Eric Schlosser's 2001 book, Fast Food Nation, aims to look at the developments of the fast food industry in America and how it has shaped the structure and ideals of the nation. Existing within that nation is the public-school system, and as an institution that is instrumental in educating the masses on societal ideals, it would seem necessary for Schlosser to address the impact of this new McDonaldized nation on the education system as a whole. While Schlosser may not explicitly comment on the role and function of public schools, his analysis of the fast food nation does address several key effects that the fast food nation has had within schools, such as corporate sponsorship, advertisements, and teenage workforces. These key effects can …show more content…
Not only does having sponsored school materials influence kids to like and buy certain products, as products and companies become more familiar, curriculum too conforms more to that familiarity, this being the fast food nation. In Savage Inequalities, Jonathan Kozol notes that a Home-Ec teacher gears her " Advanced Home EC" curriculum towards "job instruction" but only for "Fast food places – Burger King. McDonalds" (Kozol 27). Firstly, this suggests an infiltration of societies ideals into the actual structure of the curriculum: going back to Bowles and Gintis, what is taught revolves around the economic need for certain jobs. Secondly, and most importantly, her Home-Ec class was specifically noted to be within a low-income area and it is implied that she teaches a track to the fast food industry because that is where students will end up. In combining Schlosser's ideas in Fast Food Nation with the real-world appearance of a fast food driven curriculum in Savage Inequalities, it is clear to see the impact of McDonaldization within the structures of school curricula, and a perpetuation of class disparities within those schools, supplied by the ideals of the fast food
Eric Schlosser's purpose in writing Fast Food Nation is to inform the American readers that they personally withhold the power to change solve the nation's fast food crisis. Schlosser exerts and Authoritative tone in his passage, "how to do it, which guarantees the reader that demanding the fast food industry to change will yield amazing results. The authoritative tone embodies the reader with a sense of reassurance and safety. Schlosser wants the reader to know that, "Even the anticipation of consumer anger has prompted McDonald's to demand changes from its suppliers" in the past (269). The reader is provided facts that make them believe that they have leverage over the industry.
Throughout part I of Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser writes about the ins and outs of the fast food industry. From the founding fathers to the dirty little secrets that fast food corporations would never want us to know, he reveals it all. As corporations look for every opportunity to cut costs and increase profits, we start to reexamine what type of behavior governs businesses in America. As the days of traditional ‘sit down restaurants’ dominating the market quickly disappeared, large corporations are making use of new machinery and money saving business strategies. The drawback to these business tactics is that the burden lies on another individual.
Since the conclusion of World War II, the fast food industry’s place in America and its economy has rapidly grown. The industry grew along with the automobile industry, which allowed customers easier access to the food establishments. Throughout the book, Schlosser mainly focuses on McDonald’s since he credits it with inspiring many of today’s popular fast food chains. Schlosser retells McDonald’s rise to popularity, but also the dark side of its
A Rhetorical Analysis of “Don’t Blame the Eater” by David Zinczenko Sara, a single mother of two kids, is driving home from a grueling day of work. She’s worked overtime all week and has some tightness in her back. Upon looking at the clock on the dashboard of her 1996 Volkswagen, she realizes that it is way too late to go home and cook a nice dinner for her two children. She turns into the nearest McDonalds, orders some chicken nuggets, and brings dinner home. Can you blame a mother who just wanted her kids to eat?
