Week 5

What is the “fallacy of composition”? Give an example of how it works in your own life.
The “fallacy of composition” is defined in the book as “a mistaken belief that what seems good for an individual will still be good when others do the same thing. This can work in our daily lives through any hobby or talent that makes us unique as individuals. We feel that this thing is good for us, however if all of our peers started doing this same thing, it would lose it’s uniqueness and we would not feel that it is good anymore. One example could be collecting Pokemon cards. You strive to find that one rare card, but if your friend has that same card as you it loses its value to you.

Why have trunk lockings been on Weiss’ mind lately? Use examples of imagery from the essay to support your answer. What does Weiss learn? Use the definition of symbolism in your answer.
Weiss has seen many examples of trunk imprisonment in movies, books, and newspapers and is intrigued by it. He wants to know if there is a way to escape from a locked trunk. He uses imagery throughout his essay to show his fascination with the idea of being locked in a trunk. He says he “could only imagine bloodied fingers, cracked teeth.” He eventually learns that he may be able to manipulate certain cables and mechanisms inside the trunk to escape, but after all of his curiosity he finds that he does not wish to test his newfound theory after all. Being locked in a trunk is symbolic for any difficult situation we encounter in our lives. All you have to do is learn the assembly of the mechanism and you can find your way out of it. He uses a wedding as an analogy for this situation in the essay.


What is the effect produced by the switch to third person POV at the end of Scott Carrier’s essay? Why does he do it?
The change in the point of view at the end of this essay creates a suspenseful close. It leaves you asking yourself questions. You question the very nature of sanity after studying his many interviews. Finally at the very end of the essay you cannot help but wonder, after interviewing all of the individuals, has Carrier himself developed schizophrenia in the end.

What kind of an introduction is Sedaris using in “Full House”? What is the central idea of the essay? What does Sedaris want us to learn about him and us?
Sedaris’ introduction seems to be just a simple anecdote style after reading the first paragraph. However, after reading further into his sleep based introduction, it appears to be written in the style of mistaken impression. Sedaris wants us to learn not to bottle up our emotions and/or sexual urges because it can lead to extreme situations of discomfort and lead us to feel out of place. This is shown throughout the scene in Walt’s basement where the boy’s play strip poker. Sedaris’ homosexual urges lead him to feel uncomfortable at first but in the end it seems as though he has caused his friends to flee from him as he begins to dabble with the temptations of his sexuality.

Summary

Chapter five of Fast Food Nation takes place at J.R. Simplot Plant in Idaho. It tells us about a young boy named J.R. Simplot, who at the age of 16, opens his own potato farm. He grows to be very successful, becoming the largest potato shipper in the West. After continue his success through the sales of dried onions and potatoes in WWII, Simplot goes on to invest in the technology of frozen foods. The chapter closes with Simplot selling frozen french fries to Carl Karcher of McDonald’s.

Full House tells the story of a young boy who finds himself struggling with his own homosexual urges. He stays the night at a neighborhood boys house where nipple twisting and strip poker provoke a serious internal struggle. The boy finds himself requesting that the other boys do simple tasks for his own personal arousement. We gain insight on how bottling up personal sexual desires can cause an internal conflict in young people.

How to Get Out of a Locked Trunk is about Phillip Weiss’ desire to find out if there is a way to escape from a locked trunk. He seeks answers from many people and later finds that there may be a small possibility of escape, but decides not to test this theory he has searched so hard to find. He relates the situation to a wedding he attends later in the essay.

The Test is based on Carrier’s many interviews with individuals who suffer from schizophrenia. He asks them a series of questions and totals up their score at the end of each interview. He later asks himself these same questions but realizes he is not doing well and decides not to total up his score. At the end of the essay he tells us of how he would write a report on himself and the essay leaves us wondering if these interviews have indeed caused Carrier to develop schizophrenia himself.

Quiz Number 4

Ok, so apparently there was a miscommunication within our group.  Our apologies for the 11:00PM posting.  

This week we read chapter 4 of Fast Food Nation.  This chapter principally related to the franchising of the fast food industry.  We also read several short essays in Short Takes, dealing primarily with issues of escapism.

1) Why does Schlosser close chapter 4 with the anecdote about the Success event?

