Wednesday, April 13, 2022

Haley Scholars (Group 5) 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? 

45 comments:

Madisen Wilkins said...

The aspect of the story that was most interesting to me was the fact the specific retail clerk would transition between talking about their own past experiences in high school, to Lucy, to the old lady who spoke Spanish that she was attending to. To me it feels like the story by involving these other stories the retail clerk was saying, was trying to show how the retail clerk tries finding happiness while working in the mall, especially considering while reading the story the idea of Lucy was always on my mind while reading this story.
-Madisen Wilkins

Gabriel Scott said...

I found it upsetting how workers are so prone to despair and it's often that some measly social interaction drags them out of it. The experiences of the retail workers struck quite a cord because I thought I was alone in my thinking of these jobs.

Britney Wallace said...

The aspect of the story that most interested me was the individual experience of the protagonist. Despite the conditions of the working environment. The main character found some joy in communicating with customers who spoke Spanish. His joy reminded me of the importance of finding a little happiness in the daily things we do in life.

Aerin T. said...

The aspect of the story that I found most interesting was the fact that the "plunge" was a fairly regular occurrence. It just shows that if you make work the center of your life and don't focus on the good things you can become very miserable.

Ayanna Townsend said...

What I found the most striking while reading the short story "in retail," is when the author vividly described Lucy's death as she hit the ground. That part was extremely devasting because it emphasizes the harsh reality that people face when it comes to battling mental health all while incorporating how society oftentimes overlooks mental health as a whole.

-Ayanna T.

A’nya Wilkes said...

The aspect of the story that most interested me was when Lucy decided to end her life the mall just continued like nothing had happened. I feel like that's a commentary on how no matter what horrific things go on we'll just stay in the cycle of working and getting money. I think it's a commentary on how capitalism works and how there's a cruel side to it.

Starteese.S said...

The main character continuing to keep a positive attitude in the workplace when communicating with other customers is what interested me because it reminded me of even though you might be having a bad day at work, you still can keep a joyous demeanor towards others.

Heaven Nicole Watkins said...

The aspect of the story that most interested me was when the main character was happy talking to customers who spoke in Spanish. Another scene is when the main character was speaking respectfully with the customers instead of being rude.

Jordan W. said...

An aspect of the story most interested you about the experiences of the retail clerk was that it really opened my eyes to how much capitalism takes over our lives and how much working can take a toll on your mental health. It was appalling to me to read about someone taking their life in the mall because of how their job is treating them and it shows that healthy mental health and self-care are very important to have.

Damen Ward said...

The aspect off the story that most intrigued me was the fact that no one stopped or closed their store down during the incident. For one it shows how numb society is to seeing these types of things especially at that mall since a similar incident seemed to happen every six months. I feel as though this is a disregard to the life lost in this mall, there should be more things done to ensure the mental health of workers.
-Damen Ward

Kehajana Tallie said...

The aspect of the story that I found most interesting was the fact that they talked about Lucy so casually like what happened wasn't really a big deal and when she died they didn't close the mall. They left it open like it was normal.

Shaniyah Robinson said...

The aspect of the story that most interested me was how she related her high school life and then she would talk about lucy and also the Spanish lady that came into her store. The way I imagined the story in my head was like watching a movie or show that has flashbacks. Also, when she was specifically describing lucy's death and how people would make fun of it by either acting like they were going to jump or using her name in a joke must have been triggering for her. -Shaniyah Robinson

Sandy Stokes said...

The aspect i found the most interesting was how the workers were so used to being miserable and how working in retail really can drain the life out of you when you make it your center purpose

Sarai WB said...

The aspect that most intrigued me was the incident that happened at the mall. The fact the mall didn't close or shut down immediately when it happened is shocking. A similar incident happened some time ago in real life, the video showed many of the people shocked, scared and some even ran in fear because they just seen a dead body on the ground. We need to talk more about mental health and informing people.

Sealaya Washington said...

