How does the word “punk” apply or not apply to How to Tell When you are Tired by Theriault
Theriault offers insight into the daily lives of people that have blue-collar jobs and their administration. He talks about his day-to-day routine and of his interactions with his workmates and their personal experiences in the job. He gives a detailed description into the work he and his workmates do and the importance of doing their jobs for their survival. The workers are tolerant to their jobs even though they are not desirable. He continues to say that most of his workmates tolerate the jobs they do because the salaries are just enough to ensure their survival. He discusses in details the administrators most of whom include managers and supervisors and their roles in contributing to the efficiency of the blue worker. The word punk has a number of meanings. Most people know a punk as a rebellious person mostly of a non-conformist group; in this case, however, the most appropriate meaning would be a young inexperienced man in any field. Most of the blue-collar workers get into the system when they do not find white-collar jobs. They do not realize just how much these jobs affect their bodies and their minds until it is too late. (Theriault 5-20)
After a brief description of the origins of work and its evolution, he proceeds to give his own experience as a white-collar worker, stating that his dad was one, as well. He moved about a lot due to the nature of his father’s work. He did not receive quality education and he eventually dropped out of college and started a family working as a shore man (Theriault 25). His experiences with managers were that they did not care about much except quality production. They did this with as few workers as possible while still maintaining maximum levels of profits (Theriault 32). He never stayed at one job for extremely long as he was constantly looking for jobs that paid better. He was a punk at every new job he got. Regardless of the different jobs, he acquired, he never got the freedom to make his own decisions as he was under the instruction to follow orders from his superiors. His co- workers always had different motivations for the job. Some worked to provide a good life for their families while others worked to make enough money to start their own businesses. The jobs he got .however, paid enough to provide for his family sufficiently.
He also discusses in detail the relationship between experienced older workers and the younger ones that have visions of better jobs. The older workers seem resigned to the jobs that they have, and they are grateful for them. The younger ones always think that the jobs they have are to enable their survival until something better comes along. The older workers blame this delusion on education. To the younger, ones education serves as a gateway for entry into white-collar jobs. According to him, white-collar workers and white ones work in the jobs they do because of fate. He advises managers to limit the amount of work they give to their workers in case they tire them out. Tired and angry workers always equal to disgruntled and unmotivated workers. These kinds of workers rarely put any effort into their jobs, and they show less initiative. This affects the jobs that they do and consequently the managers do not realize the results they expect.
Works Cited
Theriault, Reg. How to Tell When You’re Tired: A Brief Examination of Work. New York:
W.W. Norton, 1995. Print.
