Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer Lit. Analysis

Part 1: The book starts off in Foer's early years telling of the world's greatest cook (when he was younger) his grandmother; his fatherhood, when he started researching for the book: and his wife and their label as vegetarians who sometimes ate meat. The book being non-fiction, partially autobiographical, and informative, it lacked a climax. The book goes on to tell the relationship of "farm animals" to household pets, the technology that is harming our sea life, words and their meaning, farming and farmers, the effect of genetically modified food, the effect of farm animals on the environment, and ends with a chapter on thanksgiving, more specifically, the turkeys.

Part 2: The main theme of this book is facing reality. "While it is always possible to wake a person who is sleeping, no amount of noise will wake a person who is pretending to be asleep" stated by Foer. Foer decided to focus on this theme because the dangers of ignorance. Factory farming genetically farmed food is not beneficial to us besides producing a lot of meat that we don't need and is harmful to us, animals, and the environment.

Part 3:  Being non-fiction, the closest to a protagonist is Foer himself. Foer is a well-rounded guy who can see two sides of the story. While being a vegetarian and seeing that meat is not necessary for human consumption, he still has respect for farmers that take care of and treat animals correctly. "But I went to farms where animals were treated better than I treat my dogs, and it would be impossible to honestly try to argue that they don't have good lives. So, of course, they're killed in the end, but our lives are destined for death also." This statement by Foer shows that he has respect for progress being made in ending factory farming.

Part 4: A significant symbol from the novel would be a food label, free-range, fresh, and organic. These labels almost mean nothing. Free-range means "access to the outdoors", which could mean a small door that is sometimes open at the end of the shed containing 30,000 chickens. "Fresh" can be frozen and there is no time component to food freshness. To be organic the animal has to be raised on organic feed, traced through their life cycle, not fed antibiotics or growth hormones, and have "access to the outdoors." the book, being about the food industry, shows the misconception that consumers have because the little information food corporations have to provide about where their food comes from.

Part 5: When I saw the book it appealed to me because I'm vegetarian and I knew it would relate to me. I also enjoy learning about our food industry and the effects it has on people, animals, and the environment.

Part 6: Since the book is non-fiction these events really do happen and it's eye opening to read or see about how the food on your table came to be. About a year and a half ago I saw an opportunity, one of my really close friends was a vegetarian, and me not being someone who likes to join things on their own, I hopped on the train.

Part 7: "Common Farming Exemptions (CFE) make legal any method of raising farmed animals so long as it is commonly practiced in the industry." The CFE is definitely something I will remember because it's insane how the government give corporations power to define what's cruel in the farming industry.

Latin Roots #6

Roots and Derivatives

1. corp(or) (body): corpse, corporation, corps, corpuscle, corporeal, corpus, corset
2. cred (to believe, to trust): credo, credit, discredit, credence, credentials, accreditation
3. cur(r), curs, course (to run, to flow): current, excursion, discourse, concur, recourse, curriculum, recurrent
4. dic(t) (to speak, to say): diction, indication, edict, jurisdiction, dictionary, addict, interdiction

Word List

Benediction: n :the invocation of a divine blessing, at the close of a religious service; a blessing or a state of blessedness

·         The benediction of the funeral was very long as every person blessed their beloved family member.

Concourse: n :a running or flowing together; a broad public walkway or hallway; a crowd or throng

·         The concourse to the main stage was very crowded.

Concurrent: a :occurring at the same time; meeting or acting together

·         The amount of feces being produced in factory farms is concurrent at about 80,000 pounds per second.

Corporal: a :related to the physical body

·         A corporal examination of your body is often called a physical.

Corpulent: a :very stout; fleshy and obese; fat

·         In ancient times being corpulent in size was a sign of wealth.

Credibility: n :the quality of being believable or trustworthy

·         The bank will not loan you money if you have bad credibility.

Credulity: n :the (naive) willingness to believe too easily without proof

·         The credulity of my mom combined with the sarcasm of my brother causes her to be confused often.

