Short Story: Strangers In The Dumpster

We never thought of pot as a drug. It was grass, herb, a non-addictive high that set your mind free and your spirit soaring. Smoking a joint was a way of connecting with young people. If you got high you were cool, if you didn’t you were straight, and ‘never the twain shall meet.’ (Ponzio, 1999)

My summary about “Serving Florida” by Barbara Ehrenreich and “On dumpster diving” by Lars Eighner.

“On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner he gives us an autobiographical account of his life and how he was homeless after he lost his job as an attendant in Austin, Texas’s state hospital. The story begins to focus on Eighner’s experiences of scavenging through dumpsters for food because people waste food and he does not have any to eat. He begins his argument and tells us how he was always fascinated by dumpsters and said: “long before I began Dumpster diving I was impressed with Dumpsters” (Eighner 2013). As I began to read this article I was disgusted that a man could eat out of the trash can.

Barbara Ehrenreich’s, “Serving in Florida” and Lars Eighner, “On Dumpster Diving” are both essays that share common similarities, but one similarity, in particular, is the overall focus on sharing the story of the homeless or poor American in American society today.

In his essay, "On Dumpster Diving", Lars Eighner speaks of his time spent as a homeless man. Eighner states in detail the steps needed in order to successfully become a scavenger of dumpsters based on his own experiences. Though the essay could appear to just be a useful manual there is an underlying message. Lars Eighner effectively uses argumentation, process analysis, and tone to demonstrate that society is wasteful.

In the texts, “Serving in Florida”, by Barbara Ehrenreich, and “On Dumpster Diving”, by Lars Eighner, both authors have different and similar inputs about being below the poverty line. In Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Serving in Florida” the author talks about having to survive with little pay from jobs. Ehrenreich uses negative connotations throughout her text. While in Lars Eighner’s “On Dumpster Diving” uses positive connotations when putting emphasis on having no job and dumpster diving isn’t as bad as most people make it seem.

“On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner is an eye opening piece, which shows how even the most minimally simplistic lifestyle can have a sense of home. While many people do not see life as meaningful without riches, Eighner shows us otherwise. In effect, Eighner gives me a different perspective on how much our society takes for granted by having a first person view, seeing the arrogance of our actions, and noticing a pleasant life does not have to include riches. Seeing it from the other side of the spectrum, I have come to realize the disappointing fact that while it may seem that we do not realize how wasteful we are, there are people with need desperately needing and looking for our squandered goods. With Eighner showing us this lifestyle through his eyes, it gives me a deeper understanding of dumpster diving.

The consumer culture of America has led to a generation that believes obtaining the latest Iphone or an expensive car is essential for happiness. Eighner, in “On Dumpster Diving,” declares they are wrong. In “On Dumpster Diving,” Eighner describes his unique personal experiences from living on the street, and reflects on the lessons he learned from his experiences. Through meaningful syntax and diction, and a non-critical tone, Eighner challenges the audience to question their futile hunt for meaningless objects and wastefulness, and consider living by the lessons Eighner learned on the streets.

1．In Lars Eighner’s essay “On dumpster diving”, the author shows his unique personal experiences on the street and the interesting stories with dumpsters. After reading the article, I can describe the author’s attitude toward material possessions as: The prosperity of material and money is not the standard of his moral value. He cares more about the spiritual fulfillment, which is do some meaningful things he felt. And the difference of his attitude from other members of society is he really enjoyed his life, while other people, put into his situation, would rather die or fight for anything to get a better life. He used his knowledge and confidence to successfully survive in the hard environment and enjoy it a lot.

Homelessness is increasing every year and effecting Americans of different age, ethnicity and religion. In Lars Eighner “On Dumpster Diving” he explains what he went through while being homeless. He describes how and what foods someone should be looking for and to always be conscious of what one is eating because there is always a reason why something has been thrown out. He continues to go into detail about other items that can be found in the dumpster like sheets to sleep on and pieces of paper to write on. Things that can keep him busy through the day. Eighner carefully explains to his readers how being a dumpster diver has become a life style for the homeless and this is how they survive. It’s a way of living and they are comfortable

Subtle drug use throughout the show plays a role in the character’s lives in not only just “The Circle.” This shows the prevalence of marijuana use during the 1970’s among young people. Kitty and Red specifically disapprove of recreational drug use among characters. With Kitty being a nurse by profession, she is medically aware of when her son, Eric, has been smoking marijuana. She plays a role of a typical portrayal of a housewife but she is much more aware of what is going on than viewers know. This subtlety gives That 70s Show an anti-drug message, stating that it is okay for young people to smoke marijuana but when you are a responsible adult (like Kitty and Red), it is no longer acceptable. In addition, with “The Circle” the creators

In Lars Eighner’s short essay “On Dumpster Diving”, he describes his experience of being homeless and the art of dumpster driving. Eighner prefers being referred to as a scavenger rather than a dumpster driver. Eighner stated “I like the frankness of the word scavenging. I live from refuse of others. I am a scavenger.” (383) He describes scavenging as a full time job, that requires a lot of effort. He believes that if one follows certain guidelines and rules, with doing so this could possibly help one to become efficient. One rule is knowing good place and time to look for food and other items, that could be useful. Another rule is knowing how to eat safely from a dumpster . Eighner said

P. 42 – Ruby is on Molly and talks about getting roofies. We like the runner that Ruby is the one who actually knows about drugs because she’s been partying her way through Europe but at times it feels like this becomes too much of her defining characteristic and thus, Ruby doesn’t feel as fully fleshed out as a character. We’d love to pick and choose the moments in which she’s high (or looking for her next high). This scene on the bus might be an opportunity to tone down or cut Ruby’s drug talk/use, especially since in the last scene she was just on ecstasy and it we don’t want it to feel like a redundant

In today’s society, there is an abundance of waste. This is clear in observing how people live, we often throw out items because we want something better. Lars Eighner, author of "On Dumpster Diving," writes about his experiences being homeless and how he survived on the waste of others. This provides insight on how the phrase "one man's trash is another man's treasure," is true. Jeremy Seifert, who directed the documentary Dive!, also talks about how he survives off of other people's waste, but this was a decision he made. As they tell of their experiences, Seifert and Eighner both come to the conclusion that society is wasteful. While both individuals provided good information, I believe Seifert presented the better argument. Both of

“You look like a mad witch” She whispered, voice raspy and low. Blue eyes narrowed while Blake got up and slowly brought her into a loose embrace. Mad witch or not, Weiss was still extremely huggable and her cat like mind made it very clear that it was time for some cuddles. And more sleep. Even if Weiss was fine with satiating her cat like manners, letting the black haired girl go back to la la land wasn’t part of her plans for now. Pushing the girl back