Fast Food Nation | Teen Ink

Fast Food Nation

February 9, 2009
By Anonymous

In Eric Schlosser's novel, Fast Food Nation, he uses an informative and persuasive style in order to enlighten Americans on 'the dark side of the All-American Meal.' I believe his style is accessible to all readers because it gives insight on how bad fast food is and how so many Americans consume it everyday. Schlosser sets up his argument by researching the many topics discussed throughout his book. One way he fulfills his argument is by visiting cities like Colorado Springs and Pueblo, CO to do studies on the life and working conditions of typical fast food industry employees. This gives his argument more credibility and supports his fight against the fast food industry. The main idea of his work is to prove to Americans that fast food is by far the worst thing to eat and the main cause of sickness and obesity. Schlosser goes into detail about the production of meat, what is in it, and how dangerous it is to prove to American the risk of eating at fast food restaurants. Once reading over the novel, one quote that stands out the most to me would be when Schlosser's states that 'The Golden Arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian cross.' The fact that the logo for McDonalds has become more popular than a religious symbol is outrageous and shows a great deal of how fast food has grown to be so wide spread. A quote that demonstrates the opinion of the author would be when Schlosser explains that 'buying fast food has become so routine'that it is now taken for granted, like brushing your teeth or stopping for a red light.' This confirms that Schlosser resents the fast food industry and how it has taken over life, as we know it. Eric Schlosser is a well-known award-winning American journalist and recognized for his investigative journalism skills. Some other books he has written would be Reefer Madness and is currently working on a novel about the American prison system. Schlosser is a big enthusiast on politics and has received plenty of positive reviews across the whole political spectrum. Eric Schlossers' intended audience for his work on Fast Food Nation would be for all ages, especially those who eat at fast food restaurants consecutively. The title Fast Food Nation fits with the novel perfectly because the author primarily talks about how fast food is sweeping the nation with franchises and is overpopulating America. I think the title is very catchy and interesting because it portrays what is talked about throughout the book and helps give an idea to readers and what they will be reading about. The author strengths throughout his novel would be how he informs the reader with statistics and details when it come to the production of meat and what goes on 'behind the counter.' He also does a fine job of persuading the reader to stop eating at fast food restaurants, by explaining the process meat goes through to become a hamburger and how bad it is for humans, which is his main purpose in writing his book. The author had some weakness too and could of done a few things to improve his book, for example it was very lengthy and got boring at times. The book goes on and on about random facts of the fast food industry that begin to be very repetitive. At some points the author loses the readers interest and could have added other facts to keep one engrossed. Overall the novel, Fast Food Nation, was well written, but a little too lengthy. With its strong arguments and factual evidence, the author was able to fulfill his purpose and make the book enjoyable to read.



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