Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 3) 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? 

52 comments:

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 .

Unknown said...

After reading "In Retail", the part that interested me the most was the general aspects of working in retail. Retail is truly a stressful job and working retail is not for everybody it solely depends on what you can handle and your personality. But if nobody worked in retail then the jobs and stores wouldn't be open, so every job is here for a reason.

-Anjeal Jones

anaya jones said...

the part that stuck out to me was "the money is gone and coming back" like a repeating cycle.
The part that was interesting is how you can be exhausted and feel you put more time and hard work than you receive.

Alayah D. said...

The part that was interesting to me was the description of working in retail. Retail is a job that can definitely be stressful. Depending on the type of customers you have, it can also add to the workload. It takes a strong person to be able to handle a retail job. People also don't realize how important retail is to our communities and take advantage of the workers, or treat them poorly.

Ivan Johnson said...

The idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others is the aspect that most interested me. People spend years working jobs that pay well but they hate mean while others work for less but are more fulfilled.

Jasmine Johnson said...

What stuck out the most to me was how relatable this story was about working in retail. Retail is not for everyone and is not easy and can most definitely be stressful especially during busy times like holidays for example and dealing with customers to managers and work associates, but retail workers are important when it comes to keeping stores in business and all that good stuff.

Damya Evans said...

The experiences of the specific retail clerk most interested me because the clerk normalized retail workers often wanting to kill themselves after Lucy did because her job dint bring her any sort of happiness. In the real world retail workers do often complain about their jobs and the different types of customers they deal with so that is also why the clerks experiences most interested me.

Tamia Goodlow said...

The part that stuck out to me was how accurately described working in retail was displayed. From experience, I know working in retail is very stressful and overwhelming.

Tashauna F said...

The overall dilemma of working in retail interested me because it is true that working in retail is stressful and draining but people don't realize it. The impact that customers have on people every day is remarkable in a good and bad way.

Jonathan G said...

What struck me the most about this story was how relevant it was to to work in retail. Retail is an extremely stressful industry. People also don't understand how critical retail is to our communities, and as a result, they take advantage of or pay their employees unfairly.

Niylah E. said...

The part that was very interesting to me was his experience in retail. It shows that retail is not for everyone, and it is a lot to handle. Not all customers are happy or approachable. The clerk brought attention that people are wanting to kill theirselves working in retail. Everyone has their ups and down with retail/ customer service.

Tashauri F. said...

The part that stuck out to me the most is the description of working in retail. From personal experience I know how hard and stressful the job can get. With the job you constantly are dealing with different people and attitudes all day. A lot of people think retail is an easy job until they experience it.

Jenaya Gant said...

What was most interesting to be if the fact that the lucy story was always in the back of my mind even though the retail clerk went over many different stories.

Unknown said...

The part that resonated with me was the description of working in retail. Many people don't really think about how some things truly are and me working in retail I know how stressful it can be.
-Memory

Stephanie H. said...

A description of working in retail was interesting to me. Working in retail is a difficult and stressful job. This can also add to the workload, depending on who your customers are. People with the strength to work in retail are in demand. Retail workers are also taken advantage of or treated poorly by people who don't understand the importance of retail to our communities.

Kemry H said...

The part that most interested me was the overall dilemma of working in retail because I have worked retail and it's truly stressful. Lots of people think it's an easy job, but it's really exhausting, especially in this generation.

Ehijie Ilenikhena said...

While reading the story the aspect that interested me the most was working retail.
I have a friend that worked retail and from her experience, she said working in retail was fraught and mentally exhausting. In my opinion, the story described the retail world in a precise fashion.

Ehijie.I

Tyler Guthrie said...

What stood out to me the most in this story was when Florence was thinking about her daughter in order to deal with her depression and to rid herself of the demons in her head. Thinking about her daughter emphasizes how powerful and important it is to hold on to the positive things in life. This also shows just how important it is for us to express gratitude as we can sometimes take things for granted.

Carmesha Johnson said...

The experiences within retail could be challenging and people don't consider that as a stressful job. I felt everything that was being said because i worked in retail for about 2 years. It was very overwhelming at times. - Carmesha Johnson

Jameelah harbin said...

what interested me most was the realness of the job description, retail is not fun and it is tiring and it somewhat put my retail working days into text honestly, I felt Lucy,

David Gaines said...

