Some Lessons From The Assembly Line Summary

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"Some Lessons from the Assembly Line" is a personal narrative written by Andrew Braaksma. The author speaks about the risks and struggles individuals face when choosing a blue-collar career. The author vaguely speaks about taking his education for granted before he realized how lucky he had been to receive one, to begin with, and what his life would be like without higher education. Being a single mother, and a young woman, who lives in a small town made up of mostly blue-collar careers I can relate to the importance of the author's purpose. The author's purpose for writing this piece of work is to inform his audience about the value of higher education; since without education beyond high school, an individual must depend on careers that require an …show more content…

In paragraph four, “I couldn’t believe how little I was taking home after all the hours I spent on the sweltering production floor” (Braaksma 2005). The author could have been more specific about what his hourly pay was. For instance, in 2014 I was employed at Burger King in Johnson City, TN minimum wage was $7.25 at the time; for a full-time employee (forty hours a week) that adds up to $1,160 each month or $15,080 each year; this is before taxes are taken out. With that said, the cost of living is expensive and a single person working at a fast food restaurant will struggle greatly. A college education can be expensive; however, the benefits that follow will outweigh the expense. Blue-collar careers do not provide stability. In paragraph five, “As frustrating as the work can be, the most stressful thing about blue-collar life is knowing your job could disappear overnight” (Braaksma 2005). The author done a great job with describing this key point. With higher education, an individual can open career opportunities that provide job stability. In 2016, Morrill Motors in Erwin, TN laid off over 100 employees (Durham). Mr. Allen Shelton was one of those

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