Outline and Notes
David Foster Wallace- “Consider the Lobster”
Conflict of how to treat lobsters and whether they can feel the way that animals do
- Humans choose to be ignorant and not think about the ramifications of their actions “…My own main way of dealing with this conflict has been to avoid thinking about the whole unpleasant thing” (Wallace 505).
- This is part of lobsters’ modern appeal- it’s the freshest food their is” (Wallace 502)
Jessica Mitford- “The Story of Service”
The practice of embalming and the truth behind it
Mitford questions the embalming system and the secrecy behind it
Humans do not want to know about what really happens behind the scenes because the practice makes them feel good
Hal Herzog- “Animals Like Us”
Similar to Wallace, Herzog questions what the proper, moral, way is to treat other species
- “I oppose testing the toxicity of oven cleaner and eye shadow on animals, but I would sacrifice a lot of mice to find a cure for cancer” (Herzog).
- “Oddly, many cat owners don’t seem to care about the devastation their feline friends cause to wildlife” (Herzog).
Connect to Wallace
I believe, however, that the troubled middle makes perfect sense because moral quagmires are inevitable in a species with a huge brain and a big heart.
