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Nickel and Dimed Summary and Study Guide

Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel and Dimed is a landmark work of investigative journalism that explores the reality of life for the working poor in America. By attempting to live on minimum wage across different states, Ehrenreich exposes the systemic barriers that prevent low-income workers from achieving financial stability.

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The Premise of the Investigation

The book follows Ehrenreich as she leaves her middle-class life to work several low-wage jobs in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota. Her goal was to see if it was possible to survive on a minimum wage income while paying for basic necessities like housing and food. She set strict rules for herself, such as not using any skills from her actual career and always taking the highest-paying entry-level job available. This experiment highlights the discrepancy between the theoretical 'living wage' and the actual costs of survival.

Regional Experiences and Labor Realities

In Florida, Ehrenreich worked as a waitress, discovering how physical exhaustion and low tips make it nearly impossible to afford a safe place to live. In Maine, she worked as a cleaning person and a nursing home aide, witnessing the physical toll of manual labor and the lack of healthcare benefits for employees. Finally, in Minnesota, she took a retail position, where she encountered the difficulties of finding affordable housing in a tighter market. Each location revealed a different facet of the same problem: the math of poverty simply does not add up.

Key Themes: Poverty and Dehumanization

A recurring theme throughout the text is the loss of dignity and autonomy in the workplace. Ehrenreich describes the 'hidden costs' of being poor, such as having to pay more for daily motel stays because she cannot afford a security deposit on an apartment. She also critiques the surveillance and drug testing common in low-wage sectors, arguing that these practices treat workers as untrustworthy or disposable rather than as essential contributors to the economy.

Study Advice for Essays and Exams

When writing about this book, focus on the structural barriers mentioned by the author rather than individual choices. Consider how the narrative challenges the 'American Dream' by showing that hard work does not always lead to upward mobility. For class discussions, compare the different job sectors Ehrenreich entered and look for commonalities in how management treated the staff. Use these observations to support arguments regarding economic policy and social justice.

What is the main argument of Nickel and Dimed?

The book argues that it is nearly impossible to live on a minimum wage in the United States because the cost of basic needs, particularly housing, far exceeds the income provided by low-wage jobs.

Is Nickel and Dimed a work of fiction?

No, it is a work of investigative journalism and narrative nonfiction based on the author's real-life experiences and observations while working undercover.

What are the 'hidden costs' mentioned in the book?

The 'hidden costs' refer to things like paying higher per-night rates for motels because of a lack of apartment deposit money, or buying expensive convenience food because of a lack of a kitchen to cook in.

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