Now read Jonathan’s revision, and answer the questions that follow.

Rhetorical Analysis of “Dumpster Diving”

Jonathan Ellis

Lars Eighner’s essay “On Dumpster Diving” details a core aspect of the three-year period when the author and his canine companion were homeless. The text explains the means by which Eighner obtained his food, clothing, and other necessities. The first seven paragraphs of the essay underscore not only the carelessness of the consumer but also the mindfulness of those who depend on the consumer’s refuse to survive. In addition, these paragraphs uncover the truth and allay the misconceptions that people have about the disgusting activity of Dumpster diving. Throughout the introduction of “On Dumpster Diving,” Eighner conveys a message to the reader that individuals should make much more utility of their possessions and stop taking them for granted. He communicates this primarily with his attitude toward the audience, his high-class diction, and his personal storytelling. With these rhetorical strategies, Eighner makes the topic of Dumpster diving interesting rather than nauseating.

From the very onset of the passage, Lars Eighner utilizes a jocular voice with the reader. He begins the passage by mentioning the origins of the term “Dumpster,” enlightening the reader on the roots of the word as a trademark of the Dempster Dumpster company (para. 1). Eighner then goes on to note how he “dutifully capitalized the word although it was lowercased in almost all of the citations Merriam-Webster photocopied for me” (para. 2). On one level, this excerpt is quite comical considering that Eighner is both deeply researching the name of a waste receptacle and paying special attention to capitalizing the term in his writing. On a second level, however, this sentence has a very grave connotation. The effect of this sentence is to glorify dumpsters, which are in fact the sources of property for the homeless. Through his “dutiful capitalization” he divulges a more accurate meaning of Dumpsters as seen through the eyes of the “wino[s]” and “hobo[s]” that rely on them for sustenance and supplies. His hybrid tone allows the reader to enjoy Eighner’s passage without worry over the squalor of Dumpster diving, the matter Eighner is addressing. The humor gives readers an opportunity to audibly chortle along with the essay and thus sustain interest in the piece; the gravity of his tone shows a different side of dumpster diving—not as something degrading, but as a way of life. This double-edged sword that is Eighner’s tone is evident throughout the rest of the introduction and the rest of the entire piece.

Eighner is also very particular with his diction, as well as the phrase “Dumpster diving.” The expression itself “seems to me [Eighner] to be a little too cute and, in my case, inaccurate because I lack the athletic ability to lower myself into the Dumpsters as the true divers do, much to their increased profit” (para. 4). A very funny line indeed this is; in addition to sounding droll, however, Eighner sounds deadly serious in his mention of dumpster diving as not merely a recreational art form, but a lifestyle and necessary skill for the homeless to have in order to survive. Eighner broaches some more “fitting” terms for this activity within the fourth paragraph, such as “scavenging,” “scrounging,” and “foraging”—and even these are used in partial jest. Nevertheless, Eighner’s humor is not to be confused with coyness on the subject. The narrator later delivers a fairly sordid illustration bolstered by the use of anaphora: “I like the frankness of the word ‘scavenging,’ which I can hardly think of without picturing a big black snail on an aquarium wall. I live from the refuse of others. I am a scavenger” (para. 5). The author reveals to the reader the cold, hard truth of Dumpster diving by being direct and guileless—no smoke and mirrors. In doing this he continues to change the attitude of his audience about Dumpster diving for the better, showing his readers a more practical and less repugnant side of the story. Surely after reading Eighner’s piece, the reader will no longer simply look at a Dumpster and retch; for he or she will know the true value of the Dumpster and the importance of Dumpster diving as told by the author.

The fact that Eighner takes pride in his “scavenger” status accentuates worth in what would otherwise be an unenviable position. Eighner writes, “I think it a sound and honorable niche, although if I could I would naturally prefer to live the comfortable consumer life, perhaps—and only perhaps—as a slightly less wasteful consumer owing to what I have learned as a scavenger” (para. 5). The “perhaps—and only perhaps” double qualifier is important. Without the “and only perhaps” portion of this sentence, Eighner risks estranging the reader early in his essay. The last thing he desires to do is sound preachy and condescending, and the extra qualifier prevents him from doing so. As a man who already knows how it feels to be without a home, Eighner has already established great ethos in his essay; he does not want to lose it here. Rather than sounding overbearing, Eighner comes across as humble and cordial to his audience, allowing his audience to feel comfortable with Eighner as a narrator.

However, regardless of how amiable Eighner tries to be with his readers, the fact is this: as a scavenger, he is much thriftier with what he has than the “consumer.” He has come to appreciate his belongings more than the lavish consumer, who is unaware of how it feels to be homeless and has no apparent reason to be mindful with his property. Eighner stresses how wasteful the consumer truly is when he provides a laundry list of necessities that he acquired from Dumpsters—a list that includes a few luxury items as well: “Except for jeans, all my clothes came from Dumpsters. Boom boxes, candles, bedding, toilet paper, medicine, books, a typewriter, a virgin male love doll, change sometimes amounting to many dollars: I acquired many things from the Dumpsters” (para. 6). Such indulgences, Eighner reveals, as boom boxes, a typewriter, and even money are discarded for the “scavengers” to dig out of the Dumpsters. Eighner’s powerful paradox—stating that he extracted the “necessities of life” from Dumpsters and then proceeding to list items that are not essential and yet are thrown away—imparts the lessons he learned without a roof over his head to the readers with a roof over theirs. Through this rhetorical strategy he encapsulates the profligate nature of the larger culture. Eighner hopes that, by giving such an astounding exposition, those spendthrifts who might be reading his essay will go forth and be less prodigal with their personal belongings.

Lars Eighner and his dog, Lizbeth, suffered a great deal on the streets, relying on the litter of others. While they were destitute of a home, however, they were not destitute of frugality. The opening seven paragraphs detail the misconceived gentler notions on Dumpster diving and provide a striking critique of society for the reader to mull over as he or she reads the rest of the essay. “On Dumpster Diving” is a life lesson to the extravagant users, misusers, and abusers of objects. The narrator Eighner had his home, his savings, and ultimately his lifestyle stripped away from him. The same can happen to anyone, especially to the person who takes his or her own life for granted. However, it is better to read about Eighner’s experiences and alter one’s ways than to undergo Eighner’s experiences.