Summary: 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.
Why did Eighner write On Dumpster Diving?
Dumpster diving is his only way of surviving and supporting himself and his companion and so he is forced to live this way. He writes this article to advise homeless and middle-class dumpster divers on how to be safe whiling diving, what to look out for and what to expect.
What is the thesis of On Dumpster Diving?
In the assertion “ On Dumpster Diving” written by Lars Eighner, the author speaks about how he had to overcome his personal struggles through living by dumpster diving for everyday necessities. Most importantly, Eighner is trying to show his audience how America is being wasteful.
What does Eighner seem to like about dumpster diving?
“Dumpster diving has serious drawbacks as a way of life”(Eighner 24). He is definitely being honest here, though dumpster diving is how he lives he is not trying to sugar coat it. In his mind and feelings a way of life just as imperfect as it sounds, with illness and hardships.
What lessons has Eighner learned from dumpster diving?
Two lessons learned by Eighner Be careful in choosing what food is still good to eat and ask why it was thrown away. You do not want to get food poisoning. The transience or quality of the material being. You do not want to become sick and have no where to go and no one to help.
What message does Lars eighner want to convey to readers in On Dumpster Diving Why do you think he chose to convey this message?
Lars Eighner's “On Dumpster Diving” is successful in reducing the social separation between himself and the target audience in order to convey his concluding thoughts about materialism and the affluent while simultaneously retaining his credibility.
What is the effect of Lars eighner attention to language in the first five paragraphs?
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).
How does the author define dumpster diving?
By exploring the definition of dumpster diving, the author presents different views of scavenging, scournging, and foraging. Eighner reminds us that dumpster diving is merely the act of living from the refuse of others.
Where does On Dumpster Diving take place?
Lars Eighner became homeless in 1988 after leaving a job he had held for ten years as an attendant at a state hospital in Austin, Texas. He lives in a small apartment in Austin and continues to scavenge. This article was originally published in the Fall 1990 issue of The Threepenny Review. Reprinted with permission.
When was On Dumpster Diving published?
Fall 1990originally published in the Fall 1990 issue of The Threepenny Review. Reprintedwith permission.
Why does eighner capitalize the word dumpster?
As a result of this he wrote the Merriam-Webster research service to get all that he could about “Dumpster.” Shortly after he learned it's a proprietary word belonging to the Dempsey Dumpster company and ever since then he began to capitalize the word even though it was lowercase.
What food does eighner take particular care to avoid?
Explanation. He avoids game, poultry, pork, and egg-based foods because of their tendency to be unsafe. He avoids home leftovers because of how often they remain shoved in the back of the refrigerator for months on end.
What does the transience of material being mean?
• the transience of material being. o ideas are longer-lived than material objects. o everything he owns has be casted away by someone (his own items are valueless to someone) overall: predictable stages; adapting to the life of being a scavenger. tone.
What is the biggest strategy that Eighner uses to share his knowledge of dumpster diving?
The biggest, and seemingly most important, strategy that Eighner uses to share his knowledge of dumpster diving is through his vivid descriptions. He explains in lengthy detail what kinds of foods to watch out for and how to check food properly to avoid sickness or even death.
Who wrote the article on Dumpster Diving?
“On Dumpster Diving” is an online article from Issue 1 Special Issue on Homelessness: New England that was written by Lars Eighner. Eighner is a person who lives his life as a “scavenger” with his dog Lizbeth. Dumpster diving is his only way of surviving and supporting himself ...
What is the knowledge that Eighner has obtained?
A big chunk of the knowledge that Eighner has obtained is on food and food safety. Like mentioned before, his vivid descriptions of the kinds of foods that are found in dumpsters come from his experiences scavenging through them all the time.
What is the importance of Eighner's first hand experience?
Almost just as important as vivid descriptions, Eighner’s first-hand experiences are also an important factor of his dumpster diving advice. In the article, he explains how all the knowledge he has obtained thus far in his life about dumpster diving has come from things he has experienced. A big chunk of the knowledge that Eighner has obtained is ...
What did Eighner do to take care of Lizbeth?
Eighner’s life was getting rough and he had to “extract from Dumpsters” the things he needed to take care of Lizbeth and himself. He had to eat from dumpsters and get his clothes from dumpsters as well. Anything you could think of he had to go searching for these necessities in dumpsters.
How does Eighner's story impact the reader?
Just like Eighner’s anecdotes, his emotional stories have an impact on how the reader takes in his information, but in more of an emotional approach. These stories add an element to the article that sits with the reader.
Who is the dog in the dumpster diving article?
Eighner is a person who lives his life as a “scavenger” with his dog Lizbeth. Dumpster diving is his only way of surviving and supporting himself and his companion and so he is forced to live this way. He writes this article to advise homeless and middle-class dumpster divers on how to be safe whiling diving, what to look out for and what to expect.
What is Lars Eighner's essay about dumpster diving?
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.
What I get from Eighner's pierce?
What I get from Eighner’s pierce is that even though he is living a life of poverty on the streets, he seemed to have a good attitude about the circumstances in which he lives in. As Eighner said, if most people most people, put in his situation, they would rather be dead or would trade anything to live a life of comfort. His confidence and knowledge shows his experience in dumpster diving, which most people look down upon. “At first the new scavenger is filled with disgust and self-loathing, (Eighner, 5)”.
Is Eighner trash or treasure?
They would view all their findings as trash, while Eighner sees it as treasure. The typical wealthy consumer would definitely view Eighner findings as trash, due to the fact that they are accustom to buying everything brand new. In this sense I feel that Eighner feels a bit better than the consumer.
Is dumpster diving considered art?
I personally do not have any experience dumpster driving, but I can definitely relate to Eighner’s views. Dumpster diving can definitely be considered as an art, the things that people through away on a regular, put together with some other dumpster driving, could potentially become something beautiful.