The activity of eating is commonly taken for granted. Wendell Berry
addresses this fact in 'The Pleasures of Eating'. Berry is adamant that anyone can
make a difference in the food industry. 'Most urban shoppers would tell you that
food is produced on farms. But most of them do not know what farms, or what kind
of farms, or where the farms are, or what knowledge of skills are involved in
farming.' (Berry, 124) says Berry. Throughout the piece, Berry examines the
assumptions consumers make about their food and addresses ways these
assumptions can be rethought for an overall healthier society.
Using logos, Berry examines aspects of the issue at hand and creates a
deductive argument. An initial view of the consumerism of food is given, which gives
a broad idea of the state of food consumption. This view gradually narrows down to
a specific call to action to consumers in the form of a numbered list. To begin, Berry
claims that in order for the consumers to fully enjoy the food they consume, they
must also fully comprehend where it came from, how it got to them, and what the
food is really composed of. Berry asserts the importance of this because nowadays,
'The passive American consumer, sitting down to a meal of pre- 'prepared or fast
food, confronts a platter covered with inert, anonymous substances that have been
processed, ' beyond resemblance to any part of any creature that ever lived.' (126)

Berry ignites a disgust in the current state of food. He goes on to provide more
evidence supporting his case such as, 'vegetables grown in huge monocultures are
dependent on toxic chemicals ' just as animals in close confinements are dependent
on antibiotics and other drugs.' (126) in order to display the similarities of
industrial farming between plants and animals. He also goes on to add, 'Many
people are now as much estranged from the lives of domestic plants and animals
(except for flowers and dogs and cats) as they are from the lives of the wild ones.'
(127) In each statement Berry provides definitive evidence to persuade readers to
agree with his displeasure in the state of consumerism of food. By creating a
negative aura around all processed foods, Berry effectively forces the reader to
strongly consider how much they really know about what they are putting into their
bodies. After he creates the general view of the issue, he specifies steps that can be
taken by consumers to fix the state of consumerism of food. In doing this, Berry
successfully completes the deductive argument by creating specific actions that the
reader can take in order to make a change.

For the evidence Berry provides to be as effective as possible, he leads with
rhetorical reasoning by describing the realities of the food making process. He
describes the farms from which the food comes as places that 'degrade and abuse
those arts and those plants and animals and the soil from which they come.' (127)
By doing this, the realties of the food making process along with the serious
consequences of society's food consumption can be easily followed by the reader.
Harsh descriptions of farms where food is produced and subtle hints towards the
health concerns this tainted food may cause are laced throughout. These realities
are the specific facts that Berry wants readers to understand in order to successfully
incite change.

The general consumer has an extreme ignorance as to what his or her food
really consists of although many may believe otherwise. Berry proves this point by
using false reasoning. He uses statements like 'they mostly ignore certain critical
questions about the quality and cost of what they are sold' (124) to entice readers
to rethink their preconceived notions they may posses about the food they consume.
Specifically targeting the fallacy of consumer's knowledge of their food persuades
readers to take a step back and consider the argument thoroughly. Berry then forces
readers to consider the following: 'How fresh is it? How pure or clean is it, how free
of dangerous chemicals? ' When the food product has been manufactured or
'processed' or 'precooked', how has that affected its quality or price or nutritional
value?' (124) By answering these questions, the reader can now consider as well as
begin to realize that their preconceived notions about the food they consume may
all be fallacies.

Wendell Berry is known as an environmental activist and he uses this as a
tactic to create ethos. Convincing the reader of his argument becomes easier due to
the trust Berry gains through his situated ethos. Berry gains credibility with the
reader because of his reputation in the environmental activism community. This
credibility gives Berry the means to incite change and he takes advantage of this by
including the systematic list of steps that the reader may take to become a more well
informed consumer. This list includes the following: 'Learn what is involved in the
best farming and gardening' and 'Learn as much as you can, by direct observation
and experience if possible, of the life histories of the food species.' (127) The reader
is encouraged to trust Berry's insight because of his reputational credibility and
follow the steps to become a better consumer.

Aware of the current state of food in society, Berry dehumanizes the food
industry. Throughout the article he establishes his credibility in the situation by not
only his reputation but also by his connection to the consumer. Berry himself is also
a consumer, but he creates invented ethos by being more informed than the average
consumer. He says 'The ideal industrial food consumer would be strapped to a table
with a tube running from the food factory directly into his or her stomach.' (125) if
the current food industry were to have its way.

Berry draws on reader's ethics by describing the environments in which
their food is raised, or to use a more appropriate term, created. The creation of food
is described by Berry as 'something they do not know or imagine' 'until it appears
on the grocery shelf or on the table.' (124) He says 'If I am going to eat meat, I want
it to be from an animal that has lived a pleasant, uncrowded life outdoors, on
bountiful pasture, with good water nearby and trees for shade.' (127) Berry's
personal opinion on the food he eats and the descriptions of such to the reader,
cause a sense of empathy to arise. If the reader begins to feel sorry for the plants
and animals in which they eat, they may reconsider their opinions on the current
state of the food industry.

To create pathos, Berry draws upon the reader's emotions by talking about
the possible consequences of the current state of the processed food in society. He
asserts that 'It would not do for the consumer to know that the hamburger she is
eating came from a steer who spent much of his life standing deep in his own
excrement in a feedlot' (126) Berry draws emotion out of the reader toward the
animals they consume. The statement that follows: 'the calf that yielded the veal
cutlet on her plate spent its life in a box in which it did not have room to turn
around.' (126) creates enargeia in which the reader can vividly picture the
miserable lives these animals lived just to be slaughtered and become the meal that
winds up on an average person's plate. Berry also creates an emotional response
toward the reader and their loved ones. When considering the serious health
consequences that may arise from eating meat that originated in such an unsanitary
place, diseases such as E. coli and salmonella immediately come to mind. Along with
the possible life threatening diseases, obesity is also a serious concern that a large
portion of America experiences. Berry easily extracts a sense of empathy from the
reader through his use of pathos and successfully solidifies his argument.
Throughout the entire piece, Berry uses ethos, logos, and pathos in harmony
to draw out an empathetic, concerned response in order to force reconsideration of
the current opinions readers may have on the issue of consumerism in the food
industry. Providing solid steps and guidelines as well as informed opinions and
strong facts, Berry creates the perfect storm of supporting evidence to convince
readers of the major flaws in the food system of today's society.
