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Mcjobs By Eric Shlosser

982 Words4 Pages

Did you know that Martinsburg switched from a countryside town to a bustling city in less than a century? In the story, McJobs, by Eric Schlosser, Eric verbalizes about how life in Martinsburg transmuted greatly over time. Martinsburg is a city in West Virginia that is now known as “the fastest growing city”. It used to be a town by the countryside and is now a boisterous city. The underlying messages about life in Martinsburg that Schlosser seems to be alluding at are that the opening of fast food restaurants in Martinsburg led to less stable jobs, overpopulation made it more city like, and it was overworking teenagers. Firstly, a key idea that Eric Schlosser is hinting us towards is that the opening of fast …show more content…

The reason the population is growing is because many people want to live in the serene environment rather than a rowdy one. On page 20, line 65, Schlosser says that, “In 1942 there were about 3 million apple and peach trees in the area; today there are about 300,000.” This happened because the population was increasing and there weren't enough homes for people to live in. So, farmers sold their land to building companies that built new houses for the people to live in. In order, to do that they had to cut down many trees which destroyed the countryside, making it like a city. Schlosser also says that, “The new four lane highway changed the town forever, connecting it to two big cities about an hour and a half’s drive away: Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland. (Pg.19, line 36)” This basically means that they built the interstate to avail people of Martinsburg get what they needed because there wasn't enough in Martinsburg. When people went to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland to buy stuff, they also started to adapt to their culture and lifestyle. Since, they are both cities, a person’s lifestyle there suits city life. Martinsburg residents brought back that lifestyle and applied that to their lives making it more city like. Therefore, another message Schlosser is guiding us towards is that overpopulation made Martinsburg more city

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