The Pleasures of Eating: Food and Consumer Culture

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
Work Cited

Introduction

The Pleasures of Eating is an essay discussing food and consumer culture, written by Wendell Berry. Masterfully establishing a strong and authoritative tone, the author talks about a present disconnect between the agricultural industry, its products, and the average city-dwelling buyer. The work appeals to both emotions and hard data in order to make its arguments more convincing, striving to deliver a specific message about eating culture to the masses. As a whole, it is a masterful example of persuasive writing, one that is sadly far too hostile to individuals who need its messaging the most. For the purposes of supporting this assertion, a further look into the work and its arguments will be attempted.

Discussion

The main crux of the essay, the central argument Berry brings to the table is that people have stopped engaging with food as an agricultural act. Products are bought and sold en masse, severing the connection between the producer and the consumer, intentionally depriving the people of knowledge about what they eat. This is done in order to sell more products, make food more appealing and make the production chain most effective. The author uses logos, ethos, and pathos effectively to capture the attention of the reader.

Ethos is evoked in discussions about the ethics of mass food production, and its influence on the agricultural field. The increased rates of production demand profits above all else profit on the suffering of plant life, animals, and humans alike. Berry frames food consumption and production under capitalism as inherently immoral, as it encourages and shelters purposely exploitation. Logos is presented all throughout the work, as the underlying structure of the essay works to present valid and strong reasons for adopting Berry’s views. The man asserts that by “taking control back” from the companies trying to profit off of consumers, people can make better individual food choices and reclaim their connection to nature (Berry). This is done both in hopes of improving the quality of life for individuals and stopping the cruelty of industrialized farming.

Lastly, the appeal to emotions, or pathos, is especially strong in this work. The use of vocabulary is purposeful and grotesque, painting a picture of a complacent consumer mass and greedy companies seeking to profit off of them. The laziness and inability of an average consumer to realize the food journey of the things they buy or eat is highlighted and ridiculed. Much emphasis is put on trying to portray the convenience of modern living as soulless, unnecessarily fast-paced, and disconnected from the natural state of human consumption.

There are two major criticisms that can be made toward the argument presented by Berry. Firstly, man relies heavily on an appeal to nature’s logical fallacy. Much of the problem with today’s consumer culture is derived from it being different, or artificial in some way. This appeal is weak because things that are natural are not always the obvious or best choice in a matter. This type of argument does not highlight any inherent qualities that would make natural solutions better. Another criticism that can be levied toward the text is that it is far too antagonistic. It portrays the consumer as actively complacent, unwilling, lazy, and plain dumb. In the text, Berry degrades the people he is trying to educate, which lessens the impact of the genuinely helpful advice in its latter portion.

Conclusion

This is especially disheartening because the audience Berry is trying to reach is primarily low and lower-middle-class people. Individuals who need to work long hours or struggle to make a living oftentimes do not have the luxury of making better food choices. Home cooking is often cheaper, but access to healthy ingredients and time are all factors that a person may not be able to control. Fast food should not be discussed as a moral failing, because it exists as a necessity and unfortunate reality for those who may struggle to make ends meet. This type of moral posturing discourages good faith discussions and dissuades audiences from adopting new potential eating habits.

Work Cited

Berry, W. “The Pleasures of Eating – Wendell Berry.” Emergence Magazine, Web.

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The Pleasures of Eating: Food and Consumer Culture

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