In the Essay “On Dumpster Diving” Lars Eighner focuses specifically the way dumpster diving happens and how people don’t understand the reality of it. Reality is he made a living off of dumpster diving. He put himself in other people’s shoes and there were some hardships with scavenging, living, and understanding.In this essay you can see how wasteful people are and how much he was able to live off of. Also, it helps you as a reader to be able to understand the hardships of dumpster diving and how its done.As he explains on the craft of “Dumpster Diving, Eighner sets an informative tone to emphasize how humans can be wasteful in society.
Eighner attains an informative tone through his own experience and through his words. Many people throw food away because they feel that it’s no longer
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important. In the article, “They tend to throw everything out at the end of the semester, before and after breaks, and around midterms”(Paragraph 21, Eighner). Eighner argues that this was his whole meal and this how he was able to survive. The understatement is that people have become so wasteful that dumpster divers are getting fed. You can see how people downplay the importance of good food. Eighner, the scavenger, was able to survive from all the grub that was wasted.This is good information to have because people now know that food can be taken home from college or at least not waste it. Likewise, [Eighner was a dumpster diver, so he saw many things go to waste and he was able to make money off of it.] He states, “Boom boxes, candles, bedding, toilet paper, a virgin male sex doll, medicine, books, a typewriter, dishes, furnishing, and change, sometimes amounting to many dollars”(Paragraph 5, Eighner). Valuables are thrown away that can be made into money. Three things can be important to others: old books vases, and antique dishes. This is an understatement because people do not realize how these items can be exchanged for other goods. This revealing to people that do not throw away but sell it to someone who might actually want it. Correspondingly, Eighner uses pathos to disclose his topic on how people are wasteful.
Before even checking the food people throw it out and knowing that they can get more. Eighner emphasizes how wasteful students are when it comes to leaving for home.Eighner states, “ Students throw food away around breaks because they do not know whether it has spoiled or will spoil before they return”( Paragraph 22). These “rich kids” will get more if they want, so they throw it out. They do not worry too much about it and pathos fits in because you feel indifferent about it. It makes you feel woe because of the perfectly good food wasted. Of course when they waste food other scavengers are able to eat it and keep themselves fed. Eighner explains, “I tend to gain weight when I am scavenging” (paragraph 39). Now you would think he is all skinny and boney, but with all the food we waste he gets fat. This issue engenders pathos because of the disbelief of him gaining weight. What readers can infer is that in order for him to gain weight people must be throwing good grub away. Food is thrown away and people do not understand that someone else is starving and would eat anything to be
full. In conclusion, Humans are ridiculously wasteful in our society and this informative tone emphasizes this argument. Eighner was cogent with his examples and should be taken into consideration. Do not waste food because somewhere else in the world someone would gladly eat it and not take a disadvantage of it. Understand that valuable things are worth more than being thrown away because you got bored of it. Mostly be considerate of what you are going to waste.The purpose was to inform you of what kind of people are in society and that it should be changed.
Eighner writes, “Long before I began Dumpster diving I was impressed with Dumpsters, enough so that I wrote the Merriam research service to discover what I could about the world “Dumpster”. I learned from them that “Dumpster” is a proprietary word belonging to the Dempsey Dumpster company.” He was so fascinated with Dumpsters, that he learned the definition, which is a fact. A definition can be adjusted; however, it is not completely revised. Definitions are definite. Eighner states, “Eating from the Dumpsters involves three principles: using the senses and common sense to evaluate the condition of the found materials, knowing the Dumpsters of a given area and checking them regularly, and seeking always to answer the question, ‘Why was this discarded?’” He uses his senses to analyze the condition of the things he finds logically. Dumpster diving requires the ability to critically think about what can and can not be eaten. Eighner writes, “Although very rare with modern canning methods, botulism is a possibility. But botulism is almost certainly fatal and often the first symptom is death.” He uses knowledge to understand what the expectations of some foods, especially canned foods, should be. While Eighner uses all three persuasive appeals in his writing, ethos is the most
Although Eighner reveals that his chosen lifestyle was to live on another's refuge, he kept in accordance with his acts of superiority and snobbishness by excluding himself from the term "Dumpster Diving." Instead, he preferred to be called a "scavenger because of its frankness in the term." (Eighner, 1993). Furthermore, Eighner, explains that there are rules to abide by when successfully "scavenging" through dumpsters, "using the senses…knowing the dumpsters of a given area…. [and] Why was this discarded?" It is the explanation of the three guidelines Eighner asserts to be superior to 'can scroungers' (Homeless people who rummage through the dumpsters for money). The author further elaborates his snobbishness by revealing that he has tried the heinous lifestyle of "can scroungers," and deduced that only a few dollars could be obtained. Moreover, Eighner states, "one can extract the necessities of life from the dumpsters directly with far less effort than would be required to accumulate the equivalent of cans." (Eighner, 1993). The author stereoty...
