The introduction is a brief overview of the integration of fast food into American society and how it reflects on American society and ultimately our way of life. There is a particular stress on Mcdonalds and “the Mcdonaldization of America” which is a consistent theme held throughout the book. Particular ironies are exploited in the introduction between the company’s ideals versus the men who build them. Colorado Springs is used as the focal point of the book and the revolutionary changes that are apace there provide a perfect backdrop for what is really happening all over the United States.
In chapter one, Schlosser describes how the largest fast food franchise came to be. He starts the chapter talking about Carl N. Karcher, who was born …show more content…
What I find to be interesting though is that Schlosser both acknowledges that fast food founders did not know what the unintended consequences of their work would be and he shares my opinion in that Karcher has effectively become the face of the American dream where big ideas can grow and anyone is capable of anything. Schlosser remarks, “It is the fast food parable about how the industry started and where it can lead.” Once the spread started, it happened at an even more rapid pace. The Spread of American Fast Food in Asia states that “as the food spreads across countries, so does the American lifestyle. It encroaches on local restaurants that offer traditional cuisine. Fast Food is similar to a virus in the way that it spreads.” I believe that this quote is a perfect reflection of the “Mcdonaldization” of America and in extension the world, which was referred to in the introduction. This is only helped along ironically by the uniformity that anyone in the world can enjoy when they walk into a McDonald’s and it’s an experience that I can relate to. The irony is evident in that despite the fact that every McDonalds is made to look and feel like the last, the men who build this empire of a fast food chain were themselves nonconformists, willing to go against the tide for the sake of their ideas. I also feel that there is a definite “rags to riches” theme that pervades the first chapter,
In chapter one, Schlosser describes how the largest fast food franchise came to be. He starts the chapter talking about Carl N. Karcher, who was born …show more content…
What I find to be interesting though is that Schlosser both acknowledges that fast food founders did not know what the unintended consequences of their work would be and he shares my opinion in that Karcher has effectively become the face of the American dream where big ideas can grow and anyone is capable of anything. Schlosser remarks, “It is the fast food parable about how the industry started and where it can lead.” Once the spread started, it happened at an even more rapid pace. The Spread of American Fast Food in Asia states that “as the food spreads across countries, so does the American lifestyle. It encroaches on local restaurants that offer traditional cuisine. Fast Food is similar to a virus in the way that it spreads.” I believe that this quote is a perfect reflection of the “Mcdonaldization” of America and in extension the world, which was referred to in the introduction. This is only helped along ironically by the uniformity that anyone in the world can enjoy when they walk into a McDonald’s and it’s an experience that I can relate to. The irony is evident in that despite the fact that every McDonalds is made to look and feel like the last, the men who build this empire of a fast food chain were themselves nonconformists, willing to go against the tide for the sake of their ideas. I also feel that there is a definite “rags to riches” theme that pervades the first chapter,