An Analysis Of David Wallace's 'Consider The Lobster'

Wallace equips sarcasm to his portrayal of lobster boiling to further convince his readers of their corrupt eating habits. An example of this device is when Wallace satirically explores whether “lobsters are more like those frontal-lobotomy patients one reads about who report experiencing pain in a totally different way than you and I.” (Wallace 63) In this context, the writer challenges those who say that lobsters don’t feel the pain when they are boiled. Wallace argues that the damage is still taking place, regardless of whether or not lobsters feel it. His sarcasm not only makes the article comical, but he illustrates the counterargument through this satirical way.

Although many people find this practice unproblematic simply believing that lobsters cannot feel pain. This practice causes Wallace to go into observation and research about the life of a lobster and if they can feel pain or not while being boiled alive. Moreover, this observation leads Wallace to question our justifications for eating lobsters, and indeed our eating of animals’ altogether. Furthermore, within the article, Wallace speaks on intricate ideas of pain and morality and human acceptance of animal cruelty. In my perception, Wallace uses the two strategies of ethos and logos to make his argument that killing animals alive such as lobster is wrong and unethical strong and appealing to his audience.

His findings on how a lobster can sense the changes in temperature of water by even just a few degrees clearly refute the prior claims that lobsters have no brain, or feel any pain. Pathos, our appeal to emotion is analogized very well when he describes the lobster clawing to the edge of the pot and compares it to much like a human, hanging onto the edge of a roof for dear life. An exceptional job is done by the writer in humanizing the lobster and getting the reader on his side. There is a great appeal to the morality behind boiling the lobster and Wallace relates to the reader himself by professing how uneasy he is with the idea of animal cruelty and how he and no one else likes to think about it. This is a sentiment most people can very easily associate with, this underlying thought that most of us enjoy consuming meat, but also have a liberal attitude regarding animal cruelty.

Most people don't know that eating food releases a sensation in the brain, and thats why people are so quick to fall in love with food. A food that has consistently wowed people with its delicate taste is the Maine lobster. Although many people enjoy it as a meal it has continued to cause controversy because of its inhumane way of being cooked. In 2004 David Foster Wallace argued that those who eat lobster overlook that it is a living creature “Consider the Lobster”. Throughout the article Wallace used rhetorical techniques to argue his point.

To begin, Fridman starts his argument by stating how wrong it is that our society looks down upon intellectuals. Fridman conveys this idea when he explains that the people who want to learn are named “nerds” and “geeks” (1). Fridman also uses imagery to further expand the stereotype of being a geek by revealing that the actual meaning of a geek “is a street performer who shocks the public by biting off the heads of live chickens” (2). Fridman’s use of the words “shocks” and “biting off” show that a geek is clearly not a normal person, but rather someone bizarre (2). The use of these words also adds emphasis to the fact that people who are smart are considered someone who is extremely peculiar.

The Ancient Greek practice of “xenia” is highly valued, and in Homer’s The Odyssey the practice of “xenia” is vital to receive good one’s fate. For example, the cyclops, Polyphemus, does not value “xenia”, so instead of welcoming Odysseus and his crew, the monster decides to eat the men. As a consequence, he lost his sight, which was primarily from Polyphemus 's blatant disregard for the Ancient Greek practice. His fate could have easily been avoided if he had not eaten his visitors.

“It is a sin to write this,” begins Anthem, and the digression of the society around him slowly falls. The argument asks if I reason about the Equality’s sins being evil or marvelous. The outtake of his decision decides his fate on the community around him, lifeless slaves being controlled by the government. So, I believe his sins are for the greater good. It shows that he is not a enslaved monkey in a science lab, but the arrogant monkey who refuses to do the tests.

The monster explains that he has worked hard to try to break the communication barrier with humans. He attains social skills that are similar to those of his human counterparts and is able to adequately communicate when speaking to a blind man, however, when the monster communicates with people that are not blind, they can only see his flaws in his appearance and are afraid of this monster. The monster is unable to conform to society and is prevented from being accepted by his peers. Conversely, Eliza is able to conform to society and is accepted by most of her peers: “I shall always be a flower girl to Professor Higgins, because he always

In David Foster Wallace’s article “Consider the Lobster,” he describes the harsh reality of lobster eating. At the site of the World’s Largest Lobster Cooker at the Maine Lobster Festival, Wallace describes in detail the brutal treatment of lobsters in order for people to seek pleasure in their appetite. Wallace’s argument is that it is not right to “boil a sentient creature alive just for our gustatory pleasure” (700-701). He thoroughly describes the process in which lobsters are boiled alive in order to support his argument that because lobsters have feelings too, we should not boil sentient creatures alive for our pleasure. Wallace’s argument complicates Nijhuis’ view on nature because Nijhuis makes the point that people should essentially

He also distances himself from an argument by presenting factual information, but reiterating his position as an observer rather than an expert. Throughout the essay, Wallace keeps himself at the forefront of of the argument; he uses names like “your correspondant” to emphasize his position as the eyes and ears of the reader- creating a relationship between the author and audience. “For 56 year the Maine Lobster Festival has been drawing crowds with the promise of sun, fun, and fine food. One visitor would argue that the celebration involves a whole lot more.” David Foster Wallace places himself in the essay before it even begins.

“What he came for, specifically is to snatch sergei’s fish, to steal it away . Before the mind of Sergei Goralick really understands what it is his body has done, he seems to have taken the burner off of the stove and hit the boy in the head.” () This statement alludes to us that he is not a patient person. He judges automatically thinking that he knows what he is gonna do but in that case, he is incorrect.

A variety of factors affected the widespread adoption of V-notching. V-notching is inherently a collective action dilemma, as was briefly described when discussing lobster as a CPR, one that can be modeled by the prisoner’s dilemma game. Lobstermen that do not take the time to V-notch lobster still benefit from the protected breeders that result from others V-notching lobster. However, if every individual assumes that other lobstermen are V-notching, then the protective qualities of the norm will diminish as adherence to it drops off. In this case, the opposite occurred.

“The Moral Crusade Against Foodies,” an article where Myers spends his time pontificating a handful of elitist foodies has grabbed the attention of many. Myers has managed to make a lot of enemies with this piece, one being Ethan Kahn, a Washington Post reporter who decided to fight back in his article titled “A Response to B.R. Myers.” He attempts to expose the many weak aspects of Myers argument, giving us a new perspective of the article as a whole. For the first half of Kahn’s article he discusses that Myers fails to address any positive impacts of foodie culture.

This is reinforced by the rhetorical question that serves to convince Walton that the Monster hated having to turn to violence. In both situations, a friendly and accepting hand could have led both monsters to happiness and kindness, but the lack thereof sparked the violence. Grendel and the Monster from their respective works, Gardner’s Grendel and Shelley’s Frankenstein, find themselves with no companionship, nobody to share in their joys or sorrows, which leads to violence being taken out on those who rejected them; if those victims had initially accepted and loved Grendel and the Monster, this would not have

Understanding the biology of lobster is imperative to ensuring that the resource is being managed appropriately, and it provides context for the v-notch measure. American lobster (Homarus americanus) live on rocky sea bottom cover, and range across the eastern seaboard from the Maritime Provinces of Canada to the Mid-Atlantic United States. In the United States, Maine’s lobster fishery is by far the most prevalent. Lobster fishing in Maine occurs year round – lobster are often found offshore in the colder months and closer to shore during the warmer summer months. Lobsters are long-lived crustaceans.