What I found most interesting while reading was the circumstances of Lucy's death. Her death was described in detail, and it was gruesome and sad to think that a job, that to most would seem simple or fun, would drive someone to harming themself. It was also upsetting that everyone seemed to go about their lives as if nothing of significance had taken place. So much so, that they joked about it or use Lucy in their everyday conversations.

ArTerrious Thorpe said...

To be honest, the most interesting thing about 'The Retail" is the optimism. Though all the sadness and tragedy there is always a light to the situation. It feels like when I'm reading this someone is constantly saying "look on the bright side".

Gabrielle S. said...

An aspect of the story I most interested in was what the retail clerk experienced. Because I could relate to the situation personally. But also showed just how draining it is to try to keep up with todays standard. And with all the time we spend working it leaves no room for good mental health. It was able to show why self care is important and the need for breaks.

Deaunzze T said...

The most interesting to me is after Lucy ended her life and the world went on. It shows when people say that if you died today the company would have you replaced by tomorrow. It truly sad but reality.
Deaunzze Trotter

Devin Willis said...

The individual experience of the main character very much got my interest. He remained positive during work when speaking to others. He spoke Spanish and was showing respect instead of disrespect. He could have been negative and impertinent, but he chose the other way to go about things.

Unknown said...

The aspect of the story that struck me as most interesting is how mentally exhausting it can be to work at a job that is in a generally calming social atmosphere. While it would be easy to think that working in a mall (especially if you love retail therapy) would be a fun job, it is, nonetheless, a job. And when you put it into perspective, it is a job that requires an awful lot of people watching, fake generosity and smiles, and loneliness.

- Jaisha Sims

DeAndre W. said...

The aspect that most interest me is that some jobs are more fulfilling than others. While the retail clerk has many experiences that makes her job a hassle she still continues to work there. In life we are continuously told do what makes you happy, but we often take what we can get or what pays the bills. It seems rare for people to choose a job that makes them happy over a job that pays well. Many continuously got to jobs that are mentally draining and those jobs could care less. You could be replace the next day. Not many people can keep a positive attitude like the main character.

Anonymous said...

What I found the most striking while reading the short story "in retail," is when the author vividly described Lucy's death as she hit the ground. That part was extremely devasting because it emphasizes the harsh reality that people face when it comes to battling mental health all while incorporating how society oftentimes overlooks mental health as a whole.


-Sarah Rollins

Niobe Young said...

I think the aspect of the story that most interested me was the experience of the retail clerk and the lady who spoke Spanish part of the story. It was interesting to see how different cultures interact with each other and provide insight on what each person needs without really even understanding what that person is saying.

Anjel Vela said...

What I found most interesting was the positivity the clerk kept despite his working conditions. It's sad that many people have to find the smallest things to make them happy during their shifts, but he manages to do it with no complaints.

Jayla Walker said...

The aspect that most interested me was the overall experience of working in retail because I felt that it could be relatable.

Caleb W said...

The aspect of the story that interest me the most out of all of those would have to be when the author was describing the death of Lucy in "in retail". Because it shows the harsh reality so many of us face on a daily basis that nobody really talks about.

Erin Myers said...

Kailiah W. said...
The aspect of the story that was interesting to me was when Lucy passed away in the mall and everyone in the mall went about their day regularly. This may have been satire regarding how desensitized the world is to death.

April 22, 2022 at 3:44 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-4-nana-kwame-adjei_13.html)

Erin Myers said...

Brandon Wiles said...
The aspect of the story that stands out the most is how the main character talks about Lucy. They are thinking about Lucy throughout most of their shift and how she committed suicide. I found it rather sad that the only bit of happiness they had was from the older Spanish ladies who would come in to buy things. The fact that what Lucy did was so commonplace that even the main character was thinking about doing what Lucy did is saddening. The job shouldn't be so draining and stressful that people are often committing suicide. And when people do and it shouldn't be some kind of spectacle that everyone knows about and takes pictures and laughs.

