Fast Food Nation Essay

In the Book Fast Food Nation , written by Eric Schlosser, there are many changes of opinion and several variations of views on what is and is not healthy for the American population. These viewpoints are based on factual information throughout several years of data and research from big fast food companies.

When Ray Kroc (One of the founders of MacDonald’s) say’s “we” in this passage from Fast Food Nation “ We have found out…… that we cannot trust people who are nonconformists…We will make conformists out of them in a hurry….” he is talking about the fast food industries. What Kroc is saying, is that people who don’t eat fast food (the nonconformists) can not be trusted as a reliable source of enterprise but, the fast food industries will try even harder to suck the non conformists in with their catchy advertisements. Robert Nugent head of Jack In the Box another fast food chain talks about fast food critics and how they are un-Americanizing our fast food customs. “ A growing number of groups who represent narrow social and political interests….. Have set their sights on our industry in an effect to legislate behavioral change…. Enjoying a great meal at a restaurant was the very essence of freedom.” (pg 238) When Robert says “our way of life” he is talking about the American way of consuming fast food.

JR Simplot brings an odd mixture to the American fast food industries because of the rigorous and demanding childhood he was forced to endure. When just a little child Simplot was expected to work hard on the farm which he did and because of that Simplot grew tired of all the demanding work from his father the homesteader, so eventually Simplot rebelled against his father dropping out of school at the age of fifteen and running away from home. He was then on his own desperately looking for a job which he soon found. JR Simplot got his first taste of what was to become of the fast food industry working at a potato warehouse. Gorbachev socialists thoughts are at odds with the outlook of the conventioneers because Gorbachev he did not agree with the others point of view.

Eric Schlosser has a strong opinion of what conformity is and how it is portrayed through the fast food industries. Like Schlosser, Morris from the book Tuesdays With Morrie also has a strong opinion of conformity. Morrie believes that people should not conform to everything, that instead they should listen, be aware, and pay attention because life is too short to mess up. Schlosser’s views on conformity are actually quite similar to those of Morrie. Schlosser believes that people should be completely informed on what they are getting themselves into before they conform to something that they will ultimately not be happy with in the end. Hints the reason why he wrote this book for the American population.

In conclusion there will always be battles among the American population against conformity and non conformity. Fast food industries will always have stomping ground on us as Americans because in the end fast food is fast and much more covenant than cooking a three course dinner for a large family when time and space is limited. In the book Fast Food Nation, written by Eric Schlosser.