Ashleigh Beamer

Mrs. Mary Martin

Advanced Composition
December 10, 2014

Wage Slavery

When I was a little girl, I had no concern for anything or any concept outside of my own
comfortable, self-revolving universe. Running around in t-shirts and shorts, my hair in either a
pony tail or pig tails adorned, of course, with ribbons was my normal attire and I thought
everyone else was just like me and my family. I thought that I got any toys I wanted because
thats what happened when I asked for them; I had absolutely no concept of what the word
money meant, or even that not every little boy or girl got the toys that I had. Yeah, I heard my
parents talking about spending money and I heard my neighbors talk about what they could
afford and what they couldnt, but I never knew what they meant. As I got a little older, I realized
that I didnt just get the toys I wanted just because I wanted them; I realized you had to give
something to the people behind the tall counter, usually it was green, in order to get what you
wanted. I soon got old enough to realize that what they were giving the people behind the
counter was money and not every child had the same toys because it all depended on what you
could afford to buy. I came to realize people cant buy whatever they want, they can only live by

setting a specific budget based on their income, as everything in society requires money to obtain
it. The older I have become, the more I have realized we tend to be controlled on where we live,
what we do and what we have based on the amount of money we earn. This type of existence is
often termed wage slavery, where the individual becomes a slave to their own wages.

Wage slavery is a fact of life, whether we admit to it or not. Every individual in America,
whether the top one percent or the impoverished waiting on a welfare check, is on a fixed
income. That income directs the life style of the recipient whether it be caviar or Ramen
noodles. Even the financial elites, such as investment bankers, attorneys or executive
accountants, with fancy cars and million dollar homes are only a few months from the breadline
if their boss or board of directors decides to dispense of their services. How many executives
have been seven floors up in a corner window office on Wall Street and look down to see
someone homeless and wondered how little separates my existence from theirs? On the flip
side, how many have been in the same situation and said that could never be me? As Sharon
Olds states in her poem From Seven Floors Up, he is pushing a shopping cart up the ramp out of
the park. He owns, in the world, only what he has there- no sink, no water, no heat (pg. 332)

The executive individuals know the precarious nature of their position; they are
dependent on maintaining that lifestyle the job has allowed. People are so dependent on the
dollar value they make because everything in todays world needs some sort of compensation,
and although its usually money, its often what they perceive money can buy. The original goal
of self-betterment was titled the American Dream. To be able to enjoy the inalienable rights as a

citizen in the United States and using capitalism to increase your worth to provide more for your
family has been usurped by keeping up with the neighbors. The new normal is not about
providing basic necessities for the family but to outdo and surpass all those around them.

What happens to those who dont have the money to get there? The answer is what we
see all around us and what we hear people talking about all the time; they are considered to be in
poverty. They are considered the impoverished of the country. Most of the impoverished in this
country are minorities. In America, there have been many systems put in place to enable those in
the lower income bracket to still strive toward the American Dream. In The Black Avenger by
Ken Hamblin he says that white-middle class citizens have been inundated from the cradle with
news reports about the dreadful burden of being black in America-of suffering the hardships of
poverty, racism, and second-class citizens (pg. 289). Does the color of your skin make you
poor? It is a fact that in America, the majority of the people in poverty are a minority. It is also a
fact children born into poor families are more likely to turn out poor themselves. So, what is the
reason for this inability to move up? Is it an example by their parents, their environment, or is the
American Dream non-existent? This is a complex issue that probably has multiple factors, but
Hamblin states, the American Dream is truly accessible to all black citizens (pg. 290).

What is money? And what does success truly mean? In reality, does money determine
success? Money can bring so many necessities, such as food and medical care. As Dana Gioia
states in her poem Money, it greases a palm, feathers a nest, holds heads above water, makes
both ends meet...you dont know where its been, but you put it where you mouth is. And it

talks (pg. 331). But what is success? Is it a bigger house? Money is the master that we bow to
for perceived success, gratification, livelihood, and is the means to obtain everything that we,
actual or perceived, need and/or want.

Money is often the determining factor in almost all aspects of our lives. Money, or lack
thereof, decides where you live, clothes worn, cars driven, schools attended and yes, even
friendships are often decided by money. And, by living the American Dream and trying to
maintain a current level for success or even more probably, to obtain more money, we become
even more indebted toward this master called money. This never ending vicious cycle is like a
carousel that never slows to allow its riders to get off of the ride. The vicious cycle is a myth of
success that we all fall into. As said in the Rereading America book,
The myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the havenots, the achievers and the drones, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of
the myth, we become engrossed in status symbols: we try to live in the right
neighborhoods, wear the right clothes, eat the right foods (pg. 261).

What is an example of this cycle? Take the teenage boy playing on a sports team. He
has to have the UnderArmor brand. No, the brand from K Mart wont work. In that teens
mind, it is important to be one of the haves, so you buy the objects and clothing that will make
you look like you belong so that you can keep the image associated with an athlete and will give
you a certain type of friend. This cycle continues throughout life when deciding on wardrobe,
shoes, and the car to drive so you can keep a specific job or be accepted by a certain group of

people. This is where the cycle comes in, because you have to have the job in order to make the
money to get those things so that, real or perceived, you can keep the job. This pattern goes
around and around with no real escape route apparent.

Being in the haves, not the have-nots, is one of the biggest decision makers in the
American Dream. But where has constantly striving for the American Dream gotten us? Has it
worked or been successful? The American Dream is ultimately about bettering yourself in the
eyes of those around you. You soon come to idolize yourself, when in reality, as Woodrow
Wilson says, There is no higher religion than human service. To work for the common good is
the greatest creed." He claims that instead of serving yourself, you should be trying to help
others and that will get you your greatest reward. This has been disputed by many, including
Robert Ringer in his popular book from the 1970s Looking Out for Number One when he
claims:
Forget foundationless traditions, forget the moral standards others may have tried to
cram down your throatand most important, think of yourself-Number OneYou and you
alone will be responsible for your success or failure (pg. 262 Rereading America).

Ringer is essentially saying that you must have the slogan me first in order to be
successful, and that nothing else will make you as successful as you could really be. Whos
right? And what has worked? In theology, it says to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark
12:31). Does this not connect with what Woodrow Wilson said? But who is, in fact, right in all of
this?

The American Dream, what is it? We see such disparity in social groups in America, yet
we are inundated with the belief of the American Dream, that with hard work one can better
themselves. We see an extremely wealthy one percent, a large middle class and, unfortunately,
about 18 percent in poverty (New York Times). The question that has no right answer but lots of
opinion, is what the concept of the American Dream is. Was it to have a superficial exterior, to
maintain the have status, or was that actually an entrapment? When we look at the differences of
the middle class and the impoverished, is it better to be a continuous rider on the carousel or is it
perhaps better not to get trapped in what we call the American Dream? Who are the slaves of this
generation? The answer is still debatable and only with time can we tell who the slaves of this
generation truly are in wage slavery.

So who has the American Dream? Who has achieved it? And how do you know youve
reached it? As Ben Franklin said, Who is rich? He that is content. Who is that? Nobody.

This infographic shows the comparison of income and the change in poverty over time. If
money is what is necessary to reach the American Dream, then the lower class would have
difficulties achieving the Dream.

Works Cited
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