Fast Food Nation Summary

In the Fast Food Nation introduction, Eric Schlosser establishes his credibility and helps the audience trust him in order to show them the importance of his investigation of the fast food industry. Schlosser does this by beginning the introduction with imagery of what will happen in the event of a nuclear strike and what will remain. He states that, “future archaeologists may find other clues to the nature of our civilization- Big King wrappers, hardened crusts of Cheesy Bread, Barbeque Wing bones, and the red, white, and blue of a Domino’s pizza box” (Schlosser 2). In other words, the remains of our civilization will highlight our unhealthy diet. He even uses the words, “red, white, and blue,” implying that fast food is a major part of the United States.

He describes the experience as such, “Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk in, get on line, study the backlit color photographs on the counter, place your order, hand over a few dollars, watch teenagers in uniforms pushing various buttons, and moments later take hold of a plastic tray full of food wrapped in colored paper and cardboard,” (Schlosser 9). Schlosser, using asyndeton, describes a typical experience in a fast food restaurant. He is more credible after this because the reader can now relate and imagine themselves in the situation, confirming that what has just been described is in fact, true. He further establishes credibility when he references Jim Hightower’s book, “Eat Your Heart Out” acknowledging that he is not an expert and relies on experts to back up his point. In “Eat Your Heart Out,” Hightower argues that “bigger is not better.” Schlosser backs up Hightower’s statement when he states that the fast food industry has grown and has taken much control over the nation’s food