Rhetorical Analysis Of The Hungry Planet

Another element that is crucial to understand the photo of the Cabañas family is focal point. The amount of food that is presented for one week might not look like it’s enough to feed eight individuals, five of them being grown adults, for that period of time. Some of the other pictures presented throughout the “Hungry Planet”, has just as much if not more food than the Cabañas family, but is only having to feed 4-5 people. This does not mean that their family is doing something wrong, but it is evident that the economy and opportunity throughout the world is diverse one from another, and that each family is only striving to simply support their family in each unique way they find fit. D’aluisio says, “Inside the Cabañas’ home, although a giant

step and a half will get you from one side of the living room to the other, everything is orderly and clean, if threadbare” (D’aluisio 236). There is nothing spectacular or eye-catching on the walls inside their home, which means one can assume they are not splurging on items they do not absolutely need. Clothing, food, water, and shelter are the main priorities that are dealt with before anything else is even considered because their family is not as fortunate when is comes to money, but they are favored enough to keep their morale up from a strong and loving family.
A third visual element that is clear in the photo is the family’s proximity and grouping. It sometimes appears that a family’s closeness to each other can be identified by literally noticing how they act around each other. Independence of one another would be evident if each family member were separated out of habit perhaps, but the Cabañas family shows a love for one another by their togetherness in the picture. “We have a very humble home,” says Lita, “but we are proud to say that it is filled with love and respect. We try to bring up our children in the best way possible” (D’aluisio 240). The kids have obviously learned from the example of their parents to be respectful and to appreciate what they have been given. Their family looks like they do not take things for granted and have learned to be grateful for what they have.
Pictures are a great way to show emotion and feeling without verbally explaining the photo. The “Hungry Planet” picture of the Cabañas family expresses the rhetorical appeal of pathos. At a first glance of their family, one might notice the amount of food does not sufficiently meet the needs for the amount of people in these two families. One might feel empathy for these families because struggling through life financially is a universal problem. A family that has eight kids to provide for encounter different struggles than families that only have two children. People who have nice decorations and expensive material items would not be able to connect with these people from the Philippines as effectively as a family that barely has enough money to buy sufficient amounts of food and other bare necessities. It is easier to relate to someone if similar experiences and struggles have been made to connect in a personal way.
Logos is another rhetorical appeal that is shown in the picture of their family.

Every item of food that is portrayed in the picture, with the exception of the raw chicken can be preserved through the week without needing a refrigerator. Under the picture D’aluisio says, “Food preservation: none” (D’aluisio 234). They most likely bought the chicken for the sole purpose of the picture and ate it that same day because it would not make it through the night. The powdered milk, dry fish, rice, crackers, noodles, and bread along with other items of food they have can all be salvaged at room temperature. Any meats that are purchased need to be eaten on the same day which means this family is shopping on a weekly as well as a daily basis depending on their meals. There is still a little flaw in the way they have to plan their meals because although most of their food will be good without refrigeration, it still means they must consume most of the food within that week. People with refrigeration are able to preserve their food for much longer especially if there is a freezer. Their families “Food Expenditure for One Week: 2,629.50 pesos/$49.42” (D’aluisio 235) is much less than the average American family. In 2013, Nanci Hellmich said in an article, “The cost of feeding a family of four a healthy diet can run $146 to $289 a week” (Hellmich Cost of feeding a family of four: $146 to $289 a week). The Cabañas family has many more mouths to feed with a much lower budget but are still able to make a good life from their hard work and

perseverance.
The Cabañas family has shown the rest of the world what their daily week looks like in the Philippines. Color aesthetic to bring color into their life. Proximity and grouping to show their love and appreciation for each other. Their family picture focuses on the fact that they may not have everything but they have enough. Pathos and logos to show empathy as well as a look into their challenging lifestyle. This family has proven to the world that material possession is not required to obtain happiness. In a way having less is more, at least to this family. Having a true purpose in life with true friends and family is what makes the world go round for the Cabañas family.