Jonathan Safran Foer's Against Meat

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In the story, Against Meat, Jonathan Safran Foer spent many years of his life conflicted on whether he should consume animal products or maintain a vegetarian lifestyle. His grandmother and babysitter played influential roles throughout his childhood. However, both had opposing views on eating meat or animal products. Jonathan struggled with this conflict during the majority of his college and adult life. Depending on the situation or the people who he spent his time with, he would transition from having a broad diet to a strict vegetarian diet. Foer was taught by this grandmother that all food was valuable and to eat everything that was given to him. As Jonathan grew older, he was informed by his babysitter that eating meat was a form of hurting animals; this experience is something that would forever alter his perspective on the consumption of meat. Due to Jonathan’s grandmothers’ experience growing up during an economical deprived era; it was instilled in her to value all food and to never waste anything. As a young child, Foer would eat everything that was given to him; he never second guessed consuming meat or any other type of food. He continued to live a carefree lifestyle when it came to food consumption until his babysitter’s opinion on meat and animal products caused him to change his …show more content…

Once Jonathan and his wife had children, they decided to raise them as vegetarians, mainly to avoid possible dangers of eating meat including toxins and misleading labels on animal products. Jonathan and his family believe that their diet is as enjoyable and healthy as the average western diet. Jonathan is very open minded towards the diet his children choose to have as they grow older. However, he would rather them maintain a vegetarian diet like he and his wife