Molly Sledge Mr. Neuburgur Eng.

102-102 13 June 2012 Response Essay Surviving in a Concrete World Lars Eighners excerpted chapter, On Dumpster Diving, describes his adventures as homeless. Towards the end of Eighners chapter it is clear that one can, not only survive the concrete jungle, but attain enlightenment. Eighner writes, I am a scavenger.(par.4). He likens his scavenging to hunting by describing how, The land is now covered with cities.(par.62) each full of dumpsters. Eighner writes, I think of scavenging as a modern form of selfreliance.(par.62) Throughout his writings, Eighner makes homeless living appear easy. He describes how he found it, refreshing to have work that rewards initiative and effort. (par.62) By becoming homeless, Eighner loses all material possessions and status; however, he gains a sense of independence. His experiences between living in our comfortable world and the concrete jungle forces his perceptions to change. He describes, Some material things are white elephants that eat up the possessors substance.(par.64) He points out there is no difference between himself and the rich, stating, we both know there is plenty more where what we have came from.(par.67) From this, one can clearly tell Eighner not only survives the jungle, but becomes enlightened. Word Count: 184 Eighner, Lars. "On Dumpster Diving." Power of Language Language of Power A Collection of Readings. 2 Custom Editions for Ozarks Technical Community College ed. Boston: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2011. 253-65. Print