No matter who they are, where they came from, or what they are like, all people need the same one thing—food. Just because it is a necessity, however, does not mean that people cannot enjoy it. Tom Sietsema is the well-fed food critic of The Washington Post, and it is his job to find the tastiest places to go to scratch that necessary-for-survival itch. In his columns, Sietsema employs a vibrant style of writing that includes a unique style and various rhetorical techniques that mirror his feelings about the restaurant or food he is reviewing.
Sietsema begins each of his reviews the same way; he introduces the restaurant at which he supped. To keep this theme from getting stale, however, the author ironically begins each column in the
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Virtually all of his columns are written in the first-person point of view and read much like a novel. Considering how Sietsema writes almost exclusively about his personal experiences, this makes sense. By using the first-person point of view, he draws the reader into his world; he does not merely tell the reader about his experiences, he invites them to join him there. “We place orders for salt cod croquettes and four-cheese pasta, only to have a waiter return and tell us the kitchen is out of both” (“Hawthorne”). The reader shares in Sietsema’s disappointment—they feel empathetic and get an authentic feeling about the review. Sietsema also employs the second-person point of view in several of his columns. “The sleek Portuguese utensils are so light you wonder how they stay on the table” (“Pineapple and Pearls”). The second-person point of view is even more effective at absorbing the reader into the written world than first-person; the reader is directly referenced and, in this case, will likely start to wonder just how light those utensils actually are. Sietsema really wants his readers to feel his same awe, disappointment, infatuation, or indifference for each location he writes about, so he manipulates his point of view to make sure the readers feel like a part of the story
“Food as thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating,” is an article written by Mary Maxfield in response or reaction to Michael Pollan’s “Escape from the Western Diet”. Michael Pollan tried to enlighten the readers about what they should eat or not in order to stay healthy by offering and proposing a simple theory: “the elimination of processed foods” (443).
Devin Friedman is an interesting writer to analyze because his personable tone with a hint of sarcasm that makes all of the articles entertaining. It is also refreshing to see someone who is not scared to talk about controversial topics such as racism and bisexuality, but knows how to maintain a professional attitude towards it. Although Devin wrote many articles regarding travel, crime, and lifestyle, I wonder if he would ever write a food review. I think it would be interesting to read a food article written by Devin Friedman because he does not seem like the type of person who is scared to tell the truth (with a hint of sarcasm). Every person can write a story, but it is hard to come by a witty person who knows how to capture the moment within the story like Devin Friedman.
In the narrative “Food Is Good” author Anthony Bourdain humorously details the beginning of his journey with food. Bourdain uses lively dialogue with an acerbic style that sets his writing apart from the norm. His story began during his childhood and told of the memories that reverberated into his adulthood, and consequently changed his life forever. Bourdain begins by detailing his first epiphany with food while on a cruise ship traveling to France. His first food experience was with Vichyssoise, a soup served cold.
“Don’t Blame the Eater” is an article by David Zinczenko that explains to Americans, specifically overweight young Americans, about the risks eating at fast food restaurants and its cause of affecting one’s health. In his article, he tries to address the issue about America’s food industries by using literal devices such as tone, logos, ethos, diction, and organization in order to spread his message. He begins his article by addressing the topic and as he continues writing, he supports his topic by writing about personal experience and moves onto the reasons why his topic in a serious issue. Although he shows an overall clear progress, he does tend to have a few problems with his writing that could be improved.
In a society that is facing numerous problems, such as economic devastation, one major problem is often disregarded, growing obesity. As the American society keeps growing, so does growth of the fast food industry and the epidemic of obesity. In order to further investigate the main cause of obesity, Morgan Spurlock, the film director and main character, decides to criticize the fast food industry for its connection with obesity in America. In his documentary Spurlock performs a radical experiment that drives him to eat only from McDonald's and order a super-sized meal whenever he is asked. By including visual and textual techniques, rhetorical appeals, and argumentative evidences, Morgan Spurlock was able to help viewers know the risks of fast food and how it has caused America to be the world's “fattest country”.