Schlosser is demonstrating that our appetite for success and material gain will in most cases cause us to prioritize our lives poorly, a point brilliantly illustrated by the speaker following Mr. Reeve- after the tears and the momentary recollection of our humanity, we return to the greed that brought us to the event in the first place.  In effect, the wish for instant gratification (like fast food) causes us to overlook or ignore the effects it has (socio-economic, health, etc).  However, there are those among the crowd, in our society and in the industry that recognize and can see through this, and their voices sometimes give us pause, if only for a moment, to the choices we're making.

2) What does the quote from Heraclitus on p. 22 mean?  Why does Perillo use it?  Use examples from the text to support your claim.

The quote relates to the weight of boredom and the necessary variance in activity that is required to break boredom.  To be clear- the terms "rule" ('the rule that makes its subject weary'), and "rest" (For this reason, change gives rest') don't necessarily correlate to work and non-work.  ANYTHING that is too repetitive or mundane stifles the life of the subject.  This is precisely why Perillo chose to attend college in Quebec-- it "gave a varnish of exoticness and escape" to an otherwise ordinary task.  

3) Could Lucia Perillo survive on Planet Unflinching?  Why or why not?  How can you tell?

Perillo likely would not survive on Planet Unflinching, because she values too greatly the idea of escape.  Perillo hitchhikes as a means of bringing excitement to an otherwise dull life in her small town, and tempts fate with her actions in doing so.  Not only would Perillo miss the mystery that comes with new and strange situations, but she would likely be hurt or killed hitching rides on Planet Unflinching, because in that world, no one pulls any punches or acts politely.  It is honest to the point of lawlessness in that regard.  

4) What is Katrina Roberts' undercurrent?  What is she looking for?

I feel that Roberts portrays a new mother in a changing world, suddenly uneasy about her life and the concept of mortality (which is why we're given examples of the hawk looking for field mice and the dead cat in the grass).  Her undercurrent is one of fear, fear of dying and fear of being swallowed up in the world and its changes.

Answers to Reading Quiz 2

Fast Food Nation Summary

The second chapter in Fast Food Nation had several themes that mainly dealt with the relationship between Walt Disney and Ray Kroc, synergy and marketing techniques, and the rise of a nationwide indusrty. The book showed how through these various themes brought about the expansion of business and indusrty giants such as McDonalds and Disneyland. This chapter showed the expansion and rise to power and connection of the McDonald's franchise along with the Disney empire.

Reading Quiz 2: Questions for Fast Food Nation

1). How did Ray Kroc change the mission of McDonald’s, and how has that affected our larger society?

• Ray Kroc has changed the mission of McDonald's through his buying of "the right to franchise McDonald's nationwide"(FFN PG 35). This was a very important change that affected today's society because now we have millions of McDonald's nationwide in almost every place we go making it one of the richiest companies in the nation.

• Mr. Kroc also developed McDonald's into a more child oriented through his introduction of "playplaces" and direct marketing to children through television and child appearal. This strategy brought millions of dollars to the McDonald's name and affected our view of the value of fast food. This caused families to view eating at a McDonald's or other fast food restaurant as quality family time.

2). Why does Schlosser compare Kroc and Disney?

• Scholsser compared Kroc and Disney because both of these men were pioneers of their kind and developed million dollar industries that have afffected society. Both of these men used a market strategy of synergy(FFN PG 40). They used market stategies that were directed towards children at the most valuable time. The two powerful men were also compared to each othe because eventually McDonald's stores emerged in Disneyland and Disney toys' were sold and distributed in their restaurants. Showing how fast food has made its' way into another important aspect of society and business.

Short Takes Summary

The essays we read in 'Short Takes' this week were all written by women and had a common theme of motherhood. The women authors described situations with their mothers, with the exception of Sonja Livingston (Ghetto Girls). The authors often told us about strange quirks and qualities of these mothers that made them unique, such as never mentioning a sister or never knowing that there was a gun in the house and being terrified when it was found. In Livingston's essay she does not discuss her own mother, but writes to young girls who might experience the situations she obviously went through herself and warns them to do the right thing. Her voice in the essay is one of maternal instinct, because she obviously cares for the girls she writes to as if they are her own children.

