Barbara Ehrenreich created an intriguing narrative piece, "Serving in Florida." I enjoyed reading this piece as she described her experience in the working world, more specifically the world of serving. She struggles as she tries to make her way through these tedious, minimum wage jobs.
I feel like a broken record at this point saying how I can relate to the pieces we are reading but that is the only way I can get into them. I think that we can all relate to some of her managers that she described: ie B.J. the B*****. I know there have been times that I wanted to give some supervisors similar nicknames. I was blessed to never work at a restaurant or fast food (not that it is bad, just not for me), but I am a people watcher and have often observed the waitresses frantically trying to please all their tables, often recieving less than a thank you. She does a very good job allowing you into the mind of a server.
She is just my kind of lady, I would also be the person to befriend the Czech dishboy. It made me think about if I would have the courage to go to bats for that person when their integrity was called into question though. Very good piece, I enjoyed the story.
Strike In Geology
1 year ago
I second that Melinda. Waitresses do work very hard and do not get anything near a thank you :) I could relate to this story too! I found myself reading it in class on Monday. College is important, as it shows in this essay, and I'm definately grateful we are almost done!
ReplyDeletetrying to please all those people, and get nothing in return is very disheartening I am sure. I would agree that the author did a great job in showing you or letting you into the mind of a waitress and house keeper. She used a lot of stereotypying in her essay, not really in a bad way, but I felt she was accurate in how differnet people were mis-treated or abandoned or taken advantage of. I could also never work in fast food. kudos to anyone that does and makes the most of it. There are some good jobs out there, but I think I will stick to college.
ReplyDeleteThere are always people that deserve a nicknames like that! I loved how she described the different personalities of the people working in a restraunt. When she talked about her first day at Jerry's it made me laugh because unless you prove yourself you are no one at a restraunt. I had the same mentality after a while because what was the point in getting to know someone and hope they stay there just to find out that they would not show up the next day.
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