“The importance of the assembly line” by Andrew Braaksma
The Author claims of the challenges faced by people who are in the blue-collar sector as compared to those in the white-collar sector. Braaksma states of the difficulties and challenges he underwent while working in the blue-collar sector during his holiday from school. The situation at work was draining, mental torture, and tiresome with the payment received after the days’ job being little, which makes him consider the educational opportunity he has of high value. He gives the notion of being educated and pursuing a professional career makes one more successful than working in a factory setting with considerably low wages.
Braaksma believes people doing white-collar jobs get better pay than those doing blue-collar jobs due to the lifestyle they live, and he believes white-collar jobs acquired as a result of a college education is better than blue-collar jobs. The job gave the author the experience of the reality in blue-collar jobs;(Paragraph 2) “For a student like me who considers any class before noon to be uncivilized, getting to a factory by 6 o’clock each morning, where rows of hulking, spark-showering machines have replaced the lush campus and cavernous lecture halls of college life, is torture”. Andrew also stated that getting a college education means better jobs and high success in life experiences. The author quotes of students not taking their college education seriously with their perception of the worth of the challenges they undergo while studying; (Paragraph 4) “There are few things as cocksure as a college student who has never been out in the real world, and people my age always seem to overestimate the value of their time and knowledge”. the job taught him about how hard it is to earn a living outside of college education the realities of blue-collar jobs and its immense difficulties dawned on him at that moment. (Paragraph 6) “Factory life has shown me what my future might have been like had I never gone to college in the first place.”
The audience for the critical analysis of the article ‘Some Lessons from the Assembly Line’ by Andrew Braaksma is students in college, those anticipating going to college and also the population that serves in the white and blue-collar sector. The articles address issues of bettering one’s level of education, meaning better jobs and better living standards, leaving pressure and fatigue all avoided. Andrew Braaksma contrasts the blue-collar sector to the white-collar sector giving credit to the white-collar sector as a better job in terms of pay, better living, reduced strain from work, focus, development, and growth is much more achieved in pursuing a white-collar career-oriented job.
The author appeals to the student population in college and all those who would have the opportunity to get to college to focus on their education and for greater success to be achieved in their future days, and he suggests a college education as to a better living and success in future. With the various points and claims from the author, I believe his point of argument is quite strong. He believes better living comes with better education and focus with his various claims and testimonies such as; with better education and career focus; one would be able to get a better job that is less frustrating, stress-reduced working hours, higher pay and reduced strain from the tiresome and body straining job.
According to Braaksma (2005), being in disbelief of how much he was taking home after a hard day’s job, the small reward from the hard labor was not promising or giving hope instead of giving more stress and strain into the living conditions of a person. The author also claims of unpleasant, strenuous, pressing, and difficult working conditions being endured daily, which is tough for survival or aiming for better living. As such, the author proclaims to other people that getting a quality college education and focusing on a career gives a better working and living environment than straining in blue-collar jobs. With consideration of the various factors claimed by the author to working in the blue-collar as strenuous than getting a better education in college for better white-collar jobs gives credit to consideration of further studies for better jobs and living.