Challenging Perceptions Society has perceptions about people who are different, these perceptions; also referred to as stereotypes, are not always true. Society has to understand that dumpster divers are not all the same, some dumpster dive in order to get something they want, others dumpster dive to get something they need. All dumpster divers are not uneducated, some events just forces them to have to dumpster dive, even with a college degree. Also, homeless dumpster divers do not necessarily have a miserable life, they have enough to live with. Lars Eighner in his essay “On Dumpster Diving,” challenges the way the middle-class people perceive homeless people who dumpster dive. There are different types of dumpster divers. Dumpster divers aren 't necessarily homeless people, even though the majority are, but there are some people that see something they are interested in the trash, so often times they take it. But of the majority that are homeless, some dive for things that are necessary to survive, such as food and clothing, Eighner refers to these people as “scavengers.” Others dumpster dive trying to get some money to buy drugs and …show more content…
These things can be useful for homeless dumpster divers though. Homeless dumpster divers can have what they need and even possibly what they want. Eighner argues that, “students throw food away around break because they do not know if it has spoiled or will spoil before they return… I tend to gain weight when I am scavenging…dumpsters contain...pill bottles...unused condoms.” He is trying to explain that homeless dumpster divers may not have a life filled with lavish possessions, but they have a life that they can live. Dumpster divers find many things that other people have thrown out and they use what they need to survive. Eighner is trying to prove that people can in fact live off dumpsters because of all of the things people throw
Therefore, being aware of where our trash in ending up will change the views on people’s perspective. If we are continuing to throw trash everywhere we are technically “eating our own refuse.” As we throw trash on to the floor, it will end up in the ocean causing it to get suck into the jellyfish’s mouth. Then, little fishes will begin to consume
Critical Review of a Social Issue: Coldest Night of the Year Introduction The purpose of this paper is to explore one of Blue Sea Philanthropies yearly fundraising initiatives “Coldest Night of the Year” in support of people who are homeless and the local organizations across Canada who supports those experiencing homelessness. “Coldest Night of the Year” walk takes place each year in February to bring awareness by having participants feel a hint off the challenges faced by those experiencing homelessness, particularly during the winter (Coldest Night of the Year, 2016). “Coldest Night of the Year” describes homelessness as, “absolute homelessness where people are living on the streets or in shelters, hidden homelessness where individuals
Another stereotype that has established itself in society’s mindset is that all homeless people are criminals. In the online Huffington Post article, “10 Facts About Homelessness,” written by Bill Quigley, the author asserts that “Jerome Murdough, a homeless former Marine, was arrested for trespass in New York because he was found sleeping in a public housing stairwell.” In all reality, if any homeless individual commits a crime, they are not dangerous crimes rather they are status crimes. Status crimes include trespassing, loitering, or sleeping on public property. Nonetheless, if a criminal had committed serious crimes such as murder or involvement in drug, they would be behind bars, not lurking on the streets.
1. Eighner’s attention to language in the first five paragraphs causes the reader to view dumpster diving differently than they normally would. By providing the reader with his own personal views of how he sees a dumpster diver, and the terms he prefers to use when referring to them, Eighner inserts a more positive perspective over dumpster diving. For example, Eighner “I live from the refuse of others, I am a scavenger” (Eighner 108). Eighner indirectly dismisses the typical negative ideas about dumpster diving and instead puts it in a more positive light.
In the Public Service Announcement (PSA), “Homelessness,” produced by the Yakima Valley Community College, the college student’s presentation of pathos overshadows their less successful representation of logos and ethos concerning the topic of homelessness.
Imagine spending one year of your life living in a dumpster. Not just the average, everyday dumpster, but a customized dumpster suited to meet all of the essential needs for one to live in. Professor Jeff Wilson, also referred to as “Professor Dumpster,” is engaged in a one year project in which he will be sleeping in a dumpster every night. His future plans consist of making the dumpster even more appealing by adding a toilet, solar panels, a second floor, and several other amenities. Wilson says in the article, “‘We could end up with a house under $10,000 that could be placed anywhere in the world, fueled by sunlight and surface water, and people could have a pretty good life’”
Homelessness, while widely acknowledged, continues to be an ever-prevalent issue within society. This urged me to take action. In order to compromise an accurate, precise claim, I needed to heavily research and analyze the various aspects of this issue -- specifically regarding the causes of homelessness, addressing the stereotypes and stigmas surrounding it, and by finding solutions at a personal, local, and national level. Initially, I intended to include pathos as a primary theme throughout my sources, but I eventually found logos as a more prevalent, more central theme that appeared throughout each source. Presented primarily through statistics, logos stands as the central theme.
