In
Mike Rose's "Blue-Collar Brilliance" he talked about the hard working
men and women in the country, including his mother Rosie and his uncle Joe. He
also talked about how they didn't really have an education either. His mom
barely made it past the seventh grade and his uncle only to second. He includes
how good they were at their jobs and how they excelled in their performance.
His mother was a hardworking waitress and she was the queen of multi-tasking. She
kept up with peoples orders and walked around with a lot of dishes. His uncle
on the other hand worked in a factory where they made motored vehicles. He
found new ways to improve the assembly line and moved up the chains. They both
loved their clanging job and pushed through to be the best they can at it. He
then concluded that America needs people like Rosie and Joe. We need people to
do the jobs that they do. If it wasn't for people like them then we wouldn't
have the things we have. We need hardworking citizens like that to improve our
daily lives. "Nickel and Dimed" on the other hand talked about how
much this woman hated being a housemaid and how worthless she felt. She
described it as mental and physically draining. She didn't enjoy her job at all
and got no pleasure from it what so ever. I also believe that the way people
feel about their job depends on the person themselves. If you work hard at your
job and you try to excel and better yourself at it, then you'll have no problem
working there. If you’re the kind of person where all you do is complain about
your job and aren't willing to give it a chance and be the best you can at it,
then yeah, you’re going to look at yourself as useless.
I agree with your statements about Blue-Collar Brilliance, people that work hard at their job to make the world a better place tend to enjoy it more than those workers who see it as drudgery. Like the two workers in the story there are people out there who enjoy working hard because they get to appreciate more. Its like a kid who buys his first car and works on it himself to appreciate it more. I also agree with you on the next story because some people do look at there job as drudgery. They do not work hard all they do is hate their lives until they croak over but if they would put the work in they could live for something more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the opinions James posted about the blue-collar work. The beliefs these essays state are similar because they are both based on an example of average living people in America. I do believe that in Mike Rose's "Blue-Collar Brilliance” several acceptable statements are said. I think that if you work hard enough in the job you are in that eventually your work will indeed pay off. The job may be difficult but the more effort that is put in the more results one will receive. This may not necessarily mean that you may be totally in love with the job you have but it does at least show that you are worth something in that field, you become valuable. However the essays differ by exemplifying people who work hard and make the best out of the job they have no matter whether they like the job or not and other people who have a job they completely dislike and give up in various ways just because they do like the job they have. In “Nickel and Dimed" a woman who dislikes her job is portrayed and feels worthless towards what she is doing in her life when coming in terms with her job as a housemaid. I believe this may be because of the actual job she has which is just cleaning up after another individual’s home. Instead of her having her own power/dignity she may feel belittled by having to work as a housemaid.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you said about “Blue-Collar Brilliance.” People who enjoy their work or at least push through do sometimes elevate to positions in which they can make a change. This elevation of importance, although very rare, can be the guiding factor to continued employment. The man worked as hard as possible and never gave up. He persevered through the lower levels and with a little luck rose to a higher level, and pay grade in the company. This is an example of the quintessential American Dream we have been fed growing up on Saturday morning cartoons and the pledge of allegiance. Even though, sometimes people are placed in situations with people who do not believe in the upbringing of their fellow man. People in nature can be very selfish. The two are similar in that they show that people should work hard regardless of the job they are in. This being said, they differ in the results in which each person obtains through this process. The woman in “Nickel and Dimed” loathes her job with a passion. She hates that she is not only a person’s servant but being paid not even half of which her work is worth. The woman not only dislikes what she is doing but feels cheated which can not only lower morale but cause an intense amount of confrontation and tension in the workplace. All in all it seems that as a country we have lost the ability to persevere and replaced it with a need for instant gratification. Everyone wants to be instantly something different. It is almost rare that you see people working for what they want, but common that you hear these same people complain about the change.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the Blue Collar Brilliance.The fact that there needs to be more hard working people striving to succeed in what they do even if they do not get to the very top, such as CEO, but they are at a position that they excel in. Such as the mom being a waitress who is so good at her job she can read people's body language and is exceptionally great at multitasking. I believe as well that if you work hard it'll pay off in the end. Both essays relate to America in total for sure. Americans, in average, are just like those in these essays. The difference is, in agreement with Viany, is that the Mike Rose essay is about the hard work dedication from people trying to make it as far as they can, putting in the much hard work required and making the most out of their job and the "Nickel and Dimed" is about those who cannot stand their jobs and do not put forth as much effort because they start to give up on themselves and the job in a sense and are not striving nor making the most. The woman in "Nickel and Dimed" does not view herself as valuable, probably because in her line of work she does not have power of her own nor is she so good like the waitress that she is valuable to the job line. She hated being a housemaid claimed she felt worthless. That's the difference between the two. the waitress and man who worked his way up in the car business were dedicated strongly to their decent jobs and made the most of what they could get/had. The house maid hated it felt degraded and therefore could not make the most out of the job given to her and was not dedicated to her job.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the comments made about “Blue-Collar Brilliance”. Being a waitress myself, I found it easy to relate to Mike Rose’s story of his mom waiting tables. Although she didn’t have much education, she worked hard at her job and did her best at it. Most people today try to do as little as they can when working at a job such as waiting tables. Rose’s idea that we need more people like this in everyday jobs is something I think everyone would agree with. From my years waiting tables, I’ve come to notice and appreciate when I go out and see my waiter/waitress doing everything they can instead of just slacking off.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the perspective that was given in “Nickel and Dimed”. The maid telling the story was also doing hard labor for not a lot of money, but it was interesting to hear more of the background information that not a lot of people see. Most people know that jobs such as these don’t get paid that much, but I think what most people don’t ever see is the extent of what people have to go through in these particular jobs. She describes how the promised “30 minute lunch break” is really just a quick stop at a convenience store to eat some chips or sometimes nothing at all for the girls who can’t afford anything. She also describes the pay rates and how most of the time they get out two or three hours after they are supposed to be off the clock. These are things that some people in society are completely unaware of, and I think both of these reading gave good light into blue-collar work and the struggle that comes with it.
I completely agree with your views on Mike Rose’s, Blue Collar Brilliance. This country needs more people like his mother and uncle. People that excel above and beyond in the work they know and love. I found the story of his uncle’s life to be very inspiring considering he had only made it to the second grade and was able to master his trade and excel within his work place. I agree that America is in need of people to who love their jobs and want to do better at their special trade. People who do the little jobs allow us to live the lives we do everyday. In Nickel and Dimed, the woman loathes her job of being a housemaid. This differs from the blue collar story by describing individuals who are unhappy with their jobs causing a negative domino effect of little effort, little pay, and little self worth. I believe the moral of Blue Collar Brilliance was to show the importance of making it with what you have and Nickel and Dimed showed the effects of not putting forth your best efforts.
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