Introduction
Poverty is defined by the population’s social and economic attributes. The problem of poverty remains acute for many countries, but this state of affairs is surprising for economic power. The prevalence of poverty and its negative impact is apparent, so society needs tools to counteract the problem. Everyone at the poverty line worries about how to find food and water because shelters are overcrowded, and even churches cannot always let everyone in. Lars Eighner’s story is documented in a valuable essay in which he discusses the problem of poverty from the perspective of a man who had to dig through a garbage can.
What is Dumpster Diving?
It is necessary to establish what is to be understood by dumpster diving. From Eighner’s point of view, it is a neglect of one’s principles, a loss of values, and dilemmas because poverty forces one to do terrible things. Dumpster digging is an aphorism for a life in which there is no other way but to extract food from a pile of garbage someone has abandoned and left behind. “Eating the yolk out of the garbage” is forever stigmatized by Eighner, who went at it no longer struggling with the shame of eating leftovers (Eighner, 1992, 7). This is probably the American life that everyone fears and tries to escape, even though Eighner claims that there are principles for surviving on food from garbage cans. His statement sounds unconvincing in the context of dysentery that haunts him today.
Eigner’s Principles
Eighner discusses the problem of preserving food quality, which is recognized better by “garbage collectors” than by people who do not dig through the garbage. He attributes this to his principles of safe food retrieval: guided by feelings and common sense, knowing the trash cans and checking them, and answering the question “Why was this thrown away” (Eighner, 1992, 2). He believes this is related to the culture of consumption and the problem of overuse of food: students throw food away because they are unaware of food storage conditions or when defrosting the freezer (Eighner, 1992, 5). Describing the ease with which consumers refuse products because of minor flaws, Eighner indirectly shows that consumers do not appreciate what they have.
Eighner’s example shows the relevance of poverty, in which scraps are recognized as normal for food and opened food in compromised storage conditions as acceptable. It shows contemporary America, in which sharp class divisions provoke sustenance problems and ecological disasters due to excess production being thrown away. Eighner argues that it is okay to be a garbage collector, but it is more likely the consequence of a long life of poverty in which there has never been any other life.
Things Found
Eighner finds many things in the trash cans that give an indication of his perception of digging through trash. He finds yogurt, cheese, and sour cream, which seem safe to him because their storage conditions are almost anything (Eighner, 1992, 4). Through his description of these finds, Eighner builds his line of defense for digging through the trash – safety is paramount. The structure of Eighner’s essay is related to the items he found in the dumpsters. The order in which the products found are described reflects their safety. First, he describes canned foods that can cause botulism, then dry foods, fruits and vegetables, hard candy, and chocolate, which he considers safe.
The problem of exceptional food quality disruption results from the oversaturation of production in modern America. This assertion leads Eighner’s essay to the following important observation: avoiding unfamiliar food is the basis of safety (Eighner, 1992, 6). In particular, Eighner argues that the development of this flair is to his credit, so digging through the garbage cannot be recognized as a mere consequence of poverty. He moves smoothly on to the point that guilt should not accompany a person because of the presence of hunger. A garbage can is not a sentence because the value can be found even at the bottom of the garbage can.
Finding things in bins is part of Eighner’s routine, which he recognizes as usual because he hates it when food goes to waste. Eighner finds many things: pizza and donuts make him more complete (Eighner, 1992, 7), but he has no other way because food may not show up next time. Garbage cans force people to act in various ways, including unethical behavior and violating personal boundaries. Eighner again comes to his main conclusion: discarded things can be sad because he often encounters someone’s diaries or teddy bears (Eighner, 1992, 10). This gives meaning to rummaging through the trash because behind each item is a story that Eighner would like to relive with Lizbeth. He believes that memories and feelings should dominate material objects, so digging through the trash can be overcome.
Conclusion
The problem of poverty and its perception remains relevant every year because the class division in the United States is quite pernicious. Eighner Lars defines himself as digging in the garbage as part of the neglect of principles for survival. He is guided for himself by postulates of food safety that allow him to eat food from garbage cans for a long time successfully. He finds things: an egg yolk, an old record player, and yogurts, and gives them no value. However, each story shapes his attitude toward reality: digging through garbage is necessary, and overcoming it will come at some point.
Reference
Eighner, L. (1992). On dumpster diving. New England Journal of Public Policy, 8(1). Web.