In "Eating Animals," Jonathan Safran Foer explores the profound disconnect between humans and the animals we consume. He highlights how this division is not merely physical but also emotional, as we often overlook the lives and experiences of animals. The act of eating fish or other animals is accompanied by a veil of silence that separates us from the reality of their existence, making it easier to ignore their suffering.
Foer's quote, "Fish are divided from us by surfaces and silence," encapsulates this idea. It suggests that the barriers we create—both literal and figurative—allow us to maintain a detachment from the consequences of our dietary choices. This detachment raises ethical questions about how we view and treat animals within our food systems, urging readers to reconsider their relationship with the creatures we consume.