In chapter two, Ehrenreich moves to Maine on August 24 because of its “whiteness.” She is of the opinion that in Maine, she will not be forced to live and work under squalid conditions because she is Caucasian. After some time, she finds two flexible jobs that she can handle at the same time. She works as a dietary assistant in a nursing home over the weekends and as a house cleaner during the weekdays (Ehrenreich, 2011). Nevertheless, she is surprised that even though there are numerous job opportunities in Maine, the remunerations are similar to those offered in the West, where jobs are scarce. Moreover, she is surprised that most of the women she encounters do not realise that they could find other forms of employment (Ehrenreich, 2011).
Furthermore, Ehrenreich observes that moving from one job to the other is not a realistic prospect in the low-wage towns or cities. Most of the employers prefer to hold the employee’s pay for the first week, people pay weekly rents, and workers have many dependants. She believes that her main advantage is that she has some first-hand experience in the employment arena; therefore, she understands how gruelling and arduous some of the jobs can be. As a result, he concludes that many people may be exhausted to look for better work opportunities elsewhere (Ehrenreich, 2011). Furthermore, Ehrenreich established that some poor people stance from agencies that assume that low-income individuals do not have work. However, when she finds some assistance, she is mistreated. On the other hand, when she moves along the streets of Maine, she realises that most poor people are discriminated in most public places (Ehrenreich, 2011).
In sum, the chapter examines Ehrenreich’s experiences while she was working in Maine, and tries to relate them to her life experiences. She indicates that most individuals are so disdainful and distrustful of the service providers that they hire. As a result, most workers end up resenting the affluent.
References
Ehrenreich, B. (2011). Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. New York: Picador Press.
