Rhetorical Analysis On Dumpster Diving

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On Dumpster Diving” Rhetorical Analysis
In Lars Eighner’s “Dumpster Diving,” he describes his experiences and lessons learned while he was homeless and struggling to live with his dog and companion, Lizabeth. Lars uses a tone that is first informative, and then later becomes critical by using many rhetorical and literary devices, such as ethos, pathos, imagery, diction, and flashbacks throughout in order to defend his theme. Although it is stated that he is giving tips on literal dumpster diving, the prevalent theme is that people should value their belongings and appreciate what we have. The characters are Lars and Lizabeth, and the story is told in a first person perspective by him. The setting according to the story is a dumpster, as he …show more content…
He exposes his feelings in order for his theme and lessons learned to teach the reader. In the second section of the piece, he enters it by explaining how to survive as a dumpster diver, and transitions into the final section to explain the emotions rummaging through trash left him with. For example, Lars finds a shredded wedding book as one of his finds and predicts that there is heartbreak. Another example is when he discovers an “Abandoned teddy bear,” as he assumes that it belonged to a child who could have possibly been punished or maybe too old to own one. Appealing to pathos, Eighner delves into the somber feelings linked to not having a home and although he described finding a meal not being a major issue, it is the unknown stories that affect him most.
Despite the fact that he is homeless and lives out of a dumpster, Lars Eighner exhibits himself as an educated person, even though his knowledge is applied for different things. This piece of his writing appeals to logical thinkers by including ethos, pathos, imagery, diction, and flashbacks into his story and dumpster diving tips. By connecting these appeals and literary devices, the reader can establish credibility with his findings and feel sympathetic for him, as he lives in a dumpster. Hence, people truly get owned by the things they own, and they don’t even realize
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