Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success
"Take away the career and the higher education, and maybe what you're left with is this original Barb, the one who might have ended up working at Wal-mart for real if her father hadn't managed to climb out of the mines." (Ehrenreich 169).
Background does not determine a person's success. Ehrenreich says that she would not be where she is today is her father hadn't of "managed to climb out of the mines." If her father hadn't have left the mines, couldn't she have still tried to achieve more than a job at Wal-mart? Some people start at the lowest possible economic status and pull themselves out of it with their own talent and perseverance. J.K. Rowling, for example, started writing on napkins and was a struggling single mother. Now, she is one of the wealthiest people. Who's to say that Ehrenreich would not have been Barbara even if her father had remained in the mines?
Background does not determine a person's success. Ehrenreich says that she would not be where she is today is her father hadn't of "managed to climb out of the mines." If her father hadn't have left the mines, couldn't she have still tried to achieve more than a job at Wal-mart? Some people start at the lowest possible economic status and pull themselves out of it with their own talent and perseverance. J.K. Rowling, for example, started writing on napkins and was a struggling single mother. Now, she is one of the wealthiest people. Who's to say that Ehrenreich would not have been Barbara even if her father had remained in the mines?
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Richelle Dodaro on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: The author really contradicts
Maddie Gillespie on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: Kaitlin and Greta, you both ma
Tiffany Gilbert on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: I agree with you that anyone c
Greta Carroll on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: Kaitlin, I agree background do
Maddie Gillespie on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: Kaitlin and Greta, you both ma
Tiffany Gilbert on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: I agree with you that anyone c
Greta Carroll on Background Does Not Determine A Person's Success: Kaitlin, I agree background do
Kaitlin, I agree background does not decided one’s fate, but being economically well off sure can help. In order for Ehrenreich to have been able to succeed and go to college like she did, she would have had to work very hard at these low-wage jobs, while she was trying to climb the social ladder. I think that Ehrenreich’s point is that these low-wage jobs are so physically exhausting that she might not have been able to hang onto the rung of the ladder she had managed to get to. She would have been so tired that hanging on to the little progress she had made would would take an extremely dedicated, strong person—something that not many people are. Yes, Ehrenreich might have ended up where she is regardless, but I think she is just stressing this point to show how much harder it is for those who are not financially well off to succeed. Where someone who has the resources is already at the top of the ladder, someone who does not, must climb.
I agree with you that anyone can rise from rags to riches, but it doesn't happen often. It's sad that Ehrenreich said it so blunty. But I think she is only being realistic. If everyone has the optimistic, happy-go-lucky attitude that things will work out in the end, most will come to see it's just another blow to the head and you're down once again.
Kaitlin and Greta, you both make excellent points regarding Kaitlins original thoughts above. Yes, Ehrenreich could have tried to climb the social ladder in the hopes of bettering her financial condition if her father had stayed working in the mines, but she might not have made it. It's for certain that she would not be the same woman who wrote "Nickel and Dimed." Greta made a great point when she wrote that it would take an "extremely dedicated, strong person" in order to succeed in climbing that towering ladder. You also have to factor in the other individuals who grew up on that ladder, trying to climb themselves, and thinking that they are better than those below them and insistent upon pushing them off. Maybe Ehrenreich would have fallen prey to those above as so many often do?
The author really contradicts herself in this passage. She says she would not be where she is if it weren't for her father getting out of the mines. Well, he had to work hard to do that. He did it on his own. She could do the same. Of course, it's very nice to have parents who can support you completely and start your career off for you. I know from experience. I want to own a preschool after college before teaching grade levels, and my father is going to pay for all the beginning expenses because he has the money from working hard in his own business. He used to be poor, but definitely not anymore. So, if my dad and her dad can work hard, then so can we. We shouldn't just think that the only reason is that our fathers were in fortunate positions. We need to acknowledge ourselves as well.