What does it mean to be a true worker? Does it mean always showing up on time, giving your best, never cutting a corner? Or does it mean not taking advantage of others for personal gain? Gary Soto's "Born Worker" explores this concept. It relays this through two mexican boys who start a company together. Throughout the story, one question is always asked, are you a born worker? In "Born Worker" what it means to be a true worker is that you are honest, caring, and have respect for yourself, but others and aren't lazy. This is portruded through the main character Jose, who starts a company with his lazy cousin Arnie. It transipires as one question related to the reader, were you born to work, or take advantage of others? Think about this question. Have you always been willing to work, to make money and put the time and quality of your work, or one who cuts corners and only wants to make money from other people working for you. …show more content…
Before you decide, think of what it means to be one and how you would relate to Jose and Arnie. A good worker shows up on time, is honest, works well with his coworkers, doesn't cut corners, and most of all puts time and effort into their work and shows pride in it. Jose is this person, who never cuts corners and always does good work. Arnie, on the other hand, is lazy and has had everything given to him all his life, and naturally wants that to happen for the rest of his life. He cuts corners, lies, and takes advantage of Jose in a so-called
Have you ever thought of working in the hot sun for twelve hours ?Francisco Jimenez portrays the lives of migrant farmworkers as struggling with poverty and dealing with child labor by giving many examples.In “The Circut” by Francisco Jimenez the short story is about a Mexican boy named Panchito and his family. They crossed the border from Mexico to California for a better life as migrant farmworkers. They pack up and move each season to find work only to endure hardships and the struggle of having to start over every few months.
“My very ability to work tirelessly hour after hour is a product of decades of better-than-average medical care, a high-protein diet, and workouts in gyms that charge $400 or $500 a year. If I am now a productive fake member of the working class, it’s because I haven’t been working, in any hard physical sense, long enough to have
Studs Terkel published a nonfiction Working which consists many interviews among different people’s descriptions of their jobs. Through this book, Terkel demonstrates the meaning of work to different people and how their work experiences shape their attitudes about their lives. Among these interviewers, Maggie Holmes is a domestic while Dave Bender is a factory owner. Although their wages are different, Maggie Holmes and Dave Bender’s attitudes about their works are contradictory. People who love their works are passionate and happy about their lives and express less complain than those people who do not like their jobs.
“We all use stereotypes all the time, without knowing it. We have met the enemy of equality, and the enemy is us,” quoted by Annie Murphy Paul, a journalist. Human beings typically have varied mindsets as they grow up with different cultural values as well as social environment. Author Gary Soto’s “Like Mexican” compares his Mexican life with his wife’s Japanese background, while author Deborah Tannen’s “Gender in the Classroom” contrasts the “gender-related styles” of male and female students. From the two perspectives Soto’s and Tannen’s experiences’ give a universal, stereotypical point how different gender tendencies, conversational styles, and cultural background can result in a miscommunication of one’s behavior.
He expresses about his mother working at the restaurant is what made him and this article credible. He got to witness and experience his mom and her “waiting brilliance” up close and personal (Rose, 273). He also states, “I’ve since studied the working habits of blue-collar workers and have come to understand how much my mother’s kind of work demands of both the body and the brain” (274). In this statement he establishes his own credibility as a source of authority on this issue. Rose, the author, wants to open social minds by showing “mental activity” (279) required in blue-collar work is still under-recognized and undervalued by society. The blue-collar workers are not as valued as they deserve but the capability they have is not less than other high-level workers, even sometimes it’s more than
... the fruits of a person's hard labor will linger to give honor to their memory after their death. However, Piercy adds that "they were made to be used" to indicate that this won't be the case if a person's labor is not the fruitful productive type. Piercy concludes by stating that "The pitcher cries for water to carry and a person for work that is real" (25-26). With this figurative language Piercy develops the theme by affirming that people need to be willing to work hard in order to reach the satisfaction of accomplishing something that is meaningful in their lives.
In the late nineteenth century, many European’s immigrated to the United States in search of a better lifestyle as well as an equal opportunity to earn good fortune. These immigrants who wanted to work were categorized as unskilled workers, who are generally characterized by low education levels and small wages. Thomas Bell’s Out of This Furnace, depicts the experiences that these European immigrants, Slovaks in particular, experienced in all aspects of life including life surrounding the workplace of America. The unskilled businesses of the United States employ these immigrants for long hours and low wages. Working conditions were terrible; working in the steel mills means you must work 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week with little reward.
