Do you know how people manage to live on minimum wage? Well, in the book Nickel and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich takes you on her journey to show what the situation is like for the average low-wage American. In this piece of nonfiction you will find unique stories of people Barbara met on her journey working low-paying jobs. Names like Holly, Ted and George who were workers living on low wages themselves. In the book you see the insight that Barbara provides and how it is reflected in the conditions she lived in during her experiment. And how his mindset changed in how he saw the world. Barbara went undercover to find out how unskilled workers earned enough money to live. The experiment took place in Florida, Maine, and Minnesota, with the creator getting a new line of work and housing in each area. The exam was to take place for a month in each sector, working around the clock and barely living on the money earned in low-wage occupations, meeting people doing these types of jobs along the way. The goal was to decide whether the creator could live on the money he earned and have enough money towards the end of the month to pay the next month's rent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the book you can see how very stressful it is to do this kind of work. For example, in the story where George was suspected of stealing from the supply warehouse, you can see how Barbara reflected on the accusations. For example, in chapter 1, page 28, in the third paragraph it states, “I wish I could say that I stood up to Vic and insisted that George be given a translator and allowed to defend himself or announced that I would get a lawyer We will handle the case pro bono." Barbara wishes she could claim that she defended Vic and asked George to get a translator, or that he is innocent. In any case, she admits that she was tainted by another alertness and weakness, and points out that within a month or two she could have handed George over. This example shows how the constant burdens of an occupation like Barbara's can also affect someone's character, making the person in question progressively fearful and malleable and, according to managers, an increasingly perfect representative. Another part of this story is how Barbara reflects on how workplaces try to become possessive of their workers. For example, on the chapter 2 page it states: "At The Maids, a house cleaning service, I am given something called the 'Accutrac personality test,' which warns at the beginning that 'Accutrac has multiple measures that detect attempts to distort or "detox" "the questionnaire." "At a cleaning agency called The Maids, Barbara is administered the 'Actrac personality test,' which warns at the beginning that there are various estimates that recognize attempts to "psychologically exalt" the review, but the "right" answers are just as simple. Barbara chooses the authentic data to be for the representatives, who find they can remain discreet from their bosses, who will control all aspects of it. “Psychologically expelling” the test is just what Barbara has been doing all along, and she doubts there is any way to prevent it. Overall, for her, these tests symbolize and are intended to promote the authoritarian nature of low-wage work for a company. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Low salary jobs seem to make life harder.