Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams 1

Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams

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Critical Book Review

Presented to

Jennifer Saxton

Arkansas Tech University

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PS 4003

Capstone Project

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by

Frances Frankie Tilley

T01103088

February 25, 2017

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Lubrano, A. (2004). Limbo: Blue-collar roots, white-collar dreams. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Introduction

Alfred Lubrano is a features writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, a commentator for

NPRs Weekend Edition Sunday, a contributing editor for GQ Magazine, and the author of the

powerful book Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams. Born and raised in Brooklyns

Little Italy, Lubrano came from blue-collar roots; his father a brick layer and his mother

possessing only grade level education. For most working class families, dreaming was

considered a waste of time, however, Lubranos parents both hoped that him and his brother

would achieve the proverbial American Dreamto move up in the world.

How does one combat the growing pains that are experienced with social mobility from

the working, blue-collar roots to white-collar middle class? Lubrano labels individuals who

leave their born into class, culture, custom and even language for a new class refered to as

Straddlers. The transition between classes can be difficult to navigate especially considering

when a majority of these Straddlers have family they come home to that will never experience

life beyond that class. The composition Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White-Collar Dreams

examines this phenomenon and the individuals left to cope.

Summary

Limbo takes an in-depth look at the internal conflicts experienced by individuals born

into blue-collar homes but now living and breathing white-collar status and how their lives and

relationships have been effected by that trajection. Lubrano illustrates his own personal

experiences from being a brick-layers son to becoming a newspaper reporter. He then progresses

into a compilation of over 100 interviewees testimonies to exemplify the challenges faced in the
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pursuit of the American Dream. With their legs dangling on either side of the fence, not quite

assimilated into either class, these Straddlers are struggling to find balance in both their old

and new worlds.

Critical Evaluation

The entire work is designed to show the difficulty Stradders face in their journey through

upward mobility and how they tend to find themselves in Limbo, a figurative place stuck

between both worlds. Unlike other sociologists, Lubrano focused on how higher education is the

dividing line that separates the classes. College is described as being the start of the Great

Change or when the people in Limbo begin to question the validity of their old world ideas and

begin to dive head first into knowledge and discussion about topics that were never considered

appropriate before. He also indicates that this is when their language begins to change and the

disconnect begins to becomes noticeable to those left behind and those attempting to make their

own way in a new world. This is in large because blue-collar families are accustomed to

speaking their minds freely and a middle class, educated person understands the significance of

filtering that information or choosing to not voice an opinion. These are just a few examples of

his approach in providing readers with true to life examples of how difficult it is for the

Straddlers to navigate through the social and communication barriers on both sides of the fence.

Lubrano does a wonderful job compiling a multitude of stories to support his stance on

the difficulty in bridging the gap from a workingmans background to the middle class. He

clearly shows the benefits of being raised in a grass roots neighborhood with a close-knit family

and strong morals, and work ethic, but also the negatives that make the transition between

classes so difficult. It is an easy read and a majority of the themes that resonate throughout the

book are relatable to some degree for a majority of people who are not born into privilege.
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Being a first generation college student, this book was a highly anticipated read

personally, however, I was left feeling deflated. There was little focus on how to overcome the

feeling of alienation and the overall organization and focus was lacking throughout the novel,

which in turn made it extremely difficult to continue to remain interested. The negativity that

resonated throughout the book was quite depressing and after much thought, there is question as

to what degree the cultural phenomenon still exists in comparison to the time period the author

was coming of age. Although there are generational and societal gaps present in todays culture, I

do not feel as if it is the Great Divide described vividly in the novel. Lastly, the font for the book

was incredibly difficult to read. At times, I was left guessing what word was being used and it

took me twice as long to read.

Although vast in volume of personal testimonies from Straddlers providing example after

example of how difficult it is to navigate through their lives, there is little supporting evidence as

to why this occurred, specifically in the time period in which the author was raised. Lubrano, a

Boomer, was raised during a time of great social change, however little of how that contributed

to the Limbo effect was substantiated in the novel. This would have provided an alternate

perspective to the phenomenon and provide considerable explanation for the Great Divide. It was

not necessarily strictly because these individuals were jumping from class to class; the entire

population that would be leading the United States was redefining itself.

Conclusion

Limbo: Blue-Collar Roots, White Collar Dreams is an adequately written book about a topic

rarely highlighted when referencing social class mobility. Often times when thinking of touchy

subjects concerning class, at the forefront of your mind is race or gender issues. We tend to
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overlook emotional issues such as the dissonance felt when transitioning between social classes

and how that affects individuals internally or how their relationships are affected.

Although I was expecting a more organized and focused novel, the illustration of the

socioeconomic dynamics was thought provoking. Despite the redundant nature of the authors

attitude, I found it to be a compelling piece of work that a first generation college student can

relate to on some levels. However, I am not sure I would recommend this book to anyone that is

not personally struggling with these same issues highlighted throughout the work.