Summary Of On Dumpster Diving

In the book, Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich leaves behind her lifestyle as a journalist for one of a low-wage worker. As we follow Ehrenreich on her journey, we are exposed to the struggles the working poor have to face as Ehrenreich attempts to survive on a minimum wage pay. In hopes of changing the way readers perceive its working poor, Ehrenreich uses rhetorical strategies conveyed throughout the book, in particular, ethos, logos, and pathos.

In Lars Eighner’s short essay “On Dumpster Diving”, he describes his experience of being homeless and the art of dumpster driving. Eighner prefers being referred to as a scavenger rather than a dumpster driver. Eighner stated “I like the frankness of the word scavenging. I live from refuse of others. I am a scavenger.” (383) He describes scavenging as a full time job, that requires a lot of effort. He believes that if one follows certain guidelines and rules, with doing so this could possibly help one to become efficient. One rule is knowing good place and time to look for food and other items, that could be useful. Another rule is knowing how to eat safely from a dumpster . Eighner said

I will be addressing how Jeff Wilson took on an extreme project to enlighten people about what it without a doubt means to live deliberately. I will be explaining how Jeff Wilson took on this intense project that also had an environmental educational aspect to it as well. Another point of view on this outlandish project is that it progressively alters a dumpster in to something way more than a person would ever expect.

In today’s society, there is an abundance of waste. This is clear in observing how people live, we often throw out items because we want something better. Lars Eighner, author of "On Dumpster Diving," writes about his experiences being homeless and how he survived on the waste of others. This provides insight on how the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure," is true. Jeremy Seifert, who directed the documentary Dive!, also talks about how he survives off of other people's waste, but this was a decision he made. As they tell of their experiences, Seifert and Eighner both come to the conclusion that society is wasteful. While both individuals provided good information, I believe Seifert presented the better argument. Both of

Yesterday I threw out an old jar of peanut butter with only about an inch left. It no longer served a purpose, as I had purchased a new and improved jar. As I began to toss the jar towards the garbage, I was reminded of an essay I had just read. In his essay Dumpster Diving, Lars Eighner suggests that when we throw away items, homeless people can find a way to make use out of whatever it is. Therefore, if we don't want there to be bums on the street, it is inferred that we shouldn't throw anything extra out. I myself was not supporting the homeless community, or being wasteful, I was just trying to make room in the cabinet. If I would have kept that inch of peanut butter, it wouldn't have made the world's population of homeless people try

I wholeheartedly endorse what Cottom calls “The Logic of Stupid Poor People”, that poor people buy status symbols to survive in this world. She demonstrates that, as a middle class black girl, her family had a way of turning the tables in their favor in multiple aspects in order to supply their needs and wants. Poor people buy expensive items, sometimes depriving themselves of their other needs, just for the respect of others. These items are 21st-century status symbols, they can single-handedly determine the fate of your everyday encounters. The author uses personal experiences to support her argument, persuasively changing your entire perspective and broadening your mind to another individual’s lifestyle.

In the essay “On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner, Eighner talks about materialism and wealth. He explains his process of dumpster diving and the best places to go to dumpster dive. Eighner incorporates tone, detail, irony, observation, and ethos throughout his essay.

4. In paragraph 8, Eighner presents three principles one must follow to eat safely from a Dumpster; in paragraphs 59-60 he explains how to go through a Dumpster; and throughout the essay he includes many cautions and warnings. Clearly, he does not expect his audience to take up Dumpster diving. What, then, is his purpose in including such detailed explanations?

When telling the reader about the Box Man’s choice to be homeless, Ascher refers to an anecdote where the Box Man encounters the mayor of New York City, “Last winter, Mayor Koch tried, coaxing him with promises and the persuasive tones reserved for rabid dogs. The Box Man backed away, keeping a car and paranoia between them.” When describing this scene, Ascher makes the mayor sound condescending by using words like “coaxing” and comparing the way he speaks to the way one would speak to “rabid dogs”. The way that the mayor treats the Box Man makes the reader feel sympathy for the Box Man and the way homeless people are treated, and the readers feel guilt due to the way they might have treated homeless people like the Box Man. This advances Ascher’s argument and further persuades the reader to reflect on their own actions and thoughts towards the idea of homelessness. Another tool that Ascher uses to help argue that homeless deserve respect is precise diction.

It feels that Eighner’s is writing this and telling his story is to show what it is to live in poverty, and how it is to survive. This article is a narrative because he is telling his story of survival. It is a guide for anyone that becomes in need of survival and has no other option. He definitely wanted to show his struggle in everyday living and he stresses that people shouldn’t take things for granted such as going to the store and being able to buy food that is thrown out if not eaten. Rich or poor he is trying to make a point that what we throw away everyday helps the less fortunate even if we don’t realize it. It shows how we throw things out that someone else could use and really need. His audience is the general public. Eighner’s tone is very sarcastic in times and he seems to not take his situation seriously. Which is good cause even in that living situation he can still smile and be happy. Shows what kind of person he is. He tries to give a mental picture of how

Dumpster Diving is an essay written by Lars Eighner. The Texan and former homeless man who roamed the streets searching for food from unpleasant sites in order to help him survive the harsh times. His loss of income made him to get food from garbage sites, which he refers to as ‘Dumpster’ He wrote this essay to express his experience as a homeless and destitute person. The essay gives a detailed explanation of how people like him struggle to get food from dump sites and the dangers they face. Eighner used basic English to describe the process of scavenging and its consequences in the essay.

American authors Barbara Lazear Ascher and Lars Eighner reveal unique relationships between socioeconomic classes and lessons learned from adversity in “On Compassion” and “On Dumpster Diving.”

Chris shows his discontent for materialism as he reacts with futility and disgust when his father offers to buy him a new car. Chris exclaims that: “[This car] runs just fine!”, once again justifying his lack of care for materials. Holden similarly sees the human attachment for materialism in a comedic style when he observes his roommate’s actions as stated in this quotation: “The day after I put [my suitcase] under my bed, he took them out and put them back on the rack...he wanted people to think my bags were his” (Salinger, 108). What society fails to realize is that while materials might go away, wear out or disappear, happiness is something that will never expire. Thus in an attempt to show that materials are not advantageous to life, Chris and Holden abandon their homes and go on an adventure in search for something much greater; happiness.

This inequality emphasizes the notion that the individual’s worth is dependent on extrinsic factors. Furthermore, to Deckard, owning an animal is comparable to displaying a trophy in which he shelters his own pride and self-worth. For instance, when Deckard purchases the goat, he does so to “get [his] confidence, [his] faith in [him]self and [his] abilities, back” since owning an electric animal “sapped [his] morale” (Dick 170). Deckard’s perspective is similar to the mass consumerist behaviour present among Americans, wherein the act of consumption instills a sense of importance. Specifically, to Deckard, it is confidence, a faith in his abilities, and his morale. Dick uses Deckard’s pursuit of an animal and the mood organ to explore the commodification of human existence in a consumerist society. In doing so, Dick criticizes mass consumerism on the basis that it artificializes an individual’s

In the same vein, Holly and Joe’s existence and story told through Trash relegates them into the dual field of being both useless junky trash, and undeniably human and therefor indispensable. Trash presents the two characters as literal human trash, as they are considered disposable. Trash is filled with artifacts which exhibit an intrinsic value merely by existing, where the purpose that they serve may be reconfigured