Nickel and Dimed Final Essay
Teague, 2013
You are writing a final essay synthesizing your ideas about the topics in Nickel and Dimed: On
not Getting by in America. Choose one of the following prompts and write a multi-paragraph
essay explaining, informing, and describing your ideas.


You must meet standard on all aspects of the expository essay rubric (see additional
handout).
You must use the writing process and submit all steps when you turn your essay in on
Jan 31.
Option 1: How have your ideas about poverty, privilege or power changed, transformed or been
reinforced since reading Nickel and Dimed? Write a multi-paragraph essay comparing and
contrasting your ideas before and after you read the book.
Option 2: Both Nickel and Dimed and Morgan Spurlock’s 30 Days discuss ideas about
poverty and the working poor in America. How are their ideas similar and different? Write a
multi-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting these ideas.
Option 3: Ehrenreich is white and middle class. She claims that her experience would have been
radically different had she been a person of color or a single parent. Write a multi-paragraph
essay explaining how you think discrimination shaped Ehrenreich's story.
Honors/Advanced Prompts
Option 4: How do booming national and international chains -- restaurants, hotels, retail outlets,
cleaning services, and elder-care facilities -- affect the treatment and aspirations of low-wage
workers? Consider how market competition and the push for profits drive the nickel-and-diming
of America's lowest-paid. Write a multi-paragraph essay explaining these ideas.
Option 5: Housing costs pose the greatest obstacle for low-wage workers. How does our society
seem to resist rectifying this situation? How does our society seem work towards rectifying this
situation? Write a multi-paragraph essay comparing and contrasting these ideas.
Timeline:
Friday, January 25—Brainstorm due; outline/draft in class
Tuesday, January 29---Peer edit; revisions in class
Thursday, January 31---All parts of essay due; final must be typed (turn in your selfreflection letter also!)
Notes on Comparison and Contrast
Comparison points out the way two or more people, places, or things are alike. Contrast points
out how they are different.
As a writer, you have two main options for organizing a comparison or contrast essays: the
subject-by-subject pattern or the point-by-point pattern.
Subject by Subject Pattern (usually for shorter essays)
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Introduction
Atlanta
a. Climate
b. Public transportation
c. Tourist attractions
d. Accommodations
Seattle
a. Climate
b. Public transportation
c. Tourist attractions
d. Accommodations
Conclusion
Point by Point Pattern (usually for longer essays or research papers)
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Introduction
Climate
a. Atlanta
b. Seattle
Public transportation
a. Atlanta
b. Seattle
Tourist Attractions
a. Atlanta
b. Seattle
Accommodations
a. Atlanta
b. Seattle
Conclusion