Nickel and Dimed is an acclaimed 2001 non-fiction book written by journalist Barbara Ehrenreich The book documents Ehrenreich’s personal experiences as an undercover low-wage worker in the US and her journey to find economic independence and stability. Ehrenreich works in a variety of service industry jobs in three different states with varying degrees of success. While Ehrenreich’s primary aim was to explore the fight for economic freedom, Nickel and Dimed is also a powerful social critique that highlights the struggles of the working class in the face of neoliberal capitalism and its effects on the lives of those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
Five of the best essay topics related to Nickel and Dimed include:
1. How does Ehrenreich’s investigation into the social and economic conditions of low-wage workers in the US reveal the shortcomings of neoliberal capitalism?
2. What are the main themes and messages of Nickel and Dimed and how are they communicated to the reader?
3. How is the struggle of low-wage workers to survive in an increasingly neoliberal economy portrayed in Nickel and Dimed?
4. What are the key elements of Ehrenreich’s narrative style in Nickel and Dimed and how does it contribute to her overall message?
5. In what ways does Ehrenreich’s investigation into low-wage work in the US reveal the need for labor reform and economic justice?