1 Fall 2010

2 Response Essay # 1

3 Instructor: Vallario

4 Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich shows us explicit examples of what

5 workers go through in order to obtain and hold down minimum wage jobs. Why do you

6 think the government has the ability to regulate this wage and why do you think it is kept

7 at a low? How does the government provide for us? When does the government step in

8 and provide for us? Who is eligible for government assistance?

9 In The Garden by Scott Hamilton, the documenter first gives his viewers

10 background information on the destruction caused by the Los Angeles riots in 1992. The

11 riots only lasted three days, but left devastation. The documentary focuses on how the

12 government stepped in, gave a poor population of South Central LA acres of land to grow

13 crop, and provide food for their families. This was their means of survival for almost a

14 decade until the government decided to take it away. The process of the government

15 taking the land away is the focal point of the documentary.

16 The people who are losing their land recite The Pledge of Allegiance during this

17 documentary. Most of us had to place our right hand over our heart and memorize it in

18 elementary school. We never second-guessed this tradition. We just did it, and today the

19 words of The Pledge may very well be just words. Are these words meaningful? They

20 were written and recited for a reason, but do you believe that, “Justice for all” applies to

21 every individual? Is the way in which the government comes up with the amount for

22 minimum wage fair? What happens when the government takes things away from us?
23 What are the effects? How does it affect us? What is the government providing for us,

24 and what happens when the government takes these things or our rights away? The

25 government has the power and control to provide us with certain things. Why do they

26 choose to grant only special cases? Do you think there truly is justice for everyone?

27 Please, write an essay in MLA format, form a thesis by focusing on a specific theme I

28 mentioned above. Provide evidence from Nickel and Dimed, and The Garden and that

29 will support your thesis. You can use support from your own life experiences ONLY as

30 it pertains to this essay, examples can include: your experience with Medicaid,

31 government assistance, minimum wage jobs, etc.

32 First Draft is due on Monday, September 27th. The draft must be at least 3 pages in

33 length.