David Gaines
In my opinion the overall dilemma of working in retail is what interested me the most. The amount of customers that come in and if they have attitude or not could change your day completely.

Kennedy J said...

I think the most interesting part of the story was the dilemma because of how relatable it was to retail workers. They really are put under a lot of stress that causes them to be unhappy. Also, customers don't always make it easy on the employees which adds to this dilemma. Therefore, I think the story did good on showing how stressful and overwhelming it can get.

Stefani F said...

What was most interesting to me was how the aspects of working in retail are so similar to working in other fields of work. We all have to deal with the same things in different parts of work and they can be very stressful when you're giving your all into your work and it isn't reciprocated.

Aminah A. Haynes said...

The part of the story that was most interesting to me was the mention of working in Retail. I know a lot of people myself who worked in retail and had a terrible experience and feel very stressed everyday. People whp worl retail work very hard and still get difficult customers to deal with and just the environment itself. The customers will not always make the job easy like how it was in the story.

Z"Kya Dixon said...

The most interesting aspect is that it's true, some jobs have no Fulliment and can leave people completed empty.the can literally drain the life out of you. The stress of working, is enough to go mad, so imagine working a job you don't like with rude customers and no benefits, it is enough to cause self harm. I recommend getting out before it even gets to that point.but not everyone has that choice. You can't just allbof a sudden refuse to work, how would you live. That's what gets us we have to work if we want to live a better life.

Marcus G. said...

I think that the dilemma of working in retail is what pulled me in the most. I work in retail and deal with many customers a day. We are all put under so much stress to hit a quota or just to be as cusstomer-service like as we can. The thing is that many people don't know how it really is to work in retail.

Colette Jackson said...

The thing that stuck out to me is how jobs are often compared to one another and how one has more value than another because of what it entails or how much one makes etc. Retail seems hard, I haven't worked in it but the story gave good description on how it could go. I know retail to be a hard job most of the times based off what I've heard but retail, like any other job, requires a lot from a person.
-Colette Jackson

Jonathan H said...

I suppose all of the above interested me. I've always been fascinated by stories that reflect the mundanity of adult life. This story further exhibited the things that captivate me about those kinds of narratives.

TJ Hunter said...

What interested me the most was the overall detail of working in retail. I learned that working retail can be just as hard as any other job. Also the mental tolls that it take can be dangerous.

Tanija Harris-Ritchie said...

The part that interested me the most was the description of retail. I feel as though retail is a stressful job. Retail can be as stressful as any other job. I would know this because I work retail while trying to pursue my career in college + and social life. I won't say it's easy it's very difficult trying to keep up with the retail knowing you have so many other things to do. Also retail can get hard because people aren't always the most polite in situations but throughout this, you have to be very understandable and have good customer service.

Scott Freeman said...

The idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others is interesting to me because we have this idea that work is essentially supposed to be liked or you’re supposed to enjoy your job. When in actuality work is work. My idea is that if we move pass the fact that work is necessarily supposed to be fun, than our fulfillment will lie in things that truly bring us joy and we can work to reach those joys.

Indya Howard said...

The aspect that piqued my attention was the description of working in retail. Retail is a career that may be quite demanding. It might also increase the burden depending on the sort of consumers you have. A strong individual is required to handle a retail job. People also don't appreciate how crucial retail is to our communities, and as a result, they take advantage of or treat their employees unfairly.

Aunye Harrold said...

After Reading In retail I really had to think back on how many times I've personally seen people in retail having a hard time and they are still expected to give their best quality of work. The amount of demanding customers and stressful situations can really put someone at their lowest mentally.

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.

Erin Myers said...

Neville G.:

The overall dilemma of working in retail and the idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others most interested me. When I worked retail, you can have customers that have had a bad day and end up retaliating on you and can ruin your whole day. And then there are the kind ones that can brighten your day. Overall, customers can significantly impact how you persuade working retail.

Erin Westfall said...

Taylor G.:

The aspect of the story that most interested me was the overall dilemma of working in retail. I have worked in retail, and it can bring a lot of stress on a person, especially when they have other things they are dealing with outside of work. Having rude customers or coworkers that are hard to deal with do not make it any better, and the fact that the job is what brings in income can make you feel like you must get over it and deal with it. A stressful job can make you feel like your life is on a constant depressing loop.