The author, Lars Eighner explains in his informative narrative, “On Dumpster Diving” the lifestyle of living out of a dumpster. Eighner describes the necessary steps to effectively scavenge through dumpsters based on his own anecdotes as he began dumpster diving a year before he became homeless. The lessons he learned from being a dumpster diver was in being complacent to only grab what he needs and not what he wants, because in the end all those things will go to waste. Eighner shares his ideas mainly towards two direct audiences. One of them is directed to people who are dumpster divers themselves, and the other, to individuals who are unaware of how much trash we throw away and waste. However, the author does more than direct how much trash
Didion and Eighner have different styles of writing, but they both created writings with an instructional component. In both pieces of literature, they guide the audience like a mother to child, guiding us step by step in order to perfect the outcome. Joan Didion’s “On Keeping a Notebook” teaches the reader on how to keep note of the past through a notebook. “On Dumpster Diving” written by Lars Eighner, teaches the reader how to successfully dumpster dive and survive. However, Eighner’s piece included many details, whereas Didion’s ideas used examples by flowing from one top to another. It could also be said that Lars Eighner’s piece creates a more thorough analysis on how to dumpster dive. In spite of the fact that the pieces of literature
Homelessness is increasing every year and effecting Americans of different age, ethnicity and religion. In Lars Eighner “On Dumpster Diving” he explains what he went through while being homeless. He describes how and what foods someone should be looking for and to always be conscious of what one is eating because there is always a reason why something has been thrown out. He continues to go into detail about other items that can be found in the dumpster like sheets to sleep on and pieces of paper to write on. Things that can keep him busy through the day. Eighner carefully explains to his readers how being a dumpster diver has become a life style for the homeless and this is how they survive. It’s a way of living and they are comfortable doing it. “I began dumpster diving about a year before I became homeless” (Eighner 713). He tries to bring us into the world of being homeless. It is hard to imagine what it would be like in that situation, and how could surviving as a dumpster diver be a way of survival? As a dumpster diver, Eighner is able to tell us what is ok to eat and have and what is not ok for your health. His essay starts by uttering some guidelines of what is and is not safe to eat. “Eating safely from the dumpsters involves three principles: using common sense for evaluating the food, knowing the dumpsters of the given areas and always ask, “Why was this discarded?” (Eighner 714).
A) Lars Eighner, in “On Dumpster Diving”, portrays the waste that is accumulated due to modern consumerism and materialism. He also demonstrates the issue of the wage gap. Consumers of the modern age spend too much and therefore waste too much. In the essay, Eighner describes life as an scavenger and demonstrates how people are able to live by the minimal resources. “Scavengers” are able to survive on the waste of the consumer. Eighner presents this scenario as a contrast to the life of a modern consumer, in order to portray it’s unnecessary wastefulness. Mainly, food seems to be taken lightly by society, as Eighner as a scavenger finds “a half jar of peanut butter”,
I agree with his assessment about society’s throw away mentality due to the fact that I have seen it myself first hand. Recently I helped my sister move out of her dorm room at NAU and I was horrified to see all the things and edible food she was just dumping and what was worse, she wasn’t the only one. All of the kids were getting rid of perfectly good items in the dumpster, so it’s no wonder that dumpsters near college campuses are one of Eighner’s favorite places to scavenge. In his article on page 3, Eighner elaborates on student’s wasteful habits, “but in the case of discards from student apartments, the answer may be that the item was discarded through carelessness, ignorance or wastefulness.” I believe agree with Eighner that some people have a pack rat mentality while others just throw it away. My parents are a good example of this and I think it has something to do with the way that they were raised. My mom is a pack rat, holding on to everything as long as possible and giving away to charity what she doesn’t want anymore. She squeezes every last drop out of a toothpaste tube or a shampoo bottle, while my dad will throw it away half empty. My mom was raised in a single parent household, where money was tight and you used what you had… my dad however, was raised in a more affluent home and money flowed more freely. In fact, my mom does her own dumpster diving fairly regularly in our garbage can by rescuing stuff out of the garbage that my dad has thrown away, including belts, pants, shirts and hardly worn tennis shoes. She doesn’t keep the goods, but instead gives it to Goodwill or the church clothing drive. My dad is her antithesis and is definitely part of the throw-away society. My dad has little sentiment attached to stuff and like Eichner mentioned on page 6, “knows there is plenty more where what we came from.” After reflecting on
Ever found something in the trash and taken it home? While many partake in dumpster diving leisurely, there are a special few who get everything they need from garbage: clothes, electronics, and even food. "Cultivate poverty... like a garden herb. Don't trouble yourself to get new things whether clothes or friends," (Thoreau, Generation 25). This brilliant quote relates very closely to the freeganism movement which fights wastefulness in our consumerist society.
