Summary Of Mike Rose's Blue Collar Brilliance

Schooling vs. Intelligence People are divided, if it is by age, races, gender, crude stereotypes, wealth, social status, or intelligence. Every person is put in a category that labels them. If she or he has a white-collar occupation within an office or something as such, she or he is labeled as hardworking, intuitive, and smart. Adults working in cafes, construction, or other blue-collar jobs are classified as thick, lazy, and unintelligent. In “Blue-Collar Brilliance” by Mike Rose, he retells how his mother and his uncle worked in a blue-collar job, or working class job, but does not just see them as mindless for their lack of formal education. His article was originally published in 2009 in the American Scholar. Rose addresses the misconceptions of what is intelligence using his personal stories as an example. Mike Rose’s “Blue-Collar Brilliance” conveys his opinions of working class Americas efficiently through emotional appeals, logical reasoning, and explaining his own definition of intelligence. In his beginning statements, Mike Rose explains his mother’s job from his childhood point of view. He writes about him watching her work in a coffee shop. As she …show more content…
He explains that intelligence is not based on formal education. It is more complex than that. Intelligence is the ability to comprehend information using critical thinking skills. It is possible to be smart without a formal education, but it is also possible to have an education and be feeble minded. I can relate to his mother’s situation in a small way. I worked as a waitress for a summer, and I can see how ‘worked smart’ as I tried to do. Mike Rose portrays clearly his stance on intelligence using personal narratives, logical arguments, and excellent credibility. Rose shows appreciation for blue-collars and tries to persuade the audience who shows little respect for those