A dumpster does not commonly appear as a topic for writings, but Lars Eighner
wrote "On Dumpster Diving" and Wallace Stegner wrote "The Town
Dump." Both pieces discuss the significance of a dumpster. The narrators
in each essay use the dumpster as a resource: they take discarded items and
observe human nature by looking through objects in the "refuse pile."
Although the two authors share common ideas about dumpsters, they differ from
each other. THEY DIFFER IN THEIR USE OF THE REFUSE PILE, IN THEIR ABILITY TO
ESTIMATE THE IMMEDIATE VALUE OF TRASH, AND IN THEIR VIEW OF THEIR RELATIONSHIP
TO THE DUMP AS SHOWN THEIR SELF-APPELATIONS.
HOW IS THE GARBAGE PILE USED? "I live from the refuse of others. I am a
scavenger," is a part of the text by Lars Eighner. The narrator uses the
"refuse" as a source of necessities, such as food and clothing. Eighner
explains how people throw away pizza and yogurt that has not yet spoiled and
still seems edible. In "The Town Dump," Stegner sorts through the
dumps' contents as if it holds the memories of the people in Whitemud. "The
dump was one of the very first community enterprises, almost our town's first
institution. More than that, it contained relics of every individual who had
ever lived there, and of every phase of the town's history." Stegner views
the dump as a library of records and Eighner views the dump as if it is a store.
THOUGH EIGHNER SHOPPED AT CHEZ DUMP, HE DID NOT BUY EVERYTHING. After beginning
dumpster diving, Eighner lived off of other people's garbage. If he needed it
at the time, he would take it; if he did not have a purpose for it, he left
it for others to take. "Most divers come to realize that they must restrict
themselves to items of relatively immediate utility." Eighner took from
the dumps for a purpose. Stegner, however, searched through the piles of garbage,
bringing memories of his childhood. He would take things home, hoping that there
would be a use for them later on, but having to throw them away after finding
no purpose for them. STEGNER WAS FAR LESS A "DISCERNING" TRASHER.
NO MATTER HOW THEY USED THE TRASH, both Eighner and Stegner search through the
dumpsters. BUT but the authors differ in what they do and call themselves when
they rummage. Eighner calls himself a "scavenger," writing, "I
think it a sound and honorable niche." Foraging and dumpster diving sound
too cute to him. He searches for "the necessities of daily life,"
therefore he scavenges. Stegner, however, thinks differently. "We scoured
them for artifacts of their migrant tenants as if they had been archaeological
sites full of secrets of ancient civilizations," expresses Stegner. Stegner
sorts and sifts through the odds and ends with nothing in particular in mind.
It appears as if the two writers had opposite ideas in mind about how they sort
through the disposed belongings.
AS OPPOSITE AS THEY WERE, THE AUTHORS OF "On Dumpster Diving" and
"The Town Dump"
are HAVE written on the same object but with
different themes. Eighner writes on his experiences with living off of food
and clothing that he found in the dumps, and Stegner on exploring the town's
history through people's garbage. Although the two authors wrote about their
different views on dumpsters, both find potentiality in the "refuse,"
whether it be the broken cheek strap of a bridle or the rejected pizza.
TF 11-18-01
