Let Them Eat Dog 'And Consider The Lobster'

In Jonathan Safron Foer's essay “Let Them Eat Dog” and “Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace, the voice the writer chose to exhibit is very conversational and casual. Wallace details the Maine Lobster Fest in almost photographic detail, being so precise that one can almost smell the lobster rolls and taste the butter on sticky fingers. He peppers his essay with surprising facts about the lobster business such as how lobster was originally eaten only by the very poor and institutionalized. Wallace's essay leads us along with him through exploration of the festival before begging the question, “Is it all right to boil a sentient creature alive just for our gustatory pleasure?” Then his tone changes from the casually familiar to the
Wallace can show us on one hand how huge a tourist attraction the Maine Lobster Fest is, tell us in salivating details what one can find to nosh on, and every detail right down to how long you can expect to stand in line for a freshly cooked lobster and how much you can expect to spend for it. But then he also wonders how many people would line up for a Nebraska Beef Festival in which the attendees stand and watch trucks of cattle drive up and unload to be slaughtered on “the World's Largest Killing Floor.” His tinges of sarcasm work to help soften the blow of his pointed questions. Foer had to choose a more unusual approach because of the utter repugnance at the thought of eating the very animals we let sleep in our beds, ride in our cars, snuggle with on our sofas, and buy all sorts of pricey foods, toys, and other things to make their lives cushy. He knows from start to finish, that despite his clear and concise argument, he's convinced no one. He goes so far as to quote George Orwell's Animal Farm as he states, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” This quote seems to be the crux of his argument. Dogs are more equal than other animals, perhaps because they are slavishly devoted to their human owners, at least in the United States. He valiantly tries
Wallace makes you feel like you're actually at the Maine Lobster Fest as he takes you along, step by step through the deliciously buttery process, but then leaves you alone in a kitchen trying to hold the lid on a boiling pot so a pain stricken lobster can't make his escape. His alternatives to boiling your lobster dinner alive aren't any more appealing. Most cooks would balk at driving a knife down through the lobster's head, or popping him in a microwave. Foer uses facts and figures and a little bit of guilt to make his argument to eating dog more palatable and to make himself more authoritative on the issue. He seems to have done extensive research, draws parallels between the amount of dogs euthanized and devising a plan to end world hunger and detailing how it can all be devised in a humane way. Both writers are assertive, speak with authority and are very effective in detailing their arguments. Their audiences probably won't be boiling up a lobster tonight and if they eat it again it will be with much guilt, but then again dog probably won't be on the menu anytime soon