Chapter 1: The

Founding Fathers
By Robert Infante Antonio-Phan III
and Jose Orozco
 Schlosser introduces the origin of not only fast
Argument: food, but also its predecessors and founders.
He argues Southern California had recently
given birth to an entirely new lifestyle - and a
new way of eating. Both revolved around
cars(Schlosser 15). This suggests the
success of the automobile in Southern
California directly set the groundwork for fast
food industries to bloom and prosper.
 Appeal to Authority
After describing how the nation was changing
as a result of the automobile industry,
Schlosser goes on to reference, People with
cars are so lazy they dont want to get out of
them to eat! said Jesse G. Kirby, the founder
of an early drive-in restaurant
chain(Schlosser 17).
 Symbolism

When describing the impact that automobiles had on our society, he goes on
to assert that The automobile offered drivers a feeling of independence and
control(Schlosser 16).
Parenthesis
After detailing several ways in which the automobile changed society,
the author goes more in depth, saying, Los Angeles soon became unlike
any other city the world had ever seen, sprawling and horizontal, a
thoroughly suburban metropolis of detached homes - a glimpse of the
future, molded by the automobile(Schlosser 15).
Ellipsis

The last part of the chapter cover the end of Carls story and how he was kicked
out of his own business only to years later take back control. Though to
Schlosser it seemed like the old days were better, Carl said, When I first met my
wife, this road here was gravel. . . and now it's blacktop (Schlosser 26).
Purpose:

Carl N. Karcher is one of the fast food industrys pioneers. His career extends from the
industrys modest origins to its current hamburger hegemony(Schlosser 13). Schlosser
intends to introduce the readers to the origin of fast food and tell the stories of those who
created the industry. He wants to set the stage for the rest of the book so readers can
better understand the circumstances that lead to our current problem
Tone:

The authors tone is mostly reflective about the past because he sees how the
fast food industry used to be innocent and were just simply people trying to
create successful business into huge corporations that control our food supply.

He uses phrases like in those days, and references the early history of
Anaheim
Intended Audience:

The authors intended audience is anyone that is curious to know of the origins
of the fast food industry, in the hopes of relaying to them information that may
be essential to understanding why fast food industries have become so popular.

He tells the novel like a story and never really talks to the audience however, he
gives background info like the story of Carl because he knows his audience will
likely not know it.
Overall Effectiveness:
The authors overall argument of the automobile being a main cause of the change to fast
food industries could be considered a little too far fetched. However, Schlosser makes
effective use of his rhetorical strategies to drive his point home. His argument that the
automobile was a symbol of a change in American society was most convincing because he
brings in the bigger picture. Instead of just reiterating that the car was the catalyst for food
industries to change, he attributed the change to fast food industries as a result of a change
to American society as a whole; the automobile was only one example of how society was
changing. All in all, despite an argument that is a little unbelievable, the evidence he uses to
back up said argument was solid, so it is plausible to suggest that his argument was
effective, convincing, and powerful.