Script for presentation

• The imagery of reward in distance vs. feared obstacle in the foreground.
• Long road to goal.
• PA appearing to be pleasant but hiding a menace behind her.
• Ridiculous exaggeration of syringe to project irrational and overwhelming fear.

2014-10-01

1. First visit to Druther’s.
2. Learn to love.
3. Immunization/broken trust.
4. Comfort, attachment.
5. Separation.
6. Reintroduction to Druther’s.
7. Evaluation.

 

3, 1, 4, 2, 5, 7, 6

1, 2, 3, 7, 5, 4, 6 – Possible, but not “true”.

7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 – Write thoughts first,t hen step back through order of story in reverse narrative. Could work with effort.

 

Review of Food Memoir Introduction.

Look over your peer’s comments. Write a short reflection on what you plan to do in your next draft.

Both of my group members commented on my use of language and diction, or rather overuse of it. It appears I will need to tone down the level of wording used. This may prove difficult as my use of strong diction is a natural inclination, not a conscious decision.

An undercurrent was that the reading should be tailored more for a general audience.

Are your peers comments helpful? Why or why or not.

The comments themselves were well thought. Whether or not they will prove helpful hinges on my ability to follow properly.

Q: Based off of your reading of Foer’s Storytelling, what is a food memoir? 

It’s hardly a clever conclusion to draw, but in reading Jonathan Foer’s work, I found the so-called “food memoir” functions less as a strict genre and more as a storytelling framework used to explore broader ideas. Food, in this case, feels more like a vessel than a theme. It becomes a subject through which the author delivers philosophical, emotional, and ethical commentary.

In my view, you could replace food with children, cars, religion, or nearly any other personally meaningful topic, and the structure of the narrative – even much of its tone – would remain intact. That suggests the story isn’t truly about food alone. It’s about belief, identity, and internal conflict. Food just happens to be the chosen lens.

Definition

A food memoir is a general memoir in which food serves as the narrative entry point – not necessarily the defining focus. It is one of many interchangeable subjects used to explore deeper personal or cultural themes.

WRD 110 – Reading Response

Almost immediately upon starting the assigned reading from Eating Animals, I found myself waiting for the inevitable payoff – the explosive thought bomb. It’s a common narrative device: begin with what seems like a non-sequitur, let the reader’s curiosity simmer, then deliver a sudden pivot meant to jolt the audience into a new frame of mind. The tactic worked. The opening tale circles around to a hard-hitting line – “If nothing matters, there’s nothing to save” – intended to anchor the reader emotionally. While I agree with the sentiment, I couldn’t help but feel it was also a pointed nudge – a soft coercion toward accepting the author’s moral authority.

That moral authority, while never overtly declared, is unmistakable: eating animals is wrong. Foer insists the work is not meant to convert or judge. Yet throughout the essay, the problems with eating meat are detailed with care, while the arguments in favor of it are barely addressed or brushed aside. What is presented as introspection often reads as confession. Foer’s tone is that of a man striving for an ideal he already accepts as correct – vegetarianism. His struggle is not about whether the ideal is valid, but about whether he can live up to it. What I find troubling is that the premise itself – that abstaining from animal consumption is morally superior – is never actually questioned. It is simply treated as a moral default, a virtue one must aspire to. This leaves little space for open dialogue.

Rather than challenge that ideal with personal narrative, I’ll instead lean into what matters most in effective communication: knowing your audience. Our class is diverse, and opinions about food – particularly ethical food choices – vary widely. Some students strongly support Foer’s conclusions. Others, myself included, are less convinced. This isn’t a simple discussion, and to unpack the full debate would go well beyond the scope of a single response. Instead, I would encourage a close and critical reading of the piece and invite you to consider the following:

• Did you find the work pragmatically informative, emotionally persuasive, or both?
• What types of evidence were offered to support the author’s point of view?
• If you were to communicate the same message, what changes – if any – would you make to improve its reception across a broader audience?

Thank you for taking the time to consider this response.