In Wendell Berry’s “The Pleasures of Eating,” this farmer tells eaters how their separation from food production has turned them into “passive consumers” who know nothing about the food they eat, or their part in the agricultural process (3). They are blindsided by a food industry that does not help them understand. Berry argues that the average consumer buys available food without any questions. He states consumers that think they are distanced from agriculture because they can easily buy food, making them ignorant of cruel conditions it went through to get on the shelf. Humans have become controlled by the food industry, and regard eating as just something required for their survival. Berry wants this to change as people realize they should get an enjoyment from eating that can only come from becoming responsible for their food choices and learning more about what they eat. While describing the average consumer’s ignorance and the food industry’s deceit, he effectively uses appeals to emotion, logic, and values to persuade people to take charge, and change how they think about eating.
It is expressed throughout the video that the concept of food becoming a comfort for an individual undergoing mental stress or trauma is something that could have a major effect on the mental and physical health of this specific kind of person. What resonated most with me while watching this video is the importance of how abuse, trauma or neglect can place so much strain on an individual throughout their life, and how one’s coping mechanisms may be affected by this. Using food as a comfort source is something that is displayed in everyday life; for example the concept of comfort food, midnight snack, or soul food. Throughout the video Binge Eating Addiction it is shown that every time the individual felt down about himself the only way he could pick himself back up mentally was by eating mass amounts of food in a short period of time. It really interested me that this individual talked about how his past trauma and neglect as a child made him presently turn to food as comfort for his
Lars Eighner’s essay, On Dumpster Diving exhibits his profound experience of Dumpster diving as a basis of survival of modern society during his period of being homeless. Additionally, he provides an ethical perspective of people about the items that are necessary to reflect upon. Considering this, it proves his credibility of his ideas implemented into his story through differences of materialism and wealth.
“Don’t Blame the Eater” is an article by David Zinczenko that explains to Americans, specifically overweight young Americans, about the risks eating at fast food restaurants and its cause of affecting one’s health. In his article, he tries to address the issue about America’s food industries by using literal devices such as tone, logos, ethos, diction, and organization in order to spread his message. He begins his article by addressing the topic and as he continues writing, he supports his topic by writing about personal experience and moves onto the reasons why his topic in a serious issue. Although he shows an overall clear progress, he does tend to have a few problems with his writing that could be improved.
Whether one calls it dumpster diving or scavenging, I agree to teach the people of today how to use every possible thing to keep Earth beautiful, just as the creator of Diving! Jeremy Seifert, the creator of Diving! The author of Lars Eighter, wrote a book called On Dumpster Diving, where he stresses
Researcher Eliana Dockterman reveals that the increase of food waste is due to the overproduction of produce by farmers, the rejection of blemished goods by distributors, overstocked grocery store shelves, and consumers not knowing how to properly plan meals and store food ( ¶3). In more recent studies it is recorded that nearly “1 in 7 truckloads of perishable goods delivered to supermarkets get thrown away, amounting to nearly 34 million tons of food a year” (Dockterman ¶ 8). But why has it become easy for Americans to simply toss out edible food? The answer is America's next generation has not been taught the value of food. Americans do not regard the cost of throwing away twenty cent apples because it’s one apple. But if each American throwing away one apple has a wasteful mentality, landfills will be filled with perfectly edible produce. This example of waste demonstrates, author Sharon Palmer’s theory regarding the increased amount of food waste by 50% since 1974 ( ¶2,3). However, consumers are not the only ones wasting food on their end of the spectrum. Food is over produced at all aspects of the food chain. When food is allowed to spoil in fields, markets and refrigerators, Americans are simply tossing produce into the garbage. (Palmer ¶6). But how would it make consumers feel knowing when they toss produce into the garbage they are throwing away their
A variety of reasons people choose to participate in the freegan lifestyle are more diverse than one would think. Uninformed bystanders may initially imagine the homeless scavenging bins to survive, but many members of the subculture dumpster dive with economic, political and environmental condition in mind. The primary purpose for most is to positively impact the environment by minimizing the amount of wasted food (Kurutz 3). By some, this act could be viewed as a symbolic, political act against capitalist overproduction and waste. Acquiring food from dumpsters can be for both individual consumption and the benefit of the surrounding community....