1. The effects of Eighner’s attention to language in the first five paragraphs emphasizes that he is knowledgeable and confident about dumpster diving. As he states, “I live from the refuse of others. I am a scavenger” (Eighner 108). Eighner create an appeal to ethos when he displays his own experiences on the lifestyle of dumpster diving and its different aspects.
Andy Mulligan has made a very clear and bold statement about the inequalities and injustices that exist in our world today through his novel Trash. He uses his novel to explore these issues by focusing on key themes such as Poverty/Wealth and Justice/Injustice. The theme Poverty/Wealth conveys Mulligan’s statement about the inequalities of our world by using real-world examples of poverty and prosperity situations in his novel. Additionally, by exploring justice/injustice we see that Mulligan elaborates on a distinct and definite line between fair and unfair actions and their outcomes throughout his novel Trash. Therefore, the injustices and inequalities of our world today are clearly communicated and observed through Andy Mulligan’s novel.
The saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is quite known to everyone. Many people know and are aware of this saying, but may interpret it very differently. In the essays, “The Town Dump” and “On Dumpster Diving”, the authors, Wallace Stegner and Lars Eigner agree that some things people throw away do actually have value. Though the authors agree on the sense that “trash” may be valuable, and things should be appreciated, they agree for entirely different reasons. Wallace Stegner grew up in a young town named Whitemud, in which he described as exciting and full of wonder.
Mantsios’ compares the profiles of different Americans lifestyles in his text and develops the idea that an individual’s class standing can affect their livelihood in detrimental ways, “The lower one’s class standing, the more difficult it is to secure appropriate housing, the more time is spent on routine tasks of everyday life, the greater is the percentage of income that goes to pay for food and other basic necessities, and the greater is the likelihood of crime victimization” (293). Mantsios explains that one’s class standing can affect the chances of survival and success. Ehrenreich describes her own housing experiences as a low income worker. To reduce her overall costs and to obtain a second job, Ehrenreich moves closer to Key West. Ehrenreich has just enough money to pay the rent and deposit on a tiny trailer at the Overseas Trailer Park.
Audience: People ignorant about the struggles of homelessness and would rather make homeless people “disappear” than help them Message/Goal of this piece: Addressing the issue of homelessness and raising awareness to this program as an alternative to making it a crime to be living in poverty. It shows that chromic homelessness can be solved Behaviors/ Aspects of society being satirized: The treatment and attitude towards homelessness and homeless people e.g. banning, arresting, and giving them fines. This piece shows the ridiculousness of the anti-homeless argument and that they are lazy moochers undeserving of help. People who would rather spend to criminalize homelessness than use the same time/money/resources to help fix this problem Background
In Analyzing Parts of “My Daily Dives in the Dumpster” In the essay “My Daily Dives in the Dumpster,” Lars Eighner—an educated yet homeless individual—recounts his experience as a scavenger who seeks for his basic necessities in dumpsters. On his journey of survival in a penniless condition, Eighner has acquired important life skills and most importantly, gained valuable insights about life and materialism. Throughout his essay, Eigher employs deliberate word choice, a didactic tone, and a logical organization to convey that there is no shame in living “from the refuse of others” (Eighner) and to emphasize that materialistic possessions do not guarantee a fulfilled, happy life.
In the text "On Dumpster Diving," Lars Eighner gives us an inside depth of what it's like being homeless and having to dumpster dive for living. Lars Eighner shows how dumpster diving has become a full-time job because it's the only way he can survive. Eighner claims that dumpster diving requires a lot of effort, he made some rules that would help others in the same situation become more efficient and find supplies that are useful for their survival. Dumpster diving has helped Eighner realize that materialistic things aren't necessary and that you should live off necessity. Eighner used to invest on materials that weren't necessary, but dumpster diving has helped him find value in his life and it helped him realize that people need must be grateful for what they have.
Homeless people. Lazy. Criminals. Addicts. These are just a few of the many things that come to people’s minds.