Journal #1

In the piece of writing Consider the Lobster by David Foster Wallace, the idea of the Maine tradition of cooking lobster, as well as cooking lobster itself, is looked into with much greater detail than would normally be used. He discusses the cruel ways in which lobster is cooked, from being boiled alive, steamed, or having it’s limbs and tail cut off. It forces the reader to question the humanity of these traditions, and whether or not this tradition should be continued as a result. The reason this piece of writing is so interesting and unique is because it not only explores an obscure topic, but also because it provides evidence and perspectives from both sides of the argument. It employs people from both sides, using their opinions as well as quoting them, to build an overall broader perspective on the issue. Normally, writing like this uses perspectives from one side, supporting an opinion that is usually held by the writer. The implications of these unique aspects of his writing is that it opens up the reader to a different way of looking at things. Rather than grab evidence in support of your cause and using it in an argument, this opens people up to the idea of gaining a full perspective on an issue before formulating an opinion. It also forces people to factor in the unknown, and accept that not everything can be known about every topic being investigated. Sometimes, these unknown bits of information could be the deciding factor in winning an argument. However, without this information available, different areas information must be investigated to form the best possible opinion.