On Dumpster Diving

LeChunda Duncan
Mr. Neuburger
Eng. Comp. 102-104
31 August 2011
Single Paragraph Essay
From Waste to Use
In Lars Eigner’s story “On Dumpster Diving”, the writer describes his experience as a scavenger and the “practical art of Dumpster diving” (254). In this story, the writer tells us how he is able to live and survive on the streets by making we American’s everyday waste come to use, therefore supporting the quote, “One man’s trash, is another man’s treasure”. Man’s treasure, not referring to a prized possession, but applying use and being able to survive off of waste. Eigner quotes, “Except for jeans, all my clothes came from Dumpsters. Boom boxes…many dollars- I acquired many things from Dumpsters” (254). In some way, this can be considered as a “treasure” because of the ability to maintain living by collecting and making use to these materials. “Now I hardly pick up a thing without envisioning the time I will cast it aside” (265), was a quote that Eigner mentioned stating a healthy state of mind. Americans waste many things that still have value.
Works Cited
Eigner, Lars “On Dumpster Diving” Power of Language: Language of Power. New York: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2009. 253-265. Print.