Assignment:
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Thinking about the Text
1. Barbara Ehrenreich passes back and forth in her narrative between the voice of the waitress describing her own reality and the voice of the writer who has assumed for investigative purposes and of course both voices are hers, How well do those voices combine to present a cohesive narrative? Explain your answer, presenting examples from the text.
2. How typical do you suppose Ehrenreich's experience is of people who wait tables at "family restaurants" (8)? Consider evidence from your own experi ence and that of people you know, either as employees or as customers at such restaurants.
3. Radio and TV in movies, and elsewhere, people like Ehrenreich's co workers and customers, with low incomes and low social status, are often either belittled and ridiculed, or romanticized and idealized, whether subtly or openly. One of the strengths of Ehrenreich's book is the respect with which she describes people just the way they are. Identify three examples of respect- ful DESCRIPTION
4. What is the main point that Ehrenreich is making in her narrative? Where is this point most clearly stated? How well has she supported this point? In other words, are you convinced? Why or why not?
5. Write a NARRATIVE describing the people and places of your daily life. If you have (or have had) a job, you may want to center your narrative there. Include plenty of descriptive details and try to present the people as vividly (and re- spectfully!) as you can. Make your main point something that you have learned as a result of your contact with the people you describe.