“Before I headed to college, I told Jeff that I would come back to work over winter break. While I was away, he was promoted to regional manager…” (paragraph 21)

“For one of the first time in my life, I felt empowered. By the time I was in 11th grade, Jeff had promoted me to shift manager.” (paragraph 13)

“Washing dishes for Jeff was grueling, greasy work. But then again, making a pizza, or driving a truck, or baking a cake, or any of countless other jobs are not always enjoyable in themselves, either.” (paragraph 23)

“On my first night, the dishes piled up after the dinner rush: plates, silverware, cups, and oily black deep-dish pans, which came clean only with a lot of soap and scrubbing in steaming-hot water.” (paragraph 5)

usually chooses the simplest way to accomplish tasks

was proud of his ability to complete the task of dishwashing stoically

avoided facing the reality of his work habits

 is able to learn new skills and accomplish complex tasks quickly 

He embraces the work environment since he is affected by chronic adversity at home

He is held hostage by his mother when he is at home since he is the oldest

He believes Pizza Hut is a calming environment to work in    

He is intrigued by the vast amount of dishes he is required to wash

Replete

Strife

Heavy

Barren

To show his fascination with farming

To highlight the difficulty of creating a safe work environment

To explain his awareness that he is not alone in his plight

To express the sense of how a nurturing work environment is cultivated

He is excited about trying out a new dishwashing technique.

He is upset about his mother’s numerous tempestuous relationships.

 He is relieved that he has somewhere to go after school other than home.

He is confused about who his biological father is.

He is relieved that his mother agreed to let him work after school.

the choice to accept a parent’s advice is meaningful

people can learn valuable life lessons from their work experiences

learning lessons from work will likely turn out to be a short-lived fad

in some situations people still prefer to sacrifice their home over their work-life

presenting helpful advice to managing a difficult work schedule

using work as an escape from home and family

describing the author’s personal experience as an exploited employee

explaining the process of finding the right boss

The authors learn how to be courageous while being exploited for their work.

The authors learn lessons about work from authority figures in their lives.

The potential of the authors should be recognized.

The enthusiasm of the authors can be overwhelming.

“Little by little, I got better at cleaning Her house–good enough to be given more to do, much more. I was ordered to carry bookcases upstairs and, once, to move a piano from one side of a room to the other.” (paragraph 5)

“All I had to do for the two dollars was clean Her house for a few hours after school. It was a beautiful house, too, with a plastic-covered sofa and chairs, wall-to-wall blue-and-white carpeting, a white enamel stove, a washing machine and a dryer…” (paragraph 1)

“But a larger part of my pride was based on the fact that I gave half my wages to my mother, which meant that some of my earnings were used for real things–an insurance policy payment or what was owed to the milkman or the iceman.” (paragraph 3)

“She began to offer me her clothes, for a price. Impressed by these worn things, which looked simply gorgeous to a little girl who had only two dresses to wear to school, I bought a few.” (paragraph 5)