Origins of French fries

Eric Schlosser’s fast food nation first appeared in magazine, Rolling Stone in 1998 as an article. In this article, Schlosser aims to convince his readers about the origin of the tasty French fries and how it has become a fast food staple in American households. According to (Schlosser 19)” Simplot sold his frozen fries to other restaurant chains, accelerating the growth of the fast food industry and changing the nation’s eating habits”. Descriptive, chronological and discursive imagery are the techniques that Schlosser uses to capture the attention of readers as he builds a strong, convincing essay.Schlosser begins his essay but discreetly describing the Simplot plant location where the first French beans and fried potatoes were first made.

He describes the way to the plant and the population of the Aberdeen town, giving directions to the exact location of the plant. Using words such as ‘turn right’, ‘an old hamburger stand exemplifies this fact. He also describes the plant as being low and square, clean and neat. This technique immediately establishes the essay as informative and public. It is a great way to capture the reader’s interest.Schlosser arouses emotions of smell when he uses imagery in form of a simile in introducing the plant.

He simply says” it smells like someone is cooking potatoes”(Schlosser 20). Similes used in this form makes the essay to be fairly interesting, by lightening the mood of the essay (Longaker 24). It is also quite easy for readers to relate to personal experiences of smelling something. Shortly after capturing the reader’s interest through imagery, the Schlosser begins using contrast. Schlosser uses contrast in tandem with situational irony to describe the founder of the Simplot plant.He is described as being an important figure in one of the country’s most conservative states.

Schlosser displays the contradictory traits of a man who is considered important to a country and yet he is not learned. ” He rebelled against his domineering father, dropped out of school at the age of fifteen, and left home”. How could you be important to a country and yet you are rebellious to your own father? Schlosser shows situational irony again by using hyperbole on a man who was willing to take risks to build an empire based on French fries.He says” In a portrait that hangs above the reception desk at the Aberdeen plant, J. R. Simplot has the sly grin of a gambler who’s scored big”(Schlosser 25).

It is ironical that Schlosser exaggerates Simplot’s portrait and character, and yet the readers already know that Simplot is capable of doing that. Midway the essay Schlosser immediately shifts focus from contrast to explaining events using a chronological structure. This structure is intended to capture the American audience, due to the revisiting of historical facts of the world war. ” The J. R.

Simplot Dehydrating Company soon perfected a new method for drying potatoes and became one of the principal suppliers of food to the American military during World War II”(Schlosser 25). The chronological order of events in is exhilarating in the essay; from the birth of Simplot in 1909 to his 90th birthday following his success in the company. This order or events causes the readers to reflect on the essay, following a long and productive life history. ” Simplot was born in 1909”. He dropped out of school at the age of fifteen, and at sixteen, he became a potato farmer.

At his old age, he is a multibillionaire. Throughout the essay, Schlosser uses a descriptive tone to address his proponents. He describes the type of attitude that Simplot has and the type of cars he drives. ” He wears cowboy boots and blue jeans, eats at McDonald’s, and drives his own car, a Lincoln Continental with license plates that say “MR. SPUD. ” (Schlosser 28) This tone enhances a reader’s attention plus giving an insight to the closer details of the life of the man.

This tone enhances the writer’s purpose of informing and motivating the readers throughout the essay.The purpose is consistent throughout the essay as Schlosser finishing remarks in this context encourages people to hang on at the peak of their success. “The only thing I did smart, and just remember this—ninety-nine percent of people would have sold out when they got their first twenty-five or thirty million. I did not sell out.

I just hung on. ” (Schlosser 39)By achieving the purpose of informing and motivating the readers, Schlosser was able to involve their emotions to this context as it was appealing.Schlosser also employs the use of dialog in his essay to a great effect. This dialogue captures the attention of the readers by offering insight to the man’s behaviour.

At one point, he describes his potato empire a matter of fact by stating “it is big and real, it is not bulls-t”(Schlosser 37) When Schlosser asked Simplot about the key to his success, he replies, “Hell, fellow, I’m just an old farmer got some luck” by dialoguing as Schlosser, an attitude of imitation springs up in a readers mind. He might maybe need some luck.Descriptive analysis that Schlosser employs in this context of fast food relays vivid images which stand out in the memoirs of the readers. Schlosser developed this essay on the back of a historical perspective of the French fries Company. He later ascertains the life of the founder, which is relevant to today’s popularity of the food in the American households. This image of success that forms in a readers mind enforces Schlosser’s purpose of informing the readers about the origin of the French fries.

Schlosser’s use of humour, hyperbole and sarcasm is evident in this context. The assertion that the old man, despite retiring in the year 1994 keeps on buying more land for farming is quite humorous. He further employs sarcasm when he says that he did not sell out his company when he made millions as other people do. This translates the end of the context as ridicule and mockery of people who have fear of sojourning in their business at an old age. Hyperbole is seen when Schlosser says that Simplot flies a gigantic American flag on a pole that is ten stories high.

This is over exaggeration of facts and ideas that brings readers to a conflict. Schlosser uses these tropes to convey a message that he felt did not come out well in trying to fix the final picture and meaning of the context. He uses these styles when he has no other option at his disposal. By employing all these writing styles and method, Schlosser succeeds in building a strong effective and informative essay which enables the readers to understand the origin of French fries.