Fast Food Nation

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 2001

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Introduction-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-4

Chapters 5-6

Chapters 7-8

Chapter 9-Epilogue

Key Figures

Themes

Index of Terms

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Background

Genre Context: Investigative Journalism

Fast Food Nation could be considered part of a larger conversation on such topics as food safety, the industrialization of food, agribusiness, and questionable marketing techniques. Schlosser mentions some of the works that are part of this conversation, including Marion Nestle’s Food Politics (2002), Morgan Spurlock’s film Supersize Me (2004), and Raj Patel’s Stuffed and Starved (2008). Schlosser references Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle (1906) often in the book, and in some ways, his own text is influenced by Sinclair’s brand of muckraking journalism, in which the writer exposes behind-the-scenes practices of powerful entities. Often, the purpose behind the exposé is to spark public outcry, which in turn may lead to change.

As for Schlosser’s own work, Fast Food Nation is not his only text that attempts to shine a brighter light into lesser-known aspects of powerful industries. Reefer Madness (2003), which examines the underbelly of the marijuana trade, and Command and Control (2013), which investigates the development of nuclear weapons and the danger they pose, are two other works in which his investigative skills are on display.

Social Context: The Ethics of Fast Food and Agricultural Industries

Fast Food Nation makes frequent ethical appeals to the reader. While Schlosser generally tries to maintain a detached and objective voice, the fast food industry and big agribusiness are shown as continually walking the slim border between ethical and unethical. These rhetorical appeals help Schlosser achieve his purpose; however, not much voice is given to opposing views, unless those voices further show a lack of ethical clarity. Schlosser includes the stories of actual people who have suffered because of the industrialization of food, including an independent rancher who committed suicide and a former employee of a meatpacking plant who was seriously injured multiple times, only to be unceremoniously fired from the company. These stories are direct emotional appeals and help Schlosser make his argument even more compelling. At the end of the book, readers are left with the impression that the industry prioritizes profit over people. The ethics of the fast food and agricultural industries intersect with the ethics of politicians as well. There are many occasions in the book when Schlosser points out how the industries use their power to influence politicians, oftentimes creating legal protections for themselves while pushing back regulations and oversight.

Rhetorical Context: Making Better-Informed Decisions About Fast Food

In Fast Food Nation, Schlosser examines the business practices of many fast food corporations and their suppliers in the agricultural industry. In many ways, the book is an indictment of the industry, generally positioning it in a negative light. Schlosser identifies his target audience early in the book—a rather broad one, since so many consume fast food regularly. It is intended primarily for those who eat fast food so that they can become better-informed consumers. Schlosser stops short of calling for people to boycott fast food restaurants, nor is that his explicitly stated purpose. Instead, he sees his mission as educational and informative. Inasmuch as the book makes defensible claims and can be perceived as a persuasive work, Schlosser himself does not impose his own views or his own eating and consumer habits onto the work. Instead, it is assumed that the reader is better equipped to make informed decisions about where they spend their money on food. Knowing the sorts of practices that go on within the industry, readers might reconsider how and where they spend that money.