Reading Quiz 2: Questions for Short Takes

3). Valerie Miner says denial is “a different approach to truth” in her essay “Ritual Meals” (309). How do the perspectives of the female authors in these ‘mother essays’ – their “approaches to truth” – differ from their male counterparts? How are they similar?

Denial of Truth in Mother essays:

• The essays proposed that a mother spends her life 'passively smiling' while her husband rages. Though she may be in an unhappy marriage, that from the tone of the essay could have even been abusive, the mother remains passive, smiling, denying that anything is wrong. Just as she is doing in the photo, the writer is describing, though her father just died, her smile is 'flawless'. Ghetto Girls Guide showed the girls that the author is criticizing and trying to advise, are blind to the tricks and the lies that the men they are surrounded by try to impose on them. Actually being blind isn't an apt description, because these girls know what these men are like, and how they will play them, and sweet talk them to get what they want. The girls are in denial. They try to make excuses to themselves, on behalf of these men, and eat up the lies and excuses that the men themselves feed them. They believe what they want to believe. The author is trying to advise these girls against this denial of truth, by telling them they should give in.

• The essays about fathers had authors whose expectations of the fathers were not met, but sort of not expected to be met. The authors all had fathers who either betrayed them or wanted to leave or never showed up at all, and the authors seemed hardened by these situations. In the essays written by women their perspectives were coming from more vulnerable people. They described their mothers meticulously and with care. In the Ghetto Girls Guide essay, the author is trying to protect her women readers and therefore has a maternal viewpoint.

4). How does the structure of Sonja Livingston’s essay “The Ghetto Girls’ Guide to Dating and Romance” affect it’s point or thesis? Why do you think she uses this approach? Include the central idea in your response.

• The stucture of “The Ghetto Girls’ Guide to Dating and Romance” was set up into a manner that resembled an instructual manual or manifesto that was geared towards a " do it yourself" type of format. This was shown from the way it was numbered and was vaguely detailed.

Question 3 (Tess Winter)

 Carl N. Karcher's story is a bit different than those of other fast food pioneers because of his journey from a farm in Sandusky, Ohio to ownership of his own business and headquarters in Anaheim, California.  Like Carl, the landscape in Anaheim changed quickly over a short period of time.  Schlosser chose to tell Carl's story because of it's uniqueness, and because of Carl's so-called "fulfillment of the American dream" (13).  When Carl moved to Anaheim it was surrounded by farms and ranches; oranges, lemons, and tangerines were grown by the thousands in the Anaheim area alone.  During this time in California a new lifestyle was emerging due to the affordability and subsequent increase in using cars as a mode of transportation.  Along with the new on-the-go lifestyle came a new way of eating.  People wanted more than just fast transportation.  They wanted fast food.  Drive-in restaurants with car-hops became popular and sprang up all along the west coast.  Carl, who had experienced success with his four hot dog stands, decided to buy a small restaurant right across from the Heinz farm.  "Carl's Drive-In Barbeque" became a success, but a new idea emerged that made Carl question the security of his business.  McDonalds, the original fast food joint, had just opened up in San Bernardino, California.  The McDonalds brother were selling the same burgers Carl was, but for almost half the price.  Carl adopted the production techniques from the McDonalds he saw and opened his own self-service restaurant in Anaheim.  Carl's Jr. quickly became a symbol of the fast food industry.  

By the end of this chapter, Schosser is describing his own personal visit with Carl at his company's headquarters in Anaheim.  Now the town is urban; completely devoid of any citrus groves and filled with stores and businesses doubling as symbols of the 21st century's corporate America; a strip mall, an Exxon station, a Shoe City, and a mattress warehouse.  Schlosser isn't criticizing Carl for being a pioneer of the fast food industry, but merely pointing out the irony of the town's brutal transformation in unison with the food industry's.  Schlosser's point is that these pioneers really were manifesting the American Dream.  They came from nothing and built businesses that not only prospered, but changed the face of history.  At the time, they either didn't know or didn't think of the repercussions of their creations.  

Carl N. Karcher totally embodies what we think of as a successful businessman, even though he's still very much in debt.  He ended up with his business in tact, and with his own office and in his very own shiny headquarters.  Schlosser wants us to see how the birth and development of this industry was inevitable, just as it seems that Carl's future was.

