Lesson Six Death of a Pig
E. B. White
? Objectives
After studying this essay, students will be able to:
1. grasp the theme of the short story (the pain and suffering brought about by death and this insecure, suffering world to animals and humans alike; relationship between animals and human beings)；
2. identify and appreciate the author‘s humorous tone in dealing with this heavy and profound topic (achieved mostly through pompous and exaggerative language); 3. appreciate other features and writing techniques of the story (the free and smooth style, the careful choice of words, description of details, the use of parallelism, imagery and allusion, parody, etc.);
4. conduct a series of reading, listening, speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit.
? Time allotment: The teaching plan is to be carried out with 7 periods.
Information on the author Refer to Note 1
This essay is a typical example of narration based on the author‘s own experience. That is to say, this is a real story rather than a fiction. Unlike the previous five lessons, this essay has not much background information. Therefore, we will simple go into the text body and try to share the subtle feeling of the author, paying special attention to the humorous style of writing.
The narration generally follows a chronological order except for the first three paragraphs. So, there is no need to analyze the overall pattern. We shall
Para. 1.
1. I spent several days and nights in mid-September….none left to do the accounting
? The use of a long and involved sentence and formal words (e.g. ailing pig,
feel driven to, account for, this stretch of time, etc.) conveys a sense of pseudo-solemnity and creates humor. Usually the death of a pig does not require such a serious treatment. Similar examples can be found in Pride and Prejudice, a novel of Austin famous for its humor and irony, such as ―it is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.‖
? The setting of the story is introduced in the first sentence. It was in
mid-September and it must have been in a rural environment since a pig is involved. (Pigs are normally not found as pets in urban households.)
? … I feel driven to account for what has happened during this stretch of
time…
I feel compelled to record what has happened during this period of time. ? account for:
i. To be the reason why something exists