Introduction
In the eighth chapter of Eric Schlosser’s novel, “The Most Dangerous Job”, the author asserts that executives of meatpacking companies are more focused on maximizing profit at the expense of worker safety. The novelist appeals to ethics, emotions, and logic in an endeavor to show that there are gross violations of laws and a pathetic work environment in the American meatpacking industry. The write aims to unveil the pathetic terms of employment in the industry to persuade different stakeholders to participate in solving this public health problem. The main audience is the consumers and the occupational health officers so that they can liaise to improve the welfare of families and laborers of the company.
Main text
The horrific work conditions that the staff deals with daily are annoying, more so because their sacrifices are not compensated. It is not enough for the industry to expose its peasant to harsh conditions; they also fail to compensate them. For instance, although OSHA lowered the number of injuries on records, it failed to “reduce the number of people getting hurt” (Schlosser 304). The harm caused at the job site is not just physical but also psychological. The author uses imagery to show how meat is sorted using sharp electric knives, the animals come in and are unexpectedly shot, and people walk in a pool of blood. Such horrors are bound to negatively affect the mental state of individuals who have to relieve them every day. Yet, amidst the daily injuries, the executives “struggle to receive proper medical care” (Schlosser 306). Besides, only the physical harms are compensated, while those accumulating from years of exposure to trauma are dragged in the court with multiple appeals.
The executives of the meatpacking industries take advantage of low socio-economic individuals to do the hardest and risky tasks for the lowest reward. Schlosser observers that “workers-about half of them women, almost all of them young and Latino” are in the plant (302). The description of the laborers reveals that the marginalized population who may not be able to advocate for their rights is preferred. These workers are desperate to find just any money that can keep them living, so they endure the corrupt practices. When after some years they are incapacitated, they have no other option of working, and the company is always hesitant to offer any compensation. Ironically, the chief executive officer denied oath the accusations while praising the company’s safety records as “the best of the best” (Schlosser 304). This is an outright cover-up for all the evils committed against vulnerable workers. The aim is to give false reassurance and discourage any assistance to the workers.
Conclusion
Conclusively, Schlosser applies literal appeals in his rhetoric to expose the pathetic work conditions at the meatpacking plant. Through imagery, the author describes the horrific sight of a laborer in a pool of blood from shot animals and the electric knives cutting the meat. The aftermath of such duties is physical and emotional harm that is rarely compensated. Worse still, the executives are so arrogant in their claims that employees are assured of their safety. One thing is apparent; destitute people who are defenseless against the monstrous industry are selected so that they do not cause trouble by demanding a better environment. It is now upon the audience to choose to remain silent or unite and advocate for those peasants.
Work Cited
Schlosser, Eric. “The Most Dangerous Job.” Connections: Guide to First Year Writing at Clayton State University, edited by Mary Lamb and Patricia A. Smith, 9th ed., Fountainhead P, 2019, pp. 297-311.