Question 1: Why does E.S. begin his book with a description of Cheyenne Mountain? (Aliza)

Fast Food Nation begins by painting a picture of a beautifully natural landscape in Colorado: Cheyenne Mountain. Although the scene may appear unscathed by human ingenuity and progress, it is exactly the opposite. The mountain image is used to parallel the fast food industry, in which what you see, may very well not be what you get. Schlosser directly references this parallelism, on page 7, when he states, “Like Cheyenne Mountain, today’s fast food conceals remarkable technological advances behind an ordinary-looking facade.” Schlosser also makes reference to the fast food frequently delivered to the inhabitants of this top secret Military base. Imagining a Dominoes deliveryman being cleared by security to drop off a pizza to the side of a mountain is almost comical. However, it’s also an extreme example illustrating just how deeply fast food has been ingrained into the American psyche.

Shelby Francis, Question One; Why does Eric Schlosser begin his book with a description of Cheyenne Mountain? Explain.

Clearly, Eric Schlosser began his book with this detailed description of the Cheyenne Mountain to be used as a metaphor. A beautiful symbol to the naked eye, but underneath is the exact opposite. The actual underneath of the mountain has been dug out, reconstructed, and industrialized to become a secret Air Force. It is irony that comes into play when our secret, technologically advanced Air Force Site still finds the need to order fast food. It just shows that no matter how intelligent humans are, we still urge for our fast food cravings. Which is why Schlosser chose the Cheyenne Mountain, I believe. It foreshadows what the summary of the book is, what we are about to read. The point was to make you think; this futuristic military base is said to have the capability to be self-sustaining for about one month. Everything you need to survive for a whole month, and fast food is still called to satisfy their hunger. No matter what, Americans cannot get away from fast food. Reality is our living in a 'Fast Food Nation.'

Jessica Benedict Question 4: If you had to choose a common theme for each of the essays in Short Takes, what would it be?

There are several common themes in the Short Takes essays Confession by Stuart Dybek, Kind of Blue by Sebastian Matthews, Son of Mr. Green Jeans by Dinty W. Moore, and The Spinners by Michael Datcher. These themes include:

1) There is no "perfect father", such as the father in Leave It To Beaver.

2) The breakdown of the family. This theme is especially apparent in Son of Mr. Green Jeans (Divorce, p. 284).

3) Fathers often turn to alcohol when they are unable to live up to the stereotypical ideal of what a father should be (as shown by the priest in Confession p. 278, and the father in Kind of Blue p. 280).

4) All human fathers are flawed, especially as compared to animal fathers. This is emphasized in Son of Mr. Green Jeans (Carp p. 284, Emperor Penguins p. 284, Male Breadwinners p. 287, Penguins, Again p.288).

Answer to question #2 for Reading Quiz 1

Question#2: What does Schlosser mean when he says “the real price never appears on the menu”(9)? Use examples from the Intro and Chapter 1 to illustrate your answer.

The author was implying that we as individuals, by eating fast food, would "pay the price" of our health. Many customers don't realize or care that what they pay for is slowly killing them. There are many grams of fat, oil, carbohydrates, cholesterol and other unhealthy ingredients, all that can lead to diabetes, heart disease, hyper tension, and other problems troubling millions of Americans. These ingredients, of course, are not mentioned on the menu that we order from. So the statement made by the author of “the real price never appears on the menu,” is in reference to our declining health when we are eating that "affordable" extra value meal or drinking that jumbo soda.

Tara Carpenter; Answer #2

2. What does Schlosser mean when he says “the real price never appears on the menu”(9)? Use examples from the Intro and Chapter 1 to illustrate your answer.


Schlosser means that you are paying for the price of your health. Individulas that eat there on a regular basis will have greater health issues that they will have to face. People refuse to see the harm that fast food can cause to ones self because the food is quick and convenient. Also, there is the factor of putting the company over the individual. Such as in the book, when Carl was the founder of the company, but he when then kicked out because of a hostle takeover. Although he got back in, this just proves how the industry will choose the fast food over any individual. Another reason is that larger buisness shuts out small industries. The demand that large resturants have for standardized products has givin' many corporations a degree of power over the nation's food supply. This has lead to other industries to do the same and produce similar buisness'. Therefore, leading to the shut out of smaller buisnesses.

