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The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollen

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Omnivores’ Dilemma Rhetorical Analysis
In The Omnivores’ Dilemma Michael Pollen’s objective is address, educate and convince the reader by analyzing our diets. He mentions we have become oblivious to what we are eating. Sometimes we wonder where our food comes from, and what ingredients are in it. Pollan states, “we would rather eat in ignorance”(11). The underlying message here is if people know what they are eating, they might not be able to eat comfortably again. Pollan uses this message to gain the reader’s attention. Pollan creates an illustration to help the audience visualize his experience. He also implements personal anecdotes and compare & contrast techniques to effectively persuade the reader, that what they are eating is unhealthy.
Today omnivores have a wide selection of food to choose from. It is difficult for omnivores to decide what to eat. Pollan uses the example “The koala doesn’t worry about what to eat: If it looks and smells and tastes like a eucalyptus leaf, it must be dinner” (3). Pollan is using figurative language which requires the reader to use their imagination. In addition he is referring to our alienation with food. We can no longer pick up something without questioning what it is comprised of. Omnivores have a wide selection of food and a koala only has one. Another comparison Pollan makes is “The hunter gatherer picking a novel mushroom off the forest floor and consulting his sense of memory to determine its edibility”. The hunter can

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