consider the lobster

This article starts out with the author visiting Maine and writing about the culture of the lobster industry. The author writes about a very big festival called the Maine Lobster Festival. It is a huge even with coverage even from news networks like CNN. Where a ridiculous amounts of lobster is eaten, 25,000 pounds to be exact. The author goes about the history of the lobster to issues about eating lobster.

            The autobiographical aspect of this article is top heavy in that he writes about his experience at the lobster festival. He gives good detail in that feeling of being there; whether it be the crowded benches, lines of people, or world’s largest lobster cooker. He gives imagery into cooking it at home, and the imagery of experience.

            The factual part is the heaviest part of this article as it is the main point of the article. The author gives points about the history of the lobster from early in American history. How it was ironic how lobster was the “poor man’s food” compared to the luxury today. He then moves onto the argument of whether lobsters can actually feel pain or not using heavily detailed information about the biology of the lobster. He is very well informed into the argument for both sides and the scientific aspect as while as the moral argument from groups like PETA. He does not have a bias in the argument but just presents it from either side.

            The abstract idea is the main argument in that is it immoral to cook lobsters alive. It juggles the desire to have it at its freshest point when cooked. That it’s a novelty nowadays to see the live lobster before eating. However, groups like PETA provide a good argument in that if we did this to other animals it would be easily animal cruelty of the highest levels. Imagery of having the “world’s largest cow killer” or how lobster react to boiling water much like to that of a human. The whole ethics and moral values behind lobster preparation is brought to question whether humans are being barbaric in nature by eating the animal this way instead of more humane ways.