would not agree with the aforementioned claim. Due to the fact that every 1 in 4 people in Memphis is below the poverty line, it is hard to go about your daily life without catching a glimpse of the horrific situation that is poverty. By simply take a drive through the city one can see multiple communities of run-down apartment buildings and homes, old, beaten-up stores, and other buildings that have fallen into disrepair. Although I, being a member of the middle class, cannot fully understand these Memphians' situations by simply seeing their living conditions, I can certainly get a very good idea, and, perhaps, on the way to a Grizzlies game (not this year) or a stroll down Beale Street, I assume the few of the city who are lucky enough to be a part of the upper class see these filthy backstreets the very same way. Although the poor might attempt to cover their financial status with their jobs at local department stores, it seems that, in Memphis, nothing can hide the obvious amount of poverty in the city.
I think that Ehrenreich’s first observation in the “Evaluation” of Nickel and Dimed is very accurate. She says that the poor notice the wealthy but the wealthy don’t notice the poor. This is very evident in our society. As there are many tabloids almost everywhere you go, it is very easy for poor people to notice the rich and famous. Also, the poor people see how the wealthy live their lives through methods such as reality television, movies, or books. The only reason poor people notice the wealthy is because they look to them for advice and entertainment. On the other hand, wealthy people almost never find themselves concerned with those less fortunate than them. Usually they are too busy with work, family, or any other thing to care about poor people. However, I do not agree with Ehrenreich’s final statement that the poor are usually able to disguise themselves in public places. Even if a wealthy person was shopping in Wal-Mart the fact remains that he would not care enough to pay any attention to a stranger, regardless of if he was poor.
Post a Comment