Most of the devices used are intended to highlight the negativity and brutality imposed on both the consumers and workers involved in fast food industries. Schlosser begins the book by building up his credibility through his knowledge of several fast food chain’s humble beginnings in pursuit of the American dream. Schlosser then eases his way into the conniving manner in which fast food industries have infiltrated almost every American household and deceive their consumers. The use of rhetorical devices such as ethos, pathos, logos, repetition and parallel structures in Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal fulfill his intentions of relaying the demonizing message that fast food chains are unhealthy, stimulate unfit working conditions, and monopolize on the vulnerability of America’s young people and fast-paced
Food has become part of our social status. Those who have money get to enjoy healthy organic options, while those who live on food stamps and low incomes get sugary packaged foods that are harmful to the boy. In “What Food says about Class in America,” Lisa Miller, a healthy food enthusiast and a bystander to the food problem, effectively captures the American people’s attention through descriptive imagery, alluring metaphors, and academic diction, but contradicts herself and fails to convince her target audience of the food corporations that a change is needed. Opening her article, Miller describes her family’s breakfast habits to relate herself to the people. She begins the article by saying, “I usually have a cappuccino mixed with organic
Most people in this world have, at least one point in their lives, dreamt of having a perfect family, a nice house, a good healthcare plan, an affordable car and the list can go on forever. Imagine a situation where all these desires and hopes of have an enjoyable lifestyle are suddenly taken away from you. Think about a circumstance where you return home to your wife and children and realize that you don’t have enough money to even provide them with basic necessities. According to Eric Schlosser’s, Fast Food Nation, the majority of fast- food industry workers lead poor lifestyles and are financially unstable because they do not receive adequate compensation for their work and do not have a chance to improve the situation due to the power
The article “The Real Problem With Lunch” written by Bettina Elias Siegel is about the everlasting struggle of replacing unhealthy American public school lunches with better alternatives. She’s reaching out to parents, students, school representatives, and other influential people to change how American society views junk food, in hope that it will affect choices children make about lunches at school. How convincing is Siegel’s argument overall? Although she doesn’t fully address the strides made already by public schools to better their lunches, she strategically balances her use of argumentative tools: pathos, ethos, and logos. She uses statistics, facts, and empathy to urge her point of bettering lunches for children.
Schlosser uses interesting diction and word choice to make it known to the reader the severity of the spread of fast food. He makes it sound like the restaurants are a bunch of enemies that have invaded and are preparing to attack “infiltrated every nook and cranny..." Schlosser used diction to emphasize his main
Chapter 7 of Fast Food Nation discussed the starting of meatpacking industry and its downfalls. At first, Iowa Beef Packers (IBP) used the same principle as McDonald’s principle to make fast foods. IBP hired unskilled workers just to do simple and repeated work all day. However, competition with other companies made IBP low wages and health insurance options. This caused slaughterhouses to move West to gain cheap labor and land.
Schlosser provides a good argument with personal anecdotes and statistics that serve as solid support for his argument. However, his political bias against large corporations has overshadowed the benefits that these fast food industries actually give. In his book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser fails to convince the readers of the perils of the fast food industry by disregarding the pros of the industry and manipulating the reader's emotions. First,
On January 17th, 2001, Eric Schlosser presented all sides of the all- American meal in an investigative novel that examines the local and global influences of the United States fast food industry. Read the section thoroughly. Then in a well- developed essay, analyze the rhetorical strategies Schlosser uses to convey his message. As American citizens we are all guaranteed the same rights regardless of race, religion, sex, etc.
On January 17, 2001 Eric Schlosser, a contributing editor at the Atlantic Monthly and author of Reefer Madness, depicts “The Dark side of the All-American Meal” in his novel Fast Food Nation, one of TIME’s 100 best nonfiction books. In the novel, Schlosser employs many different rhetorical strategies throughout the chapters to inform and convince his audience of the scandalous nature of the fast food industry. Schlosser describes the unseen truths of industry in order to dissuade not only the American public, but all supporters of fast food. He writes to all members of society who eat fast food, so that he can alert them of what is happening beneath the surface of one of America’s most profitable and private industry’s. Chapter five is divided
To begin, enjoying a meal from McDonald’s is the symbol of American culture. The fast food industry was one other major forces to shape modern life in the U.S. When asked to think of a word to describe America, majority of citizens as well as immigrants would say the “fast food”. For example,in 2001 a rebel group led by Jose Bove decided to protest the restrictions on trade set by Unites States in France and as a form of protest they destroyed a symbol of United States, a local McDonald 's, which demonstrates that McDonald 's is a representation of American culture and thus eating at this establishment is seen as an American tradition as well as the most American action a tennager can perfrm.
“Don’t Blame the Eater”, written by David Zinczenko, is a short article discussing how fast food is the main cause of childhood obesity. This article came about in relations to two kids filing a lawsuit against McDonalds for making them fat. He begins his piece by sympathizing with these individuals because he used to be like them. Zinczenko then informs the reader of his background and how he fell into the category of being dependent upon quick and easy meals. In an attempt to provide a valid argument, he debates on how kids raise themselves while their parents are at work and that the nutritional values are not labeled upon prepared foods.