TOW #29: Documentary Rhetorical Analysis (Part 2)

     Directed by David Gleb, "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is a documentary that has much to say about the importance of hard work. Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old man, is the owner of one of the most renowned sushi restaurants in the world, and he states the secret to his success is his determination and training. He is so involved in his sushi making that he claims to have even dreamed of making sushi. He trains his apprentices the way he feels is best: getting them up early in the morning to do their tasks, whether it's roasting seaweed or massaging octopi, and repeating that process for years before they perfect it. One apprentice even claimed that it takes about ten years before one can even dream of making a fried egg. "Jiro Dreams of Sushi's" claim that hard work and determination is the best way to achieve success is correct as shown through the lives of many, including my own parents.
     Both of my parents grew up in India and lived there until they were in their 30's. When they were young, they obviously did not have access to the type of technology we have these days, and since they lived in a developing country, they often went without electricity and lived in poor conditions. My dad was the first in his family to attend college and have a professional degree. They were both completing their residencies when they had my older sister, and they moved to Saudi Arabia a couple years later, where they had my other sister. My mom stopped working for a bit, and my family moved to England, where both of my sisters grew up. In 1996, my dad got a job offer in the United States, and they all packed their bags to move for the final time. Unfortunately, the United States does not allow attending physicians to have practiced their residencies in different countries, so my mom and my dad had to do their residencies all over again while taking care of three children. They claim that growing up, they never had even thought about living in America or having lifestyles as good as the ones they have now. Because of all of their hard work, my mom and my dad got the successful lives they wanted, and they continue to pass down the value of hard work to me and my sisters.
     Many people work hard in order to get what they want: Liz Murray went from being homeless as a high schooler to a Harvard graduate, Oprah Winfrey went from abuse and hunger to being one of the most well-known women in the world, and Jiro Ono went from being an unknown war veteran to the owner of one of the most successful sushi restaurants in the world. "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" is just one of millions of stories that claim one of the truest claims there is: hard work pays off in the end.