The Critical Analysis Essay

A Critical Analysis on Andrew Braaksma’s “Some Lessons from the Assembly Line”
Student’s Name
Institution affiliation
Abstract
Andrew Braaksma’s “Some Lessons from the Assembly Line” touches on his tussles as a factory employee and how the work inspired him to toil hard in university. He explores the various frustrations endured in the factories he has used to work at within his hometown. Therefore, this makes him come up with an argument on the role that education plays in determining one’s working and living environment. The blue-collar jobs presented by many industries pay minimally and are unpredictable as the factories may be relocated or shut down due to different circumstances. On the same note, the working environment is not human-friendly as it has adverse effects on the health of a person. Hence, this reduces the life expectancy of workers and has a degrading effect on the intellectual performance of the workers that are essential for grasping concepts in school among students. This paper develops a critical analysis of Andrew Braaksma’s “Some Lessons from the Assembly Line” and highlights its inspirational message to students across the globe.

Critical Analysis
The author’s main argument is that education is a key factor in determining one’s working and living environment. He touches on the misery that he faced as he worked in the factory while in university. He claims that a blue-collar job can disappear overnight due to matters like overseas relocation (Braaksma, 2005).

Consequently, this renders many workers jobless and unable to meet their basic needs in their day to day activities. On the same note, the work is very stressful as the working environment is not friendly and runs for long hours per day with minimal wages. In the reading, one of the co-workers of the author advised him to study hard and keep reading so as he can get out of the stressful factory job. Therefore, I agree with Andrew Braaksma’s argument on his view on the affiliation of education to the nature of one’s life. Educated people have an opportunity to join a professional job that pays well and incorporated with a friendly working environment.
Andrew Braaksma presents a strong argument on the role of education as he explores the lessons he has learned in college before he enters into the real world. He surveys the effects of blue-collar jobs on university students as they skip classes and turn in lazy re-writes (Braaksma, 2005). Therefore, the author tries to stress the value of education and the significance of listening to educational bits of advice presented in public service announcements. On the same note, one can only know the struggles of labor after passing through a similar situation at one point in life. Similarly, an individual may also appreciate the value of education after landing on a stressful job that they may never imagine being in for the rest of their life (Read & Bowler, 2007).
The text has a personal connection to my life as I intend to pursue my education to higher limits. The experiences of Andrew inspire me on the view I hold on education and its significance in changing my working environment and living standards. On the same note, my struggles as a student have made me draw the above conclusions regarding Andrew Braaksma’s reading.
References
Braaksma, A. (2005). Some Lessons from the Assembly Line. Newsweek, 146(11).
Read, S. & Bowler, C. (2007). Life Story Work and Bereavement: Shared Reflections on its Usefulness. Learning Disability Practice, 10(4), 10-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/ldp2007.05.10.4.10.c4265