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Essay / Rhetorical Devices in Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace
In the article “Consider the Lobster,” David Foster Wallace fights against the cruel handling of lobsters by basing his thoughts on the annual “Maine Lobster Festival.” Wallace argues that the ethical issues arising from the gratuitous and painful disappearance of lobsters are intended to conciliate festival participants. Wallace propagates moral issues with great concern over the ethical treatment of animals. He presents his thoughts and claims that lobsters feel no pain or self-preservation, which is reasoning intended to blind the eyes rather than an unappealing subject. He used different rhetorical devices in the article to present the controversies over whether it is humane to kill a lobster in a painful and distressed manner. Wallace develops some arguments using pathos, where he includes the footer and endnotes in his thoughts and position on the specific area of the article. The technique allows him to develop a new perspective. Wallace uses rhetorical strategies that he may need to consider. This approach makes him think about different points of view, including those of lobstermen, chefs and meat lovers. Wallace captured the use of pathos in a way that can be compelling when comparing and contrasting lobsters to humans. He grabs readers' attention when he says, "The lobster sometimes clings to the sides of the container or even hooks its claws on the edge of the pot like a person trying to keep from going over the edge of the roof." This statement gives the reader a great feeling of remorse for the lobster, as if it was he who had been placed in boiling water. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayWallace compares the “Lobster Festival to the Nebraska Beef Festival” and places more emphasis on “watching the Trucks stop and live cattle are driven down the ramp and slaughtered right there. Wallace uses this point to make the reader feel guilty when he realizes that he is only thinking of an advertisement for cattle and not lobster. He attempts to emphasize the fact that there is no difference between the two creatures using the techniques presented. He introduces readers to some of the ethics of the argument by implying that it is humane to boil a lobster alive by stating "it is difficult not to feel that they are unhappy or frightened, even if it It’s a rudimentary version of those feelings.” Wallace shows that people should not judge and treat lobster based on pain level. Some arguments are also made using logos as a rhetorical tool. The article contains ideas that lobsters are not human beings and therefore constitutes a reason why there are no ethical considerations when treating them. This makes the reader question and conclude that his lobsters are not human, so other creatures such as cats or cows should be treated the same as the lobster. Logos are introduced when Wallace makes the argument that lobsters can send a sensation of pain to the brain, just like humans. Thus, an appeal presented by Wallace is based on logical reasoning. Wallace used different rhetorical strategies to prove that people treat animals unethically and inhumanely. The use of ethos and pathos is compelling and shows how ingenious the article is. Wallace uses this point to make the reader feel guilty when he realizes that he is only thinking of one..