Bag Of Chips: Why Do We Need Low Wage Workers?

After reading the novel, and viewing the life of low wage workers it is upsetting to see how so many people live with housing instability, food instability and lack of access to health needs. In the novel Barbara and her coworker work long hours in multiple jobs but they can’t still feed themselves with what they are being paid. In the novel when the author states, “After polishing off the first house, no problem, we grab “lunch”- Doritos for Rosalie and a bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish for Maddy…” (pg80). This quote reveals how Rosalie and Maddy are living on a bag of chips. When we eat a bag of chips we just eat as a snack. However, these characters in the novel eat chips because that’s what they could afford with $6 or $7 they make an hour.

Holly is a character in the novel who is seven weeks pregnant who is really weak and continues experiences nausea. However, Holly continues working because she doesn’t want to lose the job but also because her husband doesn’t want her to since he knows how her salary is really important. After Holly is offered a protein bar by Barbara, first she doesn’t accept it then she gets happy because she finds another source of food rather thanjust a bag of chips. For a women who is pregnant it is unsafe to work with chemicals and long hours but for Holly it seems like her job as a maid is what she needs as it provides her with the money to live somewhere. In addition, to food instability and medical needs that the workers faced they also had difficulty finding a place to live in because they had so many expenses but low wages. As Barbara states, “Room 133 contains a bed, a chair, a chest of drawers, and a TV fastened to the wall…But the real problems are all window- and door related: the single small window has no screen, and the room has no AC or

Without a screen, the window should be sensibly closed at night, meaning no air, unless I’m willing to take my chances with the bugs and the neighbors.” (pg 151-152) it reveals that when you pay more you get more and better quantity. For example, Barbara paid a lot from her wages in order to rent room 133 which didn’t include any source of ventilation. Also, the conditions were unsafe because the door had no bolt, the curtains were see through limiting privacy from others whom lived there. Since, Barbara was alone in the room she was afraid to sleep tightly because she wanted to stay aware and cautioned before anyone comes into the room while she is sleeping. It is tough to see how after long hours of work and even multiple jobs it doesn’t guarantee a safe place to live in and security with limited money. These are just some of the episodes that I mentioned from the novel which is difficult for us to view. But in reality there are so many people who live like this. Many sleep empty stomach, in unsafe conditions, or even eliminate medical attention because they can’t afford