Cursory: a :done in a superficial or hasty manner

·         The cursory manner of our meat production in factory farms causes cruelty to animals.

Dictum: n :an authoritative saying or  maxim

·         My teachers use of dictums annoy me as they always state the obvious

Incorporate: v  :to form into one body or functioning unit; to combine several different things into a whole

·         The game studio decided to incorporate all their previous games into one for the next generation of gaming systems.

Incredulous: a :not believing, skeptical, or doubting

·         The community shows an incredulous feeling on where there tax money goes to.

Indicative: a :characteristic of or very much like; suggestive

·         The  label was indicative of warnings and precautions.

Greek Drama ?'s

1. A bull or goat was won by dancing choruses of worshipers.
2. As many as fourteen thousand spectators gathered in the open-air Theater of Dionysus.
3.  Masks had exaggerated mouthpieces that amplified the voices of the actors.
4. The audiences of Antigone were full of suspense due to their knowledge of things the characters on stage didn't know.
5. The shepard was supposed to leave the infant on the mountainside with his knees pinned together.
6. The Sphinx's riddle was "What creature goes on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs in the evening?"
7. Oedipus' kids are Polyneices, Eteocles, Antigone, and Ismene.
8. After Oedipus is exiled Jocasta's brother, Creon, takes over Thebes.
9.  Creon gave Eteocles a hero's burial and Polyneices body was left to rot outside the gate of Thebes.

Antigone Quick Write

Antigone Quick Write

            If I were in Antigone’s position I would be clueless, would I break the law and bury my brother or would I live a life of guilt? When it comes down to stressful situations I go in to a complete panic mode, but in this situation I would do what’s right and bury a family member that I love.

            No matter how scared I would be, I would stand up for what’s right as “If nothing matters there’s nothing to save.” It’s unjust for my uncle to bury my brother who started the battle, but leave my other brother for the scavenger birds to eat. So first, I would try to persuade my sister, who would say no due to her fear of execution and unlike Antigone, I wouldn't hold it against her because she was scared and I would understand her point of view on the situation.

            I would then study the correct time to execute my plan, likely to be at night. I would take some type of transportation for my brothers’ body and a shovel. When approaching the site of my brother I would take a lot of safety procedures to cover up the evidence and be aware of my surroundings.

            After retrieving his body I would take him to a remote location say my good byes and bury him. I would then start talking to people in the city of a removal of power from the king, my uncle, and his cruel rules.

Jonathan Safran Foer Webinar

1. a) The webinar was informative and indirectly persuasive as Foer said the book was not meant to turn people vegetarian but to inform people of the topic of eating animals.
    b) Jonathan Safran Foer
    c) Jonathan Safran Foer Webinar
d) 10-28-14
e) Today we watched and participated in a live stream of sorts with the author of Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer. Foer started off the seminar on a brief description of the book by telling very little of the connection between food, animals, and the environment. After, we had a Q+A session where students asked him questions about the book.
f)(I) Foer's explanation for not eating meat is very interesting and as simple as "why would I kill something when I don't have to." I found this interesting as I am a vegetarian and when people ask me why I don't eat meat I reply with the same thing.
(II) A stand out moments is Foer's response to the question "How do you obtain the protein you need since you don't eat meat?" This is probably the most asked question for a vegetarian. Foer states vegetarians lead healthy and longer lasting lives opposed to meat eaters and Americans eat way too much meat, which is harmful.
(III)Another stand out moment was Foer's response to "If there were no factory farming would you eat meat?" He stated he would still be vegetarian as he himself finds it morally wrong to kill and eat animals if you don't have to, I definitely agree. 
(IV) An extra stand out moment was his prediction that in 10 years 50% of food choices will be vegetarian. I've thought about it and I can see it happening as well, and hopefully it does because there aer not many options, especially here in Santa Maria.
2. This webinar related to me in the fact that I am vegetarian and although it was barely persuasive or informative as I thought it would be, I agreed with all the answers to the Q+A such as the ones above.

