Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 2) Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "In Retail"

[Haley Reading Groups Spring 2022] 

Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah's "In Retail" offers a story about the draining and apparent soul-crushing experience of working in a mall, in a clothing store.  

The narrator reveals that the job can seem so depressing that it could lead some people to harm themselves.  

What aspect of the story most interested you -- the experiences of the specific retail clerk, the overall dilemma of working in retail, the idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others, or something else? Why? 

54 comments:

Taylor Corbin said...

Taylor C. Said
What aspect of the story most interested me was the idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others. I think it is unfair to say that because everyone wants different things out of life and different things make different people happy. Also without some people doing the jobs that might not look like the most fun or to other people the most fulfilling we would not be able to function in this society.

Josephine Kanyi said...

The part that stood out to me is the thought process that some jobs are more fulfilling than others. I think in recent years, society assesses fulfillment based on what the financial compensation at a job is. The writer talks about retail being a job that's draining and soul-crushing, something that could be said for some of the top-paying jobs but the only reason those jobs receive leniency in the critique is that they pay more and are assumed to contribute more to society.

Cidney C. said...

The aspect of the story that interested me the most was the overall dilemma of working in retail. In retail, you can have a lot of overbearing customers that don't care about the workers. Retail workers are just like everyone else, so it's sad that they are some people that don't care that one hurtful thing you say or do to a worker can really impact their lives.

Mysaiah Chambers said...

The part that stood out to me is I definitely understand not liking a job, but someone has to do it. At Walmart when I used to work there it was easy for me to see how awful people would treat the cashiers. The funny thing is they would complain about the lack of cashiers. This is to say that the jobs we dislike are the very ones you need to go through daily life.

Raven DeWalt said...

Raven DeWalt

The entire difficulty of working in retail was the component of the novel that fascinated me the most. In retail, there can be a lot of pushy consumers that don't care about the employees. Retail employees are just like anybody else, therefore it's unfortunate that some people don't realize that one hurtful thing you say or do to them can have a significant influence on their lives. Retail, according to the author, is an exhausting career.

Elizabeth Alao said...

The part that I liked the most and that stood out to me was the uninterested to work in a job but having to work anyways because some people who has to do it. People who are in customer service have to deal with customers who treat them with no respect and degrade them only cause they are workers. It's something that I have personally experienced so when I saw that I knew I could relate to it.

Anijah Barringer said...

After reading “In Retail,” the aspect of the story that interest me the most was the stigmatism around Retail jobs in general. Basically how draining the job could be. But I really think it depends on the person and their personal experience. I could say that Retail could be more draining around the holidays because there are so many more people in the stores compared to March or times where there isn’t anything really going on. Also the crazy thing is that some people aren’t going to like the job but then when you think about it, if no one likes the job … who is going to do the job?

-Anijah B.

Saniya Buck said...

The aspect of the story that interested me the most is not liking the job but still having to work. I have worked at many places and if you like where you work should not work there because you not happy at the place and I hate to hear that they had to stay. being somewhere you not happy is very disappointing because not your bringing bad energy to the environment and you shouldn't want to do that. This stood out to me the most because working where you are not satisfied is not healthy.

Tomia B. said...

The part of the story that interested me the most was the overall dilemma of working in retail. Retail is such a stressful job that not a lot of people talk about. Having to come to work daily to deal with rude customers all day and fulfill their needs can be draining. The numerous attitudes, ungratefulness, and how impatient these customers can become makes a dreadful day at work. I personally connect to this the most giving that I was that worker. Its tiring and not worth the stress.

Marlon C. said...

I think the part of the story that intrigued me the most was the general situation of working in retail. Working in retail, you can have a great deal of domineering clints that couldn't care less about the laborers. People who are working retail are very much like every other person - we are all human; so, it's miserable that there are certain individuals that couldn't care less that something destructive you say or do to a hard worker can truly affect their day, lives, and overall well-being.

Shaquerria Cole said...

The part that really stuck with me was how the worker helped the Spanish speaking lady even though they couldn't understand each other most of the time. It shows that there are good things that come out of working in retail, good customer worker relationships.

Alexis D said...

