Paragraph Analysis: Dumpster Diving

1.) What is the author's main thesis (argument) in setting up his book? Why/how are

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

Eighner himself has lived on the streets as a homeless man. He allows the reader to join him in his own personal life stories in order to show the severity of his past situation. Eighner tells of the embarrassment and shame that comes from scavenging through trash to stay alive. He writes of the woeful feelings that a homeless person possesses in their time of wander. “He can wipe the egg yolk off the found can, but he cannot erase the stigma of eating garbage out of his mind” (Eighner 144). With much passion, he speaks of the homeless as victims of a undeserved life. However, according to Linderman, the life of a dumpster diver can be quite satisfying.

1.Quindlen begins with Ann’s story to make the homelessness issue more realistic and personal. Quindlen could have also began the essay by stating the traditional view of a homeless person.

“Homeless on Campus” covers that students in college can be homeless, whether the circumstance is that the student has left an abuser, lost a job, or are suffering from drug abuse. Eleanor Bader references Aesha, Johnny Montgomery, and Asad Dahir’s stories of hardship and how they ended up displaced. Aesha left an abusive partner and ended up in a shelter, “It was horrible” she said. Johnny was kicked out of his mother’s house for not getting along wither her boyfriend, “She chose him over me,” he said. Asad was in a refugee camp and was resettled in Ohio with his little brother. Bader uses words such as poverty, problem, and sneaking, giving the report a sad and serious tone. “If seen from the perspective of the students,

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.

This is what became into his article. Eighner and his dog became homeless again when a teaching position fell through and there was no income for him to pay for his apartment. He currently lives in a small apartment in Austin and now supports himself by writing short stories and essays. It is nice to see he made something of himself and didn’t have to live on the streets and longer than he had to.

This essay is written in the first-person format. The author has used personal interesting stories to build a relationship with his readers. Hence, the use of personal pronoun ‘I’ in the entire text. For instance, he says, “I began Dumpster diving about a year before I became homeless” (Cite). Additionally, Eighner has made use of ethos as a persuasive tool. He informs the audience about his life before his present situation. He was a government employee in a health facility (Cite). The story is also an accurate interpretation of his experience, which gives his story a great deal of credibility.

4.    Who was the intended audience?  What evidence does the document provide of who the audience is?  What is the main point (or the “take away”) that the author wants to convey to his/her audience?

Both the characters in Eighner’s and Ascher’s essay adhere to a social system in which life experiences

Talbot beings her essay with a relatable spokesperson by the name of Alex, who is a graduate from Harvard and establishing an informal and personal tone to her article. By creating a personal tone to begin her article she draws the reader’s attention by giving them someone to relate to was well as what Alex is going through. She gives the readers experiences

4. What do these details tell you about the writer’s assumptions about the knowledge and experience of readers?

2.      Identify the author’s main idea(s). In other words, what is the main point the author is attempting to make about the book?

First things first, I would like to apologise that it took me such a long time to send this essay of sorts but the reason it took me so long is exactly the same reason I read this book in the first place.