Analysis Of David Foster Wallace's Essay 'Consider The Lobster'

In this paper, I will focus on Bonnie Steinbock’s claim on whether or not we should give equal moral consideration to species outside our own species group. I will first determine what moral concern means, according to Peter singer, and explain how he views the human treatment of animals. I will then outline Steinbock’s argument against Singer’s position and explain how her criticism is part of a much broader issue: that is moral concern. I will finally make my argument against Steinbock as well as address any issues she could possibly raise against my argument.

Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, is an activist who is a big part of the food movement and who has studied under Michael Pollen, author of Omnivores Dilemma. Originally from Seattle, she relocated to Oakland not only for its better climate for farming, but what she wanted most was to have the best of both worlds, to be able to go to bars and shows while being one with nature without feeling isolated. At the beginning she was a squatter, receiving permission from the landowner to start a local garden in the middle of the ‘ghettos’ where crime rates and poverty were a major issue. Carpenter saw an amazing opportunity to use the empty parking lot to produce something for the community and by starting with

“Consider the Lobster,” by David Foster Wallace, published in the August 2004 edition of Gourmet Magazine explores the morality of the consumption of lobsters through the analysis of the Maine Lobster Festival. Foster Wallace guides his readers through his exploration of the festival and general circumstances of lobster eating before evoking a sense of obligation to the creature’s well being. His gentle slide into the ‘big picture’ through his causal argument wades readers into the depths of his thoughts through the power of storytelling until they are left with no choice but to engage with their own perception of the act with skepticism. Ultimately, the passage commands readers to reexamine their own consumption of lobsters regardless of

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. He continues to test our ethical threshold by describing how they are bound and tied up, almost like a prisoner we are holding captive, only to be released into rapidly boiling water for 35 to 45 seconds before it happily welcomes death. The

We are all familiar with the notion of “pleasure.” Simple pleasures are ever-present in our lives but complex, extended pleasures are fulfilling yet fleeting. They bring about intense experiences to gratify our desires, although they are not a necessity, in the same way slaughtering and plating an overhunted species is not absolutely imperative. However, despite my own belief that an endangered species is not to be poached upon, I commend Liz Alderman for completing “Chefs Fight for Songbird” in a way in which she successfully set key points from both sides of the arguments while also discreetly and strategically establishing and backing her own position in the feud. For those completely unfamiliar with the topic, Alderman might be able to

David Foster Wallace’s commencement speech “This is Water” at Kenyon College is often thought of as one of the most influential speeches because it calls the graduates to observe the world around them through a different lens. However, he does not accomplish that by calling the graduates to action, but instead challenges them to use their education. He also appeals to the students’ emotions through his use of ethos, logos, and pathos. Although people mostly only remember the antidotes, it is the message associated with reoccurring emotions and literary devices throughout the speech that moves the reader into action. Wallace is able to captivate his audience and persuade them to view the world without themselves at the center through his tactful use of rhetoric. He encourages them to first find who they are and what they stand for, to then effectively determine

Victor Frankenstein is selfish. The novel portrays Victor as a selfish character who is only concerned about his own well-being. Frankenstein wanted to manipulate the power of life. He abandons his creation because of the creature’s appearance and also withholds information or lies about his creation. Due to Victor 's selfishness, readers feel sorry for his creation.

The lobster is a disgustingly beautiful creature, known for its delicate taste, menacing shell and controversy. In his essay, “Consider the Lobster”, David Foster Wallace describes the events and festivities of the Maine Lobster Festival and the history of the lobster to deliver a poignant message about the moral implications of killing and eating animals. Wallace is able to develop his position and vividly capture the audience’s attention through a strong use of humor, deliberate tonal shifts and a unique structure.

According to Elizabeth Harman, an action that kills an animal even painlessly, is an action that harms the animal. If we indeed have strong moral reasons against causing pain to animals, Harman argues we must also have strong moral reasons against killing animals. This raises an objection to the Surprising Claim, which states that we have strong reasons against causing intense pain to animals, but only weak reasons against killing animals.

The consumption of animal meat is highly accepted in today’s society, however, the methods, in which the animals are killed are sometimes questioned for their cruelty. David Wallace, in considering the Lobster, takes the readers to the Maine Lobster Festival, where the consumption of lobsters is exploited, and the festival's attendees celebrate these acts. However, the essay goes furthermore than narrating the lobster’s festival, because through sensory details, and different techniques, he makes the readers question society’s morality. By stressing the cruelty it takes boiling lobsters alive, Wallace is capable of creating a sense of awareness in society decisions that demonstrate their corrupted morality, and how it affects directly others (like lobsters)

David Foster Wallace Published "Consider the Lobster" for the first time in Gourmet Magazine 2004. The Gourmet magazine itself

Biologist, Rachel Carson, in her book Silent Springs discusses a growing issue of uneducated individuals harming and even killing various animals. Carson’s purpose is to convey the idea that individuals need to educate themselves before making rash decisions that can affect countless other species. She employs oblivious diction in order to appeal similar feelings and opinions in her environmentalist readers.

It should be established before anything else that the author I have chosen, Kurt Vonnegut, was heavily influenced by World War II. The idea of war, along with its devastating effects, gave Vonnegut a rather cynical and twisted view on human nature. This perspective bleeds over onto his writing and can be seen in many of his major and minor works, including one of his most impactful, “Slaughterhouse 5,” in which he uses time travel, alien planets, and other farfetched ideas to describe the physical and emotional consequences of violent acts.

Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals is a book about persuasion. Foer seeks to convince his readers to take any step in reducing what he believes is the injustice of harming animals. To achieve this, Foer employs many persuasion techniques and often changes his approach when he targets specific groups. His strategies include establishing himself as an ethical authority and appealing to his readers’ emotions, morals, and reason.