Analysis Of Barbara Ehrenreich's Serving In Florida

We live in a world where materialism has never been so advertised. The past hundred of years have shown the evolution of the American dream. It has gone from simply living a stress free and sustainable life to having the aspirations of buying a house, making good money, and the opportunity of upward social mobility. American society preaches that everybody has equal opportunity to achieve the American dream. Although this claim is widespread among the American society and even the government, it is unfortunately false. The idea that everybody has equal individual opportunity is a myth because social classes and social inequalities restrict individuals from pursuing the American dream. Barbara Ehrenreich, in her text “Serving in Florida,” highlights the inequalities and
Those who find themselves in the lower level of the social stratification often find it harder to progress and advance financially and economically. Take into the account of Ehrenreich's narrative when she illustrates the life of a minimum wage employee. In her text, she cites the negative experiences she has during her tenure as a minimum wage worker. She describes “The break room summarizes the whole situation: there is none, because there are no breaks at Jerry’s. For six to eight hours in a row, you never sit except to pee” (Ehrenreich 364).” This quote demonstrates a hardship that a lower class individual may experience in their jobs. In addition, her quote illustrates a bigger picture of our society that lower class individuals aren’t given the opportunity to pursue the American dream because they can are treated unjustly in their jobs. If these individuals aren’t even given their rights while working in the lowest paying jobs, then how can it be expected for these people to have an equal opportunity to pursue the AMerican dream? Equal individual opportunity is a myth because of the disparities and class distinctions within the social