"On Dumpster Diving" Discussion

Below are several essay questions related to "On Dumpster Diving."  In class today, you will work in groups to create an outline which might be used to answer one of these questions.  Every response should use numerous specific examples from the text to support its claims.

1. Eighner discusses ethics at several points in the essay.  What, according to him, are some of the ethical issues faced by Dumpster divers?  What does he say about other members of society?  Do you agree with him?   
2. What do discarded items reveal about their previous owners?  How does Eighner feel about college students?  Do you agree with him?
3. What role does Eighner's dog play in the essay?  Why does he include the dog at all?  How does this help the essay achieve its purpose?
4. The essay's first five paragraphs pay a great deal of attention to language.  What effect does this have on the essay overall?
5. In paragraph seven, Eighner lays out the rhetorical direction the rest of the essay will take.  Describe some of the specific subtopics he uses to accomplish his stated goal.
6. In paragraph 37 (page 6?), Eighner states, "I do not want to paint too romantic a picture."  Describe his tone here.  What other places in the essay does his tone reveal something about his attitude toward his subject?
7. By the essay's end, we have a good sense of Eighner's attitude toward material possessions.  How would you describe this attitude?  How is his attitude different from other members of society?