The aspect of the story most interested me the most was the idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others for example working in fast food is challenging especially when you have to deal with rude people all the time and people who never want to do their work so you have to work ten times harder compared to working at a YMCA which isn’t so challenging. When I worked at the YMCA it was less stressful and it was an easy job where you didn’t have to deal with angry people or have to worry about working ten times harder. Some jobs are more fulfilling than others and affect people differently like some can be fine or some can be depressing and stressful.

Alexis D said...

The aspect of the story most interested me the most was the idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others for example working in fast food is challenging especially when you have to deal with rude people all the time and people who never want to do their work so you have to work ten times harder compared to working at a YMCA which isn’t so challenging. When I worked at the YMCA it was less stressful and it was an easy job where you didn’t have to deal with angry people or have to worry about working ten times harder. Some jobs are more fulfilling than others and affect people differently like some can be fine or some can be depressing and stressful.

Itangishatse Bujeni said...

Of all the short stories in this collection, this one felt the most familiar. I feel as if there has been a theme of consumerism, some remarks made about the different things that capitalism and the way money controls our society. What stood out most to me in this particular story was that no matter how big the consequences, we choose to stay oblivious to the ways in which we’re impacted by work. The entire point of this story is how to change your mindset as an employee so that you survive a work day, how to get pleasure from the mundane retail services that encourages care for the customer despite the little care you put into yourself. Working these jobs that are pleasurable for most, these positions that were never passions can feel as if you are stuck in loop, It should not be a fight for survival, and instead of blaming Lucy or the others for not surviving retail, the pressure should be placed on the mall who should care for the health of the employees. A lot more could be said about how small you can feel as one part of the corporation, just a cog in the system, and I think this story illustrates that feeling well.

Harrison B. said...

What interested me the most was the experiences of a specific retail clerk. I have never worked retail, but I have worked in fast food. These two jobs go hand in hand when it comes to experiences with customers, and I can completely relate.

Anonymous said...

The section that interested me is the common emotion towards many retail jobs. Relating to the writer so much having worked temporarily at retail locations became fatiguing. It's interesting to see a perspective of someone else because of how much more darker it develops. Jobs really can take an effect on human beings when it is repetitive and unamusing to the employee.

Shakyiah C said...

What interested me the most was the challenges of working in retail. I have been thinking about getting a summer job in retail. But recently, I have been hearing several stories about working in retail and the difficulties and people you meet that come with it. The story adds to the list. The story also gives more perspective on working in retail and other similar jobs.

Jordan L Allen said...

The belief that some jobs are better than others is the most realistic in my opinion. In picking a career, people who don't know their interests, are more likely to find something they don't desire to do.

Chidi Anyamele said...

The thing that interested me the most was the challenges workers face in retail. I currently work in this sector so I found a lot of things relatable. For example, in the story, the worker helped the Spanish even though there was a language barrier. At my job that happens a lot, so the best thing we can do is to help as best as we can.
-Chidi Anyamele

Airika Carr said...

What stood out to me the most about working in retail is the stress that it causes on the workers. Many people might think people in retail have it so easy be they struggle each time they clock in. Dealing with difficult customers with a bad attuited for no reason. This story just shows some of the things people who work in retail have to deal with on a daily basis.

Maya Chapman said...

The entire dilemma of working in retail piqued my curiosity the most. Many overbearing consumers who don't care about the workers can be found in retail. Retail employees are just like the rest of us, so it's unfortunate that some people don't realize that one nasty thing you say or do to them can have a significant influence on their lives.

Udochukwu Chikere said...

The part that stuck out to me is the fact that you don't have to work in retail to feel like the main character does. The same depressive atmosphere can be applied to many other workforces. No need to make people feel miserable. Just do what you can to create a healthy workplace despite the occupation. It just connected to me on a bigger scale.
-Udochukwu Chikere

Kelan Branch said...

The part where it stuck to me the most is the idea of having to work at a job you hate but only do it for the paycheck. People who want to chase their dreams are unfortunately held back by life responsibilities and that is something I can especially relate too.

Muhammed Aboderin said...

The aspect of the story that interested me the most was the dilemma of working in retail. I have heard so many stories about how people do not care about retail workers, and the workers themselves do not care about the job they have. No one's dream job is to work at Walmart and deal with customers that will insult you and think that they are always right all the time.

Marina B. said...

Some jobs are obviously more fulfilling than others just for the simple fact that we each have different wants in life. But as a retail worker, some things require more work than the workers are qualified for or even paid for. Retail in itself is not fulfilling with the amount of busywork you do on top of dealing with rowdy/rude customers. You have to change yourself "The customer is always right" to keep your job or even get through the day.

