The idea of finishing high school, going to college, getting married, and having children is along the lines of a perfect life. Many people may recognize this undertaking as the “American Dream”. In Barbara Ehrenreich’s work “The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream” she opens up with the fact that many white collar Americans seem to be afflicted by poverty and in difficulty of, finding a job just as much as blue-collar Americans (260). It does not surprise me when she goes on about the fact that white collar citizens are not seen as being incompetent since they followed all the rules in hopes of their dreamy life (261). Blue collar poverty has been viewed as the standard, while you might not expect white collar workers to face the same issues. Though I agree that these encouraging steps towards the “American Dream” give a higher chance of a better future; I do not agree with the idea that the perfect life will be the result.
In the beginning of her book, Ehrenreich …show more content…
264). She believed it would be simple from the beginning when applying for a job within the white collar industry. Nonetheless, to join the corporate world, she had to let go of many strong viewpoints (pg. 264). She mentions that some disadvantages when seeking a job in this competitive industry include one’s age and lack of experience (pg. 266). For many blue-collar citizens, it may be a lack of experience that sets them way back. Though Ehrenreich had a degree, she did not have the specific asked for experience (266). This leads her to make-up a resume to find an undercover job. She had expected this project to be a piece of cake. She wouldn’t have to do hard labor work. With this, reality blew up in her face, leaving her to realize she was completely wrong (pg. 270). She goes on to prove that one cannot point and blame everyone for their financial situation