Latin Roots #5

Roots and Derivatives

1. cent(i) (hundred): century, centipede, centennial, centigrade, centimeter
2. cid(e) (cut,kill): homicide, incision, suicide, scissors, circumcise
3. clam, claim (cry out, declare): clamor, exclaim, proclaim, disclaim
4. cord, cour (heart): accord, courage, encouraged, cordiform, cordate

Word List

bicentennial:a,n:(related to) a celebration of a two hundredth anniversary: a, happening once in a period of two hundred or lasting two hundred years

        The bicentennial sight of the asteroid in orbit is amazing.
centenarian:n: a person who has lived to be one hundred

         The centenarian's birthday party was not very eventful as he could not move.
centurion:n,a: Roman officer commanding one hundred men: a, related to the military mind. especially as it favors military solutions for handling social problems

         A country ran by a centurion thinker would star a lot of wars.
clamorous:a: characterized by continuous loud and complaining voices: noisily complaining; insistent

        The clamorous crowd upset me as I had trouble hearing the musician.
concise:a:covering much in a few words; brief and to the point

        Concise lectures are the most beneficial to my learning.
concordance:n:a condition of harmony or agreement; an alphabetical index indicating reference passages, as from a writer's works

       The book contained a concordance of passages from the Bible.
cordial:a: of the heart: warm and friendly; amiable

       When I read the cordial valentines card I knew I have found love.
discordant:a: (sounding) harsh or inharmonious; clashing

       Sadly, the choir sounded discordant.
genocide:n: systematic extermination of an ethnic group

       Hitler is known for his genocide of the Jewish people.
incisive:a: keenly penetrating; cutting into

       The remarks that were made about me were incisive and i questioned myself.
proclamation:n: an official statement or announcement that informs or honors

      I attended the proclamation of academically excellent students last night.
reclaim:v: to claim again; to restore to former importance or usefulness

     The Declaration of Natural Rights reclaimed ideas of the Enlightenment.

Latin Roots #4

Roots and Derivatives

1. bon, boun(good): bonus, bounty, bountiful, bonify, boon, bon voyage, bonhomie
2. capit, capt(head, chief, leader): capital, captain, capitalize, decapitate, per capita, capitol
3. carn(i)(flesh):Carnal, carnality, carnival, carnation, carnify
4. ced(e), ceed, cess(go, yield, surrender): recede, proceed, sucess, concede, exceed, procession, unprecedented

Word List

accession:n: the attainment of a certain rank or dignity, an increase by means of something added; the act of becoming joined
        The accession of General is very honorable in the army.
bona fide:a: in good faith; genuine
        The apology was told in a bona fide manner so if forgave him.
bonanza:n: a sudden and unexpected source of money or riches; a windfall
         Hopefully, i will get my bonanza of work done so i could go out with my family.
bounteous:a: inclined to be generous;  plentiful and abundant
         The park has a bounteous amount of trees .
capitulation:n: a surrendering, usually upon prearranged terms or conditions; a final giving up
          In 1781, the British made a capitulation, and they separated from the colonies.
carnage:n: great slaughter, as in battle
         The carnage of the Spartans was brutal.
carnivorous:a: flesh-eating, as an animal
        T-rex's are very carnivorous animals who brutally killed their  prey
incarnate:a: literally, in the flesh; in bodily form; personified; flesh colored
         The substitute was so rude, it was like she was an incarnate of the devil.
intercede:v: to act on another's behalf; to  mediate
        A substitute teacher can act as a intercede for a teacher
precedent:n,a: a previous act or decision taken as a valid model; a, having gone before
        The Greeks model of government is a precedent in our modern government.
recapitulation:n: a brief repetition; a summary, as of what has already been said
         The recapitulation helped me understand the book.
reincarnation:n: a thing that is reborn, or comes back into being, although perhaps in a different(bodily) form
         If i was reincarnated I would want to be a type of bird.