Values and Fast Food Nation

             In Fast Food Nation: the Dark Side of the All-American Meal, Eric Schlosser presents quite startling information. His arguments are substantiated with more than adequate research and statistics, but the most compelling factor in his evidence is the frequent use of examples. By putting a "human-interest" factor in the book, Schlosser makes the reader understand his arguments. These examples are more than mere anecdotes used to catch the reader's attention. By putting a face on the issues presented in the book, Schlosser illustrates the values-and lack thereof-in American society. This paper will focus on the use of personal examples that Schlosser employs throughout the book by taking a look at how he uses these examples in each chapter to support his points.
             A compelling and frequent theme of the book is the idea of America's values. The recurrence of this theme should come as no surprise. Schlosser informs the reader in the Introduction of his intent: "This is a book about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made...I am interested in it both as a commodity and as a metaphor" (Schlosser, p. 3). In each chapter, these ideas are explored. The reader is given the opportunity to process the information presented and form an educated opinion.
             Beginning in the Introduction, the reader is faced with many unexpected statistics and bold statements. By referring to the industry as both "a catalyst and a symptom" of what Americans have come to value, Schlosser prepares the reader for what is to come in the book. Again and again, he lures us (the reader) into the world of the fast food industry with his reminders that Americans do not really consider what or why they're consuming so much fast food. His use of the Air Force station and almost constant references to McDonald's starts to give a face to the issue at hand.
             Chapter 1 sets up some basic informatio...

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Values and Fast Food Nation. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 05:48, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/98824.html