Jonathan Safran Foer, a world renowned author, environmental activist, and New York University alumni, has not been shy about his thoughts on eating animal byproducts. He has written multiple novels supporting his flexitarian outlook on eating meat. Eating Animals—a Bible of sorts for those in the vegan/vegetarian community—has been frequently referenced by many people in the public eye, such as Natalie Portman, as a means of advocating an environmentally conscious lifestyle. Foer speaks and writes in a way that reaches emotions within his audience that motivate them to make a change in the world.
As a public speaking long-timer, Jonathan Safran Foer is experienced in curating impassioned speeches aimed to call his listeners into action. He writes, “Just how destructive does a culinary preference have to be before we decide to eat something else? If contributing to the suffering of billions of animals that live miserable lives and (quite often) die in horrific ways isn’t motivating, what would be?” Appealing to the human emotion of his listeners, who will undoubtedly feel a sense of guilt for indirectly inflicting harm on those said animals, demonstrates his ability as a speaker. Quintilian wrote about the qualities that constitute a “good orator.” In his opinion, if there are good and honorable intentions behind the speech, the speaker must in turn, also be good and honorable. The objective of a speech is to convince the audience of the case set forth. If a rhetorician is sincere in his or her intent, the audience will be able to sense that and respond to that sincerely as well—a quid pro quo, one might say.
Of course, as someone who does not fully adopt a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, Foer faces a lot of backlash and criticism. His credibility is often questioned and doubted by those already skeptical about his beliefs; however, when taking into consideration all he has done for animal rights, the fact that he has not fully been able to give up all animal byproducts seems trivial in contrast. Leith emphasizes the importance of the first impression the speaker leaves on the audience. In his words, “How you present yourself…is the foundation on which all the rest is built.” (p. 48) Foer is not a typical advocate of animal rights; his novels normally reflect events that have impacted his life, or that of another’s. The fact of the matter is, the reason he has been able to garner the attention of so many is because he is not a part of the community that fights animal cruelty, and Eating Animals is not an animal rights novel. Jonathan Foer transcends in this form of rhetoric, because he understands that this is a topic that humans will fundamentally have a mutual state of mind about—no one wants to see anything or anyone in pain.
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The world of animal rights is Machiavellian, in the sense that most of its proponents try to appeal to the feelings within its audience that would turn their stomachs inside out. Rather than speaking of the nitty gritty details like those individuals would, Foer simply states the statistics that he knows would make his audience see the situation for what it truly is. As Leith notes, “Reasoning by induction—the process of generalizing from the available evidence—is the only real way of making progress in the world of things.” (p. 57) Foer does not use embellishments to support his statements; he takes advantage of facts generally unbeknownst to the public. Hearing shocking statistics, such as the fact that animal farming only provides humans 18% of the calories needed, but uses up 83% of the farmland on Earth, sparks a fire within anyone who hears it, and Foer knows this in full.
According to Aristotle, a good rhetorician utilizes the three persuasive appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos. Although Foer excels at all three of the appeals, his strongest suit is logos. The application of analogies into his speeches and writing are what put his rhetoric skills over the top. When presented with the credibility controversies, he relates being a vegan to being an honest human being. When an individual is asked whether they would consider themselves and honest person, or not an honest person, he or she would surely become uncomfortable. Honesty is such a weighted concept, with many ambiguities surrounding it. “If a little white lie is going to undermine this whole identity, then [screw] it, I’ll just tell lies every time there’s an opportunity,” Foer asserts. Many people go into lifestyles and diets with the same all-or-nothing mentalities. In this way, he is cleverly able to call into question whether this mindset that his skeptics hold.
Foer is capable of exercising Aristotle’s rhetorical appeals to its fullest potential because he is able to identify the demographics of his audience. He recognizes that his audience is aware of animal cruelty, and its effect on the environment, but chooses to turn a blind eye to it because it is not a comfortable subject to openly discuss. In his speeches and writings, he eloquently chooses phrases to say that will evoke a feeling of distress within his audience, just to the point of capturing their full attention. Once he succeeds in gaining their interest in the topic, he utilizes his talents in logos to persuade audience of his goal.
Quintilian expresses his concerns that strategies such as the one Foer puts to use could be used by speakers to manipulate audiences. While a good orator will tell lies for the betterment of society, a bad orator will tell lies for the sole purpose of winning over the judge in his case. As Quintilian explains, “Therefore, while painting his integrity of purpose, the orator will modify his pleading to suit the circumstances.” (p. 7) To be genuine, and have full understanding through thorough research of one’s case is of utmost importance to becoming a good public speaker. Foer is a prime example of an exceptional rhetorician because through his work, the audience can clearly see genuine passion for the topic and his comprehensive knowledge of the material he speaks of. In addition, Quintilian also holds the belief that there is no distinction between writing and speaking—that a written speech is “a record of one that has actually been delivered.” (p. 10) With that being said, Foer should be considered an even greater example of a good orator because he polishes his speeches by writing them out first, then breathing them to life in his speeches.
An inexperienced individual cannot claim to have as much knowledge as an individual with many experiences. As a flexitarian in regards to his diet, Foer has dabbled in and out of the vegan lifestyle. In this respect, Foer can challenge any individual who claims he is a hypocrite because he, himself does not hold a fully plant-based diet. He says, “Ironically, the utterly unselective omnivore..can appear more socially sensitive than the individual who tries to eat in a way that is good for society. I love sushi, I love fried chicken, I love steak. But there is a limit to my love.” Foer is able to address both sides of any argument—its poison and its antidote—because he has the apperception that most individuals in his position would not.
Jonathan Safran Foer, when set side-by-side to the standards held by Aristotle, Quintillian, and Leith hold as a good public speaker, excels in every aspect. Foer engages his audience through his cerebral and all-inclusive speeches and writings. With good intent, no trace of ingenuity, and far-reaching expertise on the subjects he addresses, he is what the aforementioned rhetors would describe as a perfect orator.
