Animal Cruelty in “Consider The Lobster” by David Foster Wallace Analysis

Table of Content

Animal cruelty is at best a thin line between necessity and abusing g our power of the food chain. The proteins and other great things we get from animals make them essential to our diet. One should understand the reason why humans must eat animals, but, the mistreatment of them is another argument within itself. Animals are forced to live in certain conditions in order to benefit humans. They’re breezed, fed in certain ways, and raised as livestock in order to ensure our diets maintain the balance it needs. Most will make the argument that although this is necessary, we are also obligated to care for the animals we inflict these unfortunate situations upon. David Foster Wallace, a prodigious writer, has made claims regarding the mistreatment of animals in our care in a piece called “Consider The Lobster”. His work always reflects his light and caring approach towards all creatures of this world. “Wallace’s explorations of morality, self-consciousness, addiction, sports, love, and the many other subjects that occupied him are represented here in both fiction and nonfiction.” (Brown, 2014)

Providing for the animals we feed from is not only morally correct; it also makes more sense to make sure we are eating the healthiest livestock possible. Taking animals outside of their responding kingdoms is affecting the course of Mother Nature. When we do this, animals aren’t gaining everything they need to stagnant their populous and they continue to die at an ever growing rate. The mistreatment of most animals comes from our need to eat, or, produce food more effectively. Various different animals are suffering now in different ways. As humans, we raise animals to the benefit of ourselves in order to maximize profit in the food industry. The animals we bring into captivity don’t deserve to live how we often treat them, mainly for the betterment of our dishes.

This essay could be plagiarized. Get your custom essay
“Dirty Pretty Things” Acts of Desperation: The State of Being Desperate
128 writers

ready to help you now

Get original paper

Without paying upfront

Turkeys and chickens are usually exploited for meat have been genetically transformed to grow two times as rapid as their ancestors, causing severe heart and lung issues that kill tens of millions earlier than usual on the slaughter house. Since their legs aren’t able to assist their abnormally heavy bodies, additionally they often emerge as crippled. Ducks and geese raised for the foie gras are pressured and fed massive quantities of food every day through tubes that are often shoved down their throats. They are forced to ingest up to at least one a third of their Body weight in heavy grain-based feed each day, the birds become afflicted with sickness and their livers swell up to ten times their ordinary length. Female pigs used to breed piglets for pork often spend most of their lives in metallic gestation crates barely larger than their bodies. In addition to lameness, which comes with being immobilized for years, the sows be afflicted by open sores because of continuously rubbing their bodies in opposition to the bars in their enclosures.Millions of undesirable male chicks, the offspring of egg laying hens, are discarded on the hatchery each year when they lack motive. If they do not lay eggs and they are meant to be raised profitably for meat. Since they have no economic use to the industry, the chicks are commonly disposed of at the same time as nonetheless alive through unconscionably merciless way. (Farmsanctuary.org)

Wallace, in “Consider The Lobster” pleads with animals on this side of the spectrum. Creations of this world should always be shown affection, regardless of what their purpose is. He uses many instances to show why humans are heartless, and ways we can change our thinking patterns in order to maintain a balance in our mental state. Rather than speaking from the perspective of an animal lover, he simply puts morals in perspective for us. He continuously questions human morals as he digs into our psyches and shows the darkest sides of our ways. Wallace turns the essential lens of this series inward to deal with publicly how he feels tormented by the culinary controversy of the ethical treatment of lobsters. Better put, the work is not about lobsters it is about how we make ethical choices. “It’s not that students don’t ‘get’ Kafka’s humor but that we’ve taught them to see humor as something you get — the same way we’ve taught them that a self is something you just have. No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke — that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle.'(Wallace, 2005)

Wallace is correct when he states that animal cruelty is without a doubt not not morally correct. Wallace is also partially correct while he states that eating lobster is unethical because of motives closer to empathy. My reasoning for partially agreeing with Wallace is that I believe it is true, making lobsters suffer and then consuming them isn’t right. I am in full aid for consuming lobster due to the fact it may be a totally enjoyable meal. But wondering deeper after listening to Wallace’s arguments makes me assume differently regarding getting ready a lobster dinner. To a few readers this enchantment can convince people’s reviews at the reality that consuming lobster is unethical. The big component of why human beings might trade their opinions on how consuming lobster is unethical is because of empathy. Some people, like David Foster Wallace, consider that a lobster’s life need to be no extra crucial than another human. The readers which have the potential to empathize with Wallace’s arguments are the ones on the way to be persuaded to assume again earlier than ingesting lobster.

On the alternative hand, perhaps a few readers can be persuaded about consuming lobster because of empathy but in the world we live in there will continually be those humans so one can disagree with the argument Wallace makes. Which also makes me think deeper about it and in part disagree with Wallace’s wondering. One cause why I would disagree along with his argument due to the fact human beings had been ingesting lobster their entire existence. There are not many human beings like David Foster Wallace that disagrees with the humans ingesting lobster. It makes me consider how human beings eat meat like steak, bird and beef. Those 3 ingredients come from an animal and we barely prevent to reflect onconsideration on how those animals may feel. Most humans may argue that “all existence sooner or later dies” and I can agree with that and by means of ingesting meats and consuming lobster that to some people can be a ethical exercise to live alive and in shape.

Cite this page

Animal Cruelty in “Consider The Lobster” by David Foster Wallace Analysis. (2021, Nov 29). Retrieved from

https://graduateway.com/animal-cruelty-in-consider-the-lobster-by-david-foster-wallace/

Remember! This essay was written by a student

You can get a custom paper by one of our expert writers

Order custom paper Without paying upfront