Brook speaks about a woman named Kelly Bower and her suggestions for solving this problem in low-income neighborhoods. One of Bower’s suggestions is having local policymakers find ways to convince supermarkets and grocery stores to locate in “food desert” areas. According to Sanger-Katz’s article, policymakers have relocated the supermarkets to improve the health of poor neighborhoods but people are still choosing the same foods. People still choose the same unhealthy food because they prefer to eat that kind of food. Obesity is becoming a big problem in America and Finley says that “drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys” because there are more fast food restaurants than there are grocery stores. In the article “Giving the Poor Easy Access,” Sanger-Katz talks about a man named Brian Elbel, who did a study with grocery stores, and he states “improving access, alone, will not solve the problem” of food
Kristof, Nicholas D. "When Food Kills: [Op-Ed]." The New York Times 12 June 2011: Wk.10. New York Times. Web. 29 Apr. 2014. .
Harvey, Blatt. America’s Food: What You Don’t Know About What You Eat. 1st ed. Cambridge:
Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York: Perennial, 2002.
“Out of every $1.50 spent on a large order of fries at fast food restaurant, perhaps 2 cents goes to the farmer that grew the potatoes,” (Schlosser 117). Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser brings to light these realities in his bestselling book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. Schlosser, a Princeton and Oxford graduate, is known for his inspective pieces for Atlantic Monthly. While working on article, for Rolling Stone Magazine, about immigrant workers in a strawberry field he acquired his inspiration for the aforementioned book, Fast Food Nation:
She was able to evoke emotions by her choice of negatively charged words towards the other author, Stephen Budiansky, and his work, Math Lessons for Locavores. By the end of the article, the reader developed strong negative views concerning the other article solely on Trueman’s diction and her tone. By writing, “Throw in a bunch of dubious and/or irrelevant statistics that appear to be truly locally sourced-i.e., pulled out of your own behind,” and “What’s so maddening about sloppy op-eds like this is that they give fodder to folks who hate the very notion that their food choices have any consequences beyond their own waistlines and bank balances”, Trueman expresses her dislike of Budiansky’s thoughst on the topic. She describes his article in such a dismissive way that her audiences adopts the same views as her. As a whole, her way of writing creates an overall negative tone towards the article being criticized. While doing this, she also points out flaws in his argument and exposes his faults in reasoning. As a result, his argument becomes invalid in the eyes of the readers and they are left with a clear winning perspective on the issue of the Local Food Movement. Kerry Truman's use of pathos in her critical analysis of Budiansky’s Math Lessons for Locavores was successful in the aspect that she evokes emotions in her
“What should we have for dinner?” (Pollan 1). Michael Pollan, in his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals shows how omnivores, humans, are faced with a wide variety of food choices, therefore resulting in a dilemma. Pollan shows how with new technology and food advancement the choice has become harder because all these foods are available at all times of the year. Pollan portrays to his audience this problem by following food from the food chain, to industrial food, organic food, and food we forage ourselves; from the source to a final meal and, lastly he critiques the American way of eating. Non-fiction books should meet certain criterions in order to be successful. In his book The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, Michael Pollan is able to craft an ineffective piece of non-argumentative non-fiction due to a lack of a clear purpose stated at the outset of the book, as well as an inability to engage the reader in the book due to the over-excessive use of technical jargon as well as bombarding the reader with facts.
What is writing style? I started out thinking that writing style is a personal thing and that all writers have their own style. But, this way of thinking is really just a simple way to answer the question. After more careful thought, I realized that style is actually quite the opposite of personal and original. Style is a form of standardization. As writers, we all follow certain rules and guidelines to make our point. Style is these rules and guidelines.
Every author has something similar about their writings. Whether it is the tone of the story, or the setting. In Sherman Alexie’s writings he uses the same setting of an Indian reservation. It’s interesting to learn about another culture in many different ways. In Sherman Alexie’s stories, “This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix Arizona” and “Indian Education”, Alexie talks about how Indians adapt to certain situations. The short stories have setting and symbolism in common. Many people can relate to both of the stories by Sherman Alexie. They are situations that happen in every one’s life. The thing that most likely doesn’t happen in every one’s life is the symbolism and stereotyping of Indian culture. Three ways Alexie’s writing style pulls
While some may find it pointless to read about food, the depth of the potential topics for food blogs seems to cover every corner of the world. Even the pickiest eater with the smallest of budgets and appetites might be able to find an appealing blog about financially strapped but particular, bird-like eaters. If the blogger loves food enough, often it becomes the center of widely appreciated writing. From The Impulsive Buy’s intensely wrong comparisons to Always with Butter’s striking photography, from cupcakes to Zombie Burgers, or from the strictest of vegans who only shop at Whole Foods to the hardcore bacon lover who eats a Baconator every day, there is no shortage of topics about food and a food blog to cover it.