Nickel and Dimed Study Guide

Character Descriptions

Pete - Pete is one of the cooks at the nursing home. He quickly befriends Ehrenreich, taking cigarette breaks with her in his car.

Ted Ted is Ehrenreich’s boss at Merry Maids; he owns the franchise where Ehrenreich is employed.

Tammy - Tammy is the office manager at Merry Maids.

Liza - Liza is the leader of the one of the teams Ehrenreich cleans with while working at Merry Maids.

Rosalie - Rosalie is a fellow “maid.” She is fresh from high school, and Ehrenreich pesters her about eating healthy food.

Pauline - Pauline is another Merry Maids employee. She owns her own home, but sleeps on the couch because her grown children and grandchildren live with her and fill up the bedrooms.

Maddy - Maddy, who works for Merry Maids, is “a single mom of maybe twenty-seven or so”; she has difficulties with child care. Holly - Holly is the leader of another team Ehrenreich cleans with while working at Merry Maids. Roberta - Roberta is a “bustling platinum-haired woman of sixty or so” who works in personnel at Wal-Mart. Caroline - Caroline is the aunt of Ehrenreich’s friend. Ehrenreich talks with her about what it is really like to live a low-wage lifestyle. Melissa - Melissa works with Ehrenreich in ladies’ wear. She has only been at Wal-Mart for a few weeks longer than Ehrenreich. Ellie - Ellie is “[g]ray-faced and fiftyish.” She is another Wal-Mart employee.

Howard - Howard is an assistant manager at Wal-Mart. Ehrenreich is not fond of him because he is typical of management.

Rhoda - Rhoda is a “bossy and self-satisfied” Wal-Mart employee.

Isabelle - Isabelle supervises Ehrenreich at Wal-Mart.