April 22, 2022 at 11:28 PM
(Originally posted to https://www.culturalfront.org/2022/04/haley-scholars-group-4-nana-kwame-adjei_13.html)

Erin Myers said...

Anozha S.:

The most interesting part of this section of the book was the fact that I have worked in retail before and 90% of the story is realistic. In retail people treat you horribly as if you owe them service and it can make people feel less than.

Damien W. said...

This world makes it seem like every job will be easy but they are depressing. All in all you have to work multiple hours and work hard just to make enough to take care of yourself and maybe your family.

Calviana S. said...

The part that was shocking to me was the description of Lucy’s death. Mental health is a real thing and I feel like we need to emphasize putting ourselves and our happiness first. We have to tell ourselves that leaving a job is ok or leave anything thst don’t makes up happy is ok.

Erin Myers said...

Me-Na S.:

The aspect of the story that most interested me would be the idea that most jobs are more fulfilling then others because if people are killings themselves over a job it has to be depressing and the employees aren’t happy then something should change because after a while it gets old that your employees would want to take there life because of a job.

Erin Myers said...

Madison W.:

The aspect of the story that most interested me was how this story changed my views on capitalism. I found that the retail clerk played a huge role in conveying the message to readers. Her actions and how she was treated at her job played a huge role in what the story writer wanted to have viewers realize.

Erin Myers said...

Sydney W.:

The aspect of the story that interest me the more is when the main character would have his moments when working that he enjoy his time working and not worry about how damage his mental state was like the time he was working with a customer that spoke Spanish. It will be the small things that will help a person with mental issues or somebody is having a bad day in there life lighten up there day and not feel alone in what ever they are going through in life.

Erin Myers said...

Nikiyah T.:

The part of the story that interested me most was the part where the worker continued to speak politely to customers even though it was hard because in real life people take their respect seriously. working in retail ultimately takes a big toll on peoples daily life.

Heaven Watkins said...

The aspect of the story that interest me the most is when the workers are depressed. This happens in today's society many workers are depressed at work. Workers need to start putting themselves first and taking a mental health day.

Leea S. said...

I think the aspect of the story that interests me the most is the workers being depressed because you see workers being depressed, caring more about work than their mental health in this day of age.

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.

Unknown said...

The aspect that I think was the most shocking was the death at the mall incident. The fact that the mall wasn't shut down immediately as this happened was very degenerate and personally shocking.
-Jonah Wolfe

Erin Myers said...

Zaria W.:
There were two different details of the story that interested me the most. First, I thought it was interesting that the main character said that his happiness comes from experiences with older Spanish women. I wondered if that may be a common experience for others as well. I also thought about the idea that working a job that you don't find meaningful can lead you into a dark place and how relatable that is.

Erin Myers said...

Preston W.:

The aspect I fond most fascinating was the fact that Lucy died but things went on as usual. I think that we have desenitized and dehumanized death to the poinnt that we're numb to it. Just like the story the place of business kept running because it only cares about production and revenue. But apply that to reality and you get the same picture.

Janelle W said...

The aspect I found most interesting was the retail story. I could really relate to this part because I used to work in retail and that is a very hard job knowing that u have to keep the mindset is the 'customers always right' when most of the time their wrong they know it themselves.retail can take a toll on a persons metal health and being patient and strong enough to still repect customers even when they have totally disrepested you takes guts.

Erin Myers said...

Xavier S.:

The most interesting aspect I found in "In Retail" was the part about the Spanish teacher Ms. Ramirez. The reason for why is that I have similar feelings to that towards actual teachers, and the actual story that came with her segment popped out to me (probably because of the strange story about the dog).

DeMarco Smith said...

The most shocking part to me is how they described her death in the story. Also how some people don't realize how the they treat people can lead to so many different results. Some may take that and keep going but you can only take so much mental health abuse before it leads to this.

-DeMarco Smith

Erin Myers said...

Ty'Ria R.:

The think the intrested me the most was expirenece that the protaganist had. Even thought the main characters working conditons were awufl, he found joy in his job.