Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America Chapter Summary & Analysis - Chapter 3, "Selling in Minnesota," Summary

Chapter 3, "Selling in Minnesota," Summary and Analysis

For no particular reason, the author next goes to Minneapolis where a tight labor market and few minority workers may make the low wage life livable. Plus, the apartment rents appear to fall around $400 a month. Like many low wage people in a new town, she picks up a Rent a Wreck car and moves in with a friend who will be absent. The one hitch is she has to care for a cockatiel and she is a bit frightened of birds. The author wants factory or retail work this time around. She visits Wal-Mart and fills out a test as before, but this time gets some answers "wrong," (even thought there aren't supposed to be any wrong answers) The manager double checks that she really will follow letters to the rule and will not try to interpret them.

Now a drug test is next. The author admits to...
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