“Born worker,” by Gary Soto, is composed of a short story of how a lower-middle class boy, José, learns a lesson by involving himself with his cousin, Arnie, and his ideas. While most people around have the money to buy new things often, José’s family only has enough to survive; they must work to get rewarded. Arnie, however, is spoiled with many valuables inaccessible for José, and lacks integrity within himself. After saving the life of Mr. Clemens, José realizes that your actions speak for what you need to be proud of yourself for.
Richard Rodriguez’s “The Workers” follows Rodriguez experience he encounters while working a summer job. Rodriguez, the narrator, receives a construction job during the summer of his senior year in college through a friend. At first the narrator is excited to be provided a menial job and have a chance to show his parents he can handle “real work.” However, throughout the story, the narrator is seen coming of age as he realizes that there’s more to the job.
One of the most celebrated migrant workers of all time, César Chávez, triumphed as a leader because he knew how to be a servant first and those who followed him respected that. He was a quiet, devoted and religious man who was able to identify with his audience because he was in their shoes. The definition of leadership has been discussed in detail in this class, but our search for the final definition has continued to complicate the issue. The leadership topics that have been studied this semester that apply to César Chávez and that will be concentrated on during this paper are: the ideas of inside and outside leaders, level 5 leadership, situational leadership, service leadership and social justice leadership. César Chávez exemplifies ‘leadership’ in his own way and has created a new way to define what a real leader is. This essay focuses on the relationship between Chávez’s life and work, as well as the idea of ‘Social justice leadership’ and ‘servant leadership’. In his vision of peace, he represented the idea of nonviolence and the importance of believing in a cause and following through with what you promise. Chávez founded a group that supported and fought for the rights of farm workers, acting to increase wages and improve the working conditions and safety of farm workers, which was called the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) and was later renamed the National Farm Worke...
In "Like Mexicans" by Gary Soto, it begins with the statement, “Again I dream” and then further explains a descriptive detail of a meal that only existed through his mind of imagination because of his economic stance. One of the primary points in the poem is the critique of poverty stricken culture of several Mexican and Mexican-American families. An example of the most compelling lines of the poem is his concluding two lines: “let the day end and us begin, the fork, the knife, the plate, all useless.” The selection of words highlights a compelling portrait of himself fantasizing the world where hunger is not prevalent to him, but shortly understands it was an escape and represents a harsh reality of no purpose to have kitchen utensils because
"How Things Work" by Gary Soto, is a piece of literature that explains in a poetic way how the money people spend can go on to help many others. Gary Soto is from California and admires people who have done great service for others. The title of the poem is significant because it gives the reader a very good sense as to what the poem is about.
Work, this four letter word can take on a completely different definition depending on who is being asked, ranging from early adolescent teens on their first day of work to elders on their very last due to retirement. Employers look for people who will represent them in a positive way. This can sometimes mean that a person be asked to do an activity that may seem degrading like standing outside in a busy street advertising fried chicken within a chicken suit. In the workforce one can be struck with misfortune but “there is no ‘shame’ in doing any honest job”(Hooks 285) there is reward in itself when doing any type of job with no remorse and pride in accomplishing to earn money to support a family and/or oneself. Having a good understanding of what “right livelihood” (Hooks 287) means will prepare a person to go further in achieving a good work ethic.
The poem, “What Work Is” by Philip Levine is an intricate and thought-provoking selection. Levine uses a slightly confusing method of describing what work actually is. He gives the idea that work is very tedious, however necessary. It is miserable, however, it is a sacrifice that is essentially made by many, if not all able-bodied members of society. Many have to sacrifice going to a concert or a movie, but instead works jobs with hardly a manageable salary. This poem seems to have a focus on members of the lower-class or middle-class who live paycheck to paycheck and are unable to put money away for a future for their children or for a vacation and how difficult life can be made to be while living under this type of circumstance. Levine
...iences hardships in their life and it is only with the support of other, stronger people that they can overcome those hardships in order to become stronger, more productive than they were before. The more productive, strong workers there are, the better society will be.