Erin Myers said...

Gianni D.:

A description of working in retail was particularly interesting to me. Retail can be
extremely stressful. I work in retail and some customers are very difficult to deal
with and you really have to have the patience to deal with those type of customers.
Being able to handle a retail job requires a strong person because sometimes it
could get overwhelming.

Erin Myers said...

Chloe H.:

A part that was most interesting for me was the overall dilemma of working in retail because it can be definitely depressing. I think the way the portrayed working in retail can relate to the real world because people treat you like you dont even matter and are just a mere employee. When in reality we im human too and should be treated with respect as well.

Erin Myers said...

Natalie G.:

The thing that stuck out to me the most was the repeating cycle of "the money is gone and coming back." It just showed that you can feel like you're doing a lot of work when only a little work was given to you.

Erin Myers said...

LaNiya G.:

the experiences of a retail clerk was most interesting to me because a lot of people don't realize what u go through and your job can be harder than it looks.

Chaz Hunter said...

The idea that some jobs are more fulfilling than others is the aspect that most interested me. People spend years working jobs that pay well but they hate mean while others work for less but are more fulfilled.

Fatima Kante said...

After reading "Retail" the most interesting part to me was the statement "the money being gone and coming back" I always say this to myself as a motivation to work. Retail is very stressful and people can treat you with little respect and not even care about you as a person really. You have to be strong mentally and physically and have patience because you need that and ability to handle with the pressure with the employees there would be no retail.

Erin Myers said...

James G.:

What stood out to me the most in this story was when Florence was thinking about her daughter in order to deal with her depression and to rid herself of the demons in her head. Thinking about her daughter emphasizes how powerful and important it is to hold on to the positive things in life. This also shows just how important it is for us to express gratitude as we can sometimes take things for granted.

Erin Myers said...

Alexi J.:

What interested me the most about this story was how normalized everything was. To the point that people made jokes about it and viewed it as a part of everyday life. It emphasizes just how much humans have become desensitized and even apathetic to genuinely disturbing and terrible things.

Tamya Goodlow said...

The part that stuck out to me was how accurately described working in retail was displayed. From experience, I know working in retail is very stressful and overwhelming.

Zion H said...

What stuck out to me was how accurately they describe working retail. From hearing about my friends experience in retail.

Erin Myers said...

Arielle J.:

"In retail" I found that it showed a lot of accurate depictions of what it's like to work in retail, but it showed it in a way were it was very over-exagrantated, as if it was trying to get the reader to feel the depressive nature of working a job like that non-stop. Especially the part about the money coming and going, it shows how its a long never ending cycle that in nature csn make someone feel depressed and go crazy

Erin Myers said...

Tonia E.:

The most interesting part of the story to me was the overall dilemma of working in retail. I worked in retail for nearly 2 years and it’s something that cannot be described or explained to anyone unless they have experienced it for themselves. Retail is an important part of our society. I don’t think people realize how hard on yourself you can make it if you’re rude to your customer service worker.

Erin Myers said...

Brianna H said...
What was most interesting to me is how relatable working in retail is. Working in retail you always feel like you’re doing more than what was in your job description. It gets very stressful and overwhelming in retail.
April 29, 2022 at 1:03 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-5-nana-kwame-adjei_13.html)

Erin Myers said...

Ma Kayla J.:

After reading "In Retail" , the most interesting part for me was the description of working in retail. Retail Jobs are extremely stressful, underpaid, and overworked jobs, that are essential for our economy but treated as less than dirt. Customers don't appreciate the staff, and generally society makes working in retail the lowest of the low when in reality it's not.

Erin Myers said...

Nadia G.:

The part that stuck out was the retail. A lot of people have worked in retail and the details of the story produced flashbacks of the times I worked. It's not for the weak. It expresses the job so well.

Erin Myers said...

Amber D.:

After reading, "In Retail", the part that interested me the most was parts of working in retail. Working in retail is an extremely stressful and hectic job and working retail is not for the weak of mind. But those who work in retail are important because those businesses wouldn’t be open without them.