David Evans, Quetion 1: Why does Eric Schlosser begin his book with a description of Cheyenne Mountain? Explain.

Eric Schlosser begins his book with an introduction of Cheyenne Mountain because it symbolizes and sums up the message that he is trying to draw attention to with this book. Cheyenne Mountain is a metaphor for his message; on the outside the mountain is a beautiful remnant of unspoiled nature, but beneath the layers of pristine rock lays countless unseen passage ways, buildings, and command centers. This facility is now called the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. Designed to withstand direct impact from an atomic bomb, gigantic springs were implemented underneath each building so that it could endure blast waves from thermonuclear strikes. Entrance to the facility is gained through steel blast doors, three foot wide and weighing twenty-five tons each. Restricted to the public this Station is guarded by a heavily armed quick response team to wipe out any intruders. Fifteen hundred workers enter the mountain everyday to maintain and collect vital data from a worldwide network. Within the walls of the mountain there is a medical clinic, dentist's office, fitness center, cafeteria, and millions of gallons of water; enough to be self sustaining for at least one month. Even with all of these commodities the workers still bring back or have fast food delivered. A Domino's deliveryman can be seen making his way up to the most technologically advanced and well guarded military base on the planet almost every night. This illustrates how every niche in the American society is affected by fast food.

Andrew Connelly’s answer to #2

When Eric Schlosser says “the real price never appears on the menu,” he is referring to the prices you pay not only in relation to money, but also to your health, the environment, and the economy. Regular consumers of fast food are much more likely to develop health issues and concerns. Many health concerns brought upon by fast food include both physical and mental ones. Extremely high levels of cholesterol, obesity, and heart disease are a few examples of the physical impacts that fast food may cause. In addition to the physical aspects, fast food can affect users mentally as well. Excessive consumption of fast food may lead to a sort of “dependence” on the food, causing painful headaches and other affects if the food is not consumed. The majority of fast food is cooked in oil or grease, causing the products to be even worse for you. The fast food companies noticed people starting to realize how unhealthy their food is and they tried to combat this by offering “healthy” alternatives. However, these alternatives often are very high in calories, fat, trans-fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Even after all these facts became common knowledge to consumers, they continued buying from these restaurants. Fast food throughout the world appeals to almost every audience. Parents use fast food as incentives for their children’s good behaviors. College students eat at fast food restaurant because it’s cheap and quick to get. Because of this, the fast food industry has expanded quicker than anyone could have predicted. Fast food is now not only one of the biggest industry’s in the world, it is also one of the most successful. Fast food expanded from hot dog stands in California run by a married couple to tens of thousands of restaurants at every intersection. People all over the world spend billions of dollars each year. It has become so popular that people now spend more on fast food than higher education. Changes in policy led to the adoption of plastic and paper packaging instead of plates and silverware. This decision added tons of paper waste which gets put in landfills along with plastic and Styrofoam.

Rachael Heddinger, Question Three

3. Why does Schlosser choose to tell the story of Carl Karcher instead of one of the other fast food pioneers?

Schlosser chose to tell the story of Carl Karcher instead of one of the other fast food pioneers because was one of the founding fathers of fast food. He experienced all of the hurdles in the food industry, starting at the very beginning with his hot dog stand, reaching economic success and growth, and then plummeting to massive debt and even being ousted from the company he built. Karcher had to deal with all the misconceptions, and ignorance that accompanied this fairly new industry, and he pioneered his way through the highs and lows to reach success until it was time for the fall of his self built empire. Schlosser chose Karcher because he experienced both ends of the dynamic spectrum in the fast food industry, and could portray a good overall view of what many people had to go through to get their own businesses started.

Sara Girardi

Answer to #2 was mine, I forgot to write my name...

Answer to #2

2. What does Schlosser mean when he says “the real price never appears on the menu”(9)? Use examples from the Intro and Chapter 1 to illustrate your answer.