Damilola Adebisi said...

Damilola Adebisi
What stood out to me the most is some jobs are better than others and the challenges of working in retail. I thought this was interesting because depending on what jobs you do, some jobs could either pay you more or treat their employees better. The retail really stood out to me because I have friends who have worked in retail and explained how horrible their experience was.

Sheena C. said...

The part that was mainly interesting was the trope of being a retail worker. The main trope I think is the lifelessness it brings to these people who were working these jobs. Or any jobs that relate to a repetitive monotonous pattern of this type of work. In the future, they are planning on making these types of jobs replaced by robots. So that people don't have to have jobs like these where they feel like they are getting their life sucked out of and feel like suicide is the way out. But we must ask ourselves why is that working amongst people makes us suicidal. When there are too many people in our heads similar to a retail job one can feel like they must kill themselves. That is the question, the question of why we lead each other to commit suicide.

kelly said...

The idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others interest me the most. A job is a necessity however it can feel like a burden if it isn’t enjoyable. Sometimes it’s more beneficial to stay at a job you don’t enjoy in order to stay financially stable.

kelly said...

The idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others interest me the most. A job is a necessity however it can feel like a burden if it isn’t enjoyable. Sometimes it’s more beneficial to stay at a job you don’t enjoy in order to stay financially stable.
-AmoyaB

Amy descollines said...

What stood out to me the most was how they still had to stay at a job they weren't happy doing. It saddened me because I believe if you're not happy with what you're doing you should have the opportunity to leave.

Amy-Myriam Descollines

Arieona B. said...

What I found most interesting was the fact that jobs can become so depressing that people harm themselves. The fact that Lucy became a verb and a noun is saddening. The thought of someone taking their life because of depression from work and nothing being done to help the workers they know is struggling with mental health stood out to me.
Arieona B.

Lexis Lewis said...

What interests me the most is that some jobs are more fulfilling than others. I can relate to this way of thinking, when working in retail it seems like a repeated cycle of not fulfilling what I wanted to do in life. But having a job that gives me that notification makes me want to go to work every day, and be in a great mood. I feel as if this relates to when people say, certain lines of work are jobs and others are careers.
Lexis L.

Naomi B. said...

The story of Lucy interested me the most. In the book it seems as though the store clerk and everyone else assumed that her job was why she had jumped when it could have been an outside factor that led her to take her life. I didn't like how everyone used Lucy's name to describe how they were feeling. It's disrespectful in my opinion but I assume because it has happened so many times, everyone kind of adjusted to the frequent suicides and so it doesn't really bother them which is why they might be numb to it, and that is understandable.
-Naomi Butler

Shelbe D said...

The entire difficulty of working in retail was the component of the novel that fascinated me the most. In retail, there can be a lot of pushy consumers that don't care about the employees. Retail employees are just like anybody else, therefore it's unfortunate that some people don't realize that one hurtful thing you say or do to them can have a significant influence on their lives. Retail, according to the author, is an exhausting career.

Jordan Brawley said...

The aspect that interested me the most is the idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others. This interested me the most because I found it to be very relatable. Any jobs that I made more money in I found to be more fulfilling than others. I feel like I was not working for basically nothing and to me, it was more fulfilling.

Deborah Adekale said...

I think the part that interested me the most was how some jobs are more fulfilling than others. I believe if you do what you are passionate about then your job should be as fulfilling as you need it to be, so no matter the job as long as it’s what you want to do it is just as fulfilling as someone else who is doing their dream job.
-Deborah Adekale

Kambria Childress said...

The entire difficulty of working in retail was the component of the story that fascinated me the most. In retail, there can be a lot of pushy consumers that don't care about the employees.   According to the author, working in retail is a demanding job. I have firsthand how difficult it can be working in retail, and how emotionally stressful it can be dealing with rude customers.

Jordan Barnes said...

The most interesting part of the story to me is when they say some jobs are more fulfilling than others. I believe that statement is not true and some jobs required certain things. Some jobs have different meanings to them.

Erin Westfall said...

Corey A.:

I believe the most realistic thing is that not all jobs are the same in the world.

Erin Westfall said...

Chanel B.:

The story that that interested me the most is the overall dilemma of working in retail. The reason I say this is because I understand the dilemma of working in retail because I work in retail and dealing with the customers & the work can be just too much as in the story .

Erin Westfall said...

Alex C.:

The part that stood out the most to me was how customer service workers are treated by some customers. People treat them as though their problems are the workers fault when it's not them at all. Regardless of what your issue may be one should never treat someone as lesser just because they are a customer service worker. Everyone is human and should be treated as such.

Erin Westfall said...

Layla Brooks said...
The part that was interesting is how you get so tired and you might feel like you put more work in than what is given. The part that stuck out to me was when she said something like "the money being gone and coming back" like a cycle. Maybe, Lucy, Jenn, and Antoine were just tired of being stressed over that cycle .

April 15, 2022 at 5:11 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei_13.html)

Erin Myers said...

Ruth B.:

An aspect of the story that interested me was the overall dilemma of working in retail. It makes me really think about people in the real world who must work in that environment and act as if they are okay in that when they’re not. Of course, it’s a job and they should do what their supposed to for customers, but I appreciate how the author emphasized the importance of understanding how workers in retail may truly feel. Having to put on a face and repeat each saying does add up overtime and may make them feel like it’s depressing.

Erin Myers said...

Camille B.:

I feel like the thing that stood out to me the most in "In Retail", was the idea of one job being more fulfilling than another. In my opinion, it is difficult to measure just how fulfilling a job can be to society or an individual, because we are different people. We all have had different experiences, so our perception of fulfilment will not be the same across the board.

Erin Myers said...

Jasmine D.:

The part that stood out to me is the thought process that some jobs go through compared to others. Some jobs have a quicker hiring process and some jobs take time. I think in recent years, society assesses fulfillment based on what how much they are going to be paid or what they will be getting paid. The writer talks about retail being a job that's draining and soul-crushing, something that could be said for some of the top-paying jobs but the only reason those jobs receive leniency in the critique is that they pay more and are assumed to contribute more to society so they basically take the higher responsibility.

Erin Myers said...

Allana B.:

The part of the story that interested me the most was not liking a certain job but still having to work it because your life is relied on getting a check especially when it comes to retail jobs, I can totally understand the frustration and hardships that you must labor because I have been working in retail for some years now. I can understand the problems that come with working in retail and the problems that may come along with working in fast food as well.

Justin Burns said...

The aspect that stood out to me entirely was the surrealism of retail down sides. Many people that work these jobs are often people that couldn't get a more financially stable job, which leads to more hours and less satisfaction with work. I think this story tells it perfectly, working retail can be depressing and for the most boring. The mental health of employees are always important and the text shows here!

Erin Myers said...

Aaron Crawford said...
The most interesting aspect to me was how relatable this can be in terms of some jobs leaving people feeling empty. I know many people who work in retail and absolutely loathe it. It's extremely stressful and busy for them and this made me think about them.

April 25, 2022 at 11:34 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-3-nana-kwame-adjei_13.html)

Latavia Bryant said...

What interested me the most would be the whole concept of working in retail. From personal experience I dreaded it but continued working the job because I relied on the check. I understand the feelings behind working in retail and the issues that come with it.

-Latavia Bryant

Starr Crump said...

What interested me the most was this view on retail. Having such an emptiness for a job is insufferable and this just dived deeper into that though.

-Starr C

Willie Davis said...

The only thing that interested me was working in retail. It’s not as easy as people think and can be very stressful at times. The main thing is to keep going and push through the obstacles.

Erin Myers said...

Thiane D.:

The part that stood out to me was how the author was saying how much he hated the job and working in the retail industry. I worked in the retail industry and the food industry so I understand both of the them. Working in the retail you will understand people better and you can learn more about peoples behavior and things of that nature. I experienced how people in the retail industry treated me better than the food industry but people still do not treat you with a lot of respect or as much as they should.

Erin Myers said...

Abdixakin A.:

The part that stood out to me the most was how jobs can fit others better. Some people enjoy working in a certain field but others couldn't because it is just not meant for them.

Erin Myers said...

Tyler B.:

the aspect of the story that interested me the most was the adversity that goes behind the scenes that customers don't see on a daily v basis. Workers in retail have to work with so more than people see everyday including the customers themselves. You don't know how their mental health is affected by rude or hateful comments behind the scenes.