"Scrubbing in Maine" 62-69

11/8/2013

Answer ONE of the questions listed below:
1). Why does Ehrenreich include her brief stint to church?
2). How does she politicize religion?
3). What does she mean by "imposter"; how does that relate to Ehrenreich's experience?

Respond to ONE of these questions with a quote from this section to discuss the significance of this episode in Ehrenreich's minimum wage journey. Your response should include a quote as well as 3-4 sentences of commentary. Follow MLA rules in your citation.

13 Comments

Jaycee Defrenchi

11/8/2013 05:39:12 am

Ehrenreich states in her quote: “If his story is to be believed, he’s as much an imposter as I am” (65). She is saying by imposter is that he is living a lie considering he has enough money where he doesn’t have to work at a minimum wage job. She states that she is an imposter as well because this is not her real life and herself to be well off. For some reason Ehrenreich doesn’t believe that someone can be doing the same as she is.

Lisa Flores

11/8/2013 05:42:08 am

In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich in one of her new jobs meets a younger man whom she portrays as an impostor. "If his story is to be believed, he's as much an impostor as I am" Scrubbing in Maine (65). Ehrenreich refers to the word impostor because it represents someone who is being someone they really aren't. Like Ehrenreich's coworker portrays himself to be she believes he is being an impostor just as much as she is even she has her doubts about him.

Meghan Ash

11/8/2013 05:44:25 am

In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich goes to church and tells us that, “Is the “soul” that lives forever the one we possess at the moment of death, in which case heaven must look something like the Woodcrest, with plenty of CNAs and dietary aides of take care of those who died in a state of mental decomposition?” (68). Ehrenreich doesn’t believe that we go to an afterlife after death. We are just stranded not even with a soul, she explains to us that we religious people why we would go through so much pain and then be sent to heaven. What’s the point, there might not be anything there. And once we get there we will find out that there was nothing, and everything we have hoped for breaks apart.

Carlos Villatoro

11/8/2013 05:44:46 am

In the book Nickle and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich begins to politicize religion by saying that, “[Jesus is a] precocious socialist” (69). She’s stating that the people do not see how much of a progressive Jesus was in his time. Ehrenreich interprets Jesus as a big activist and tries to create the sense that if Jesus were to be around, he would agree with her. She tries to portray the people enjoying the sermon as ignorant; furthermore, she insults them by politicizing and criticizing their beliefs.

Vincent Hudiburg

11/8/2013 05:45:45 am

Ehrenreich in Nickel and Dimed said “…and walk out to search for my car, half expecting to find Jesus out in the dark, gagged and tethered to a tent pole.”(69) She politicizes religion by talking bad about everyone involved just how she does with everyone else. All ive heard her do is complain . In my eyes no good righter should have to talk down on people to sell books in my eyes. Her religion comments are a little excessive. She doesn’t need to talk bad on religion. Or the people involved.

Aaron Green

11/8/2013 05:47:45 am

Barbara Ehrenreich uses the term imposter in “Nickel and Dimed” to call out Pete’s claim of being financially well off. When she calls him an imposter she’s talking about how he is not living a good life as much as he says. Barbara Ehrenreich then ponders “If he’s so rich, I can’t help wondering, then why is he driving this rusty old wreck and how come his front teeth are so scraggly and sparse?”(65) This is ironic that she is wondering this as she is being an imposter of a poor person herself and can’t imagine someone pretending to be something they aren’t. I think she should use her own experiences to help understand why people say or think their ways.

talor palmer

11/8/2013 05:49:10 am

I think the reason she makes it a political issue is because it makes her feel more comfortable being places when she finds out more about people. It almost seems like she likes to know peoples weaknesses before she gets to comfortable around them. I think the only reason she wanted to go to church was to get out.

Crystal Munoz

11/8/2013 05:50:12 am

Ehrenreich states in her quote “But Jesus makes his appearance here only as a corpse; the living man, the wine guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist, is never once mentioned, nor anything he ever had to say” (68). In this quote she is saying that Jesus is a dead body and everything he once said means nothing that is why it is not being said or repeated at church. She politicizes religion by talking about Christianity and its rules but by her tone of voice she sounds upset or against Jesus.

Howard Maui

11/8/2013 05:51:44 am

In “Scrubbing in Maine,” Barbara Ehrenreich makes this statement: “If his story is to be believed, he’s as much an imposter as I am…”Nickel and Dimed (65). Ehrenreich mentioned the word “imposter” and she was referring to Pete. She’s saying that he’s trying to make it seem that he’s something that he really isn’t. In “Serving in Florida,” she had to be a minimum wage worker and portray that she was poor. It relates in the fact that she had to undergo, or had to hide her economic status just to blend in during her time “Serving in Florida.”

Cordell McDowell

11/8/2013 05:53:27 am

Barbara Ehrenreich politicizes religion in her book “Nickel and Dimed” with “accompanied by a rousing commentary on income inequality and the need for hike in the minimum wage. But Jesus makes his appearance here only as a corpse; the living man, the wine-guzzling vagrant and precarious socialist, is never once mentioned, nor anything he ever had to say” (68). Ehrenreich in this quote mentions Jesus and Socialism along with minimum wage, which in other words is religion and politics. She is implying that Jesus is not there for those whom are living in poverty and are unequal. In the quote she describes Jesus’ appearance as a corpse, and a socialist. She intertwined Jesus, socialism and economic issues such as minimum wage, and income; therefore she politicizes religion.

Ken Brouse

11/8/2013 05:54:08 am

How does she politicize religion?
Ehrenreich obliges us with her atheist thoughts on religion; “But Jesus makes his appearance here only as a corpse; the living man, the wine-guzzling vagrant and precocious socialist, is never once mentioned, nor anything he ever had to say” (68). This is truly the thoughts of a want-a-be intellectual person, whose idea about Christ has not been truly studied. Though, Ehrenreich speaks as if she is qualified to remark on the religious beliefs of Christianity. In Addition, to letting the reader know her policy on religion, is yet another added response on her beliefs she feels the need to inform us on.

Jashan Kaur

11/8/2013 05:54:14 am

In Nickel and Dimed, after meeting Pete, Ehrenreich reflects, “If his story is to be believed, he’s as much an impostor as I am (thought of course he doesn’t know that either) (65). By calling him an imposter, Ehrenreich is saying he is pretending to be someone he is not, from judging his look and way of living. I agree with her, because if I or anyone was as rich as he saying he if I would have a better car and defiantly would’ve gotten those teeth fixed. I also disagree with her words, “So why work at all if you have so much money?” (65). It doesn’t matter how much money you have you have to keep earning more because that money will be all used up one day.

Natalie Cornejo

11/13/2013 04:19:07 am

In Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich makes her self presence in church and states that, “Is the “soul” that lives forever the one we possess at the moment of death, in which case heaven must look something like the Woodcrest, with plenty of CNAs and dietary aides of take care of those who died in a state of mental decomposition?” (68). Ehrenreich doesn’t believe in anything such as after dying there is an after life. She thinks once someone is dead they are gone forever. She questions the whole religion theory. Like why would people do so much harm or put threw so much pain and god forgive all their sins and get sent to heaven with no penalty. She is also saying that religion can be a man made thing.

"Scrubbing in Maine" 62-69

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