Schlosser means the prices you pay are your health, the economy, and the environment. By regularly eating fast food you could develop major health issues such as obesity, heart disease, and high cholesterol. Most of the food is cooked in grease, and even the options on the menu that are supposed to be healthy are very high in fat, calories, cholesterol, and sodium. Many people are indifferent to the risks because it's cheap, convienant food. Buying fast food effects the economy because by putting money into the businesses you are adding to the expansion of them. Fast food has spread from hot dog stands in California to being one of the largest, most prominant industries in the world. Americans alone spend billions of dollars on it a year to the point that we are spending more on fast food than higher education. So many people are willing to buy fast food that the restaurants are being built everywhere, and the economy is becoming way too dependent on them. For example, fast food restaurants such as McDonald's are responsible for many jobs in America, mostly for young adults still in school. All of the employees are expendable and their jobs don't require much training or experience. Fast food restaurants have become a hazard to the environment. They use plastic and paper instead of plates and silverware. All of the millions of burgers wrapped in paper and sold each day can add up to tons of trees being cut down. Also, many people are too lazy to throw the paper and plastic away and just end up littering.

Rhyner Washburn, Answer to Question 4. If you had to choose a common theme for each of the father essays in Short takes, what would it be? Why?

The common theme for the father essays is that there is no "perfect " father, but there is the dream of an ideal father. In Confession, Stuart Dybek illustrates for his readers the relationship between him and his priest. Now a father son relationship, the father would help his son in all ways possible whereas here the priest is merely a hungover religious figure not even trying to to console the boy or elevate him of his grief. The boy (Dybek) sees this in the end and knows how to deal with the sins his commited and walks out caring less what father Boguslaw says. Kind of Blue takes the reader to the mind set yet again to the boy watching his father, though really the boy is not literally watching him. He talks of how his father wants to just up and leave his family because the father would normally feel a guilty conscience and not even contemplate such a thought. He would say to himself how he can't or rather "won't let himself" leave the boys even if the marriage between him and Maria is in the can.It is this thought of leaving that is this father's flaw. In the end he stays, but the thought remains. Should I leave? Nothing good could come out this marriage? It is this thoughts that stir inside the father's mind that trouble the narrator, the author himself Sebastian Matthews.

Son of Mr. Green Jeans is a compilation of celebrity fathers, wolves, and Sputnik I fill the pages of Dinty W. Moore's essay. Each segment explains, review, and tells the reader what kind of dads are out there. Some of TV's famous dad's are less than up to the task. For example, Hugh Beaumont hated kids. Yet he played a father on TV. Dinty gives us the realtiy of his own life between him and his father and even between him and his father. None of it was pretty, but he sstill had the vision of the "ideal" father from watching shows like Leave it to Beaver and such. Those fathers like Hugh Brannum gave Moore insight and sought to be better than his predecessors. Michael Datcher's The Spinners is very interesting because it talks of urban family life for boys and how nearly no fathers were present in their up bringing. Datcher explains that this "neighborhood men" couldn't be trusted. Somewhere out there, their sons want attention, yet here they are giving advice to children that are not their own. The essay points out that this boys want to be better than their father by raising a family and sticking witht the family and not shoving to the side. These boys want to be the "ideal" fathers they hear, watch, and read about.

David Porter, Week 1 - Answer to question 3

Question 3 asked "Why does Schlosser choose to tell the story of Carl Karcher instead of one of the other fast food pioneers?"

I believe Schlosser chose to focus on Karcher because Mr. Karcher's meteoric rise and subsequent fall from the top of the proverbial mountain illustrates several overarching themes that will become clear later in the text.  Specifically, those themes are that fast food as an industry was born on the sweat of hard-working American businesspeople, that the innovation and efficiency shown is just as much a part of what defines the American dream as any other rags-to-riches story, and that ultimately, in the case of fast food, that same innovation, efficiency and unstoppable search for progress can and will roll over even its forebears, if those people stand in the way.  

The fact that Mr. Karcher re-gains control of his company is another example of the almost spiteful dedication and single-mindedness that is perhaps necessary to be successful in this business.  Further, Karcher's positive view of this so-called progress, in light of the urbanization of his home, the destruction of the orange groves, and the commoditization of industry serves also to illustrate the system of values that helped shape the decades during which fast food saw its most prolific rise- that is to say, people like Carl Karcher, who grew up in rural areas with no electricity or running water, no paved roads, and little in the way of convenience in commerce valued the Eisenhower era because of the promise it gave to deliver them into something new and exciting.  These people are unwilling or perhaps unable to see the negative consequences of the fast food industry because they've spent the better part of their professional and personal lives trying to get as far away as possible from the isolation of their hometowns.