From Rags to Redemption: a Homeless Dumpster Diver's Tale of Salvation

The essay “Stuff Is Not Salvation” is about the author, Anna Quindlen, trying to explain unexplainable habits. But guess what ? Stuff is salvation for some people, like ones who don’t have nothing. In the essay “On Dumpster Diving” is about the author, Lars Eighner explains the life of a homeless dumpster diver who find things as his salvation. I️ would love to say that I️ agree with “Anna Quindlen” But I️ don’t because after reading “Lara Eighner” it shows that stuff is salvation for him, and many other homeless people.

Homeless people live off other people garbage , as “Lars Eighner” stated on page 277 “Yes, we ate from them. Except for jeans, all my clothes came from dumpsters. Boom boxes, candles, bedding, toilet paper, a virgin male love doll, medicine, books, a typewriter, dishes, furnishing, and change, sometimes amounting to many dollars—I️ acquired many things from the dumpster.” Because someone wanted to over shop it left this homeless man with a boat load of things.

One thing I agree with “Anna Quindlen” is on page 428 “ The happiest families I know aren’t the ones with the most square footage, living in one of those cavernous houses with enough garage space to start a homeless shelter” she is absolutely right because “Lars Eighner seem to be just as happy with nothing, instead of having a million and one things he do not need , he learned the value of important things.

So after me stating facts, and opinions you can obviously see that stuff is salvation to others. To ones who don’t have nothing. I can’t speak for the ones who don’t have nothing. But you never know what was their main and soulful purpose for buying all things. Stuff may be salvation to them to. So you can’t judge all shoppers , or dumpster divers cause you never know the struggle of one persuite.