Eating should be an activity that is appreciated for its entire process, from
the time the animal or plant is crated to the point when that plant or animal lands
on a plate, not just for the satisfaction gained while eating. Wendell Berry sets out to
prove this theory 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. Through the use of
various rhetorical techniques, Berry creates an effective argument in order to sway
readers to agree with his aforementioned theory.

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. Food consumerism is defined as the
methods that are utilized by consumers while purchasing food items along with the
reasons for purchasing these certain food items. 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 creates a sense of disappointment 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 persuades
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
entices 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 this can be
observed by the reader in the first line: 'Many times, after I have finished a lecture
on the decline of American farming' ' (124) Berry uses his background as a tactic to
create ethos. By stating he gives lectures on American farming, readers can get a
sense of his strong background and prior knowledge on the topic. 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. With his background, Berry is able to
convince readers that he knows the way plants should be grown and taken care of to
create the best food possible. 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 completely breaks down
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 lead readers into a
reconsideration of the preexisting opinions they 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.
