.1) According to Micheal Pollan, the omnivore’s dilemma is the struggle to deduce what foods are actually healthy out of the many different options. This includes being able to decide if the quantity of a meal can still be considered truly nourishing and good for the body. “Certainly the extraordinary abundance of food in America complicated the whole problem of choice”(1). With there being so many different types of food it has been become increasingly difficult to pinpoint which foods actually help the body and which foods are actually harmful. As the food market grows and grows the dilemma only worsens.
.8) A possible cause that Pollan brings up for why vegetarianism and animal rights awareness has been rising in popularity is because the cruel treatment of animals is becoming common knowledge. “Hunting is in particularly bad odor these days, even among people who still eat meat; apparently it’s the fact of killing that these people most object to, or perhaps it’s the taking pleasure in killing an animal that is the trouble”(3). Hunting has become more of a sport or source of entertainment than a means of survival. Although past generations did not see the immortality of butchering animals for fun, as the years pass organizations like PETA create new vegetarian everyday. Even as a college student I feel bad eating meat on thanksgiving because of the cooking mama thanksgiving game PETA released.
.9) The “schizoid quality” Pollan identifies is the conflicting relationship between people and animal on whether animals are friend or food. “Half the dogs in America will received Christmas presents this year, yet few of us ever pause to consider the life of the pig – an animal easily as intelligent as a dog- becomes the Christmas ham”(3). A big argument on why animals like dogs and cats are specially pets and not food is because of how intelligent they are but humans still eat intelligent animals. Pigs, birds, and horses are intelligent animals that are capable of learning tricks but have still been killed and eaten without objections. There is a thin line that has been created on how to decide whether an animal is intelligent enough to be considered a pet or food.
.10) From John Berger’s essay, “Why Look at Animals?” Pollan points out and highlights the loss of connection between humans and animals. “Nowadays it seems we either look away or become vegetarians”(4). Because of the thin line created between friend or food the relationship between humans and animals has become awkward. Humans can’t decide to whether fully cut out meat in support of animals or continue to consume animal products even if it could be harming the species. There is no even ground to stand on the matter of being a vegetarian or omnivore leading to humans disconnecting from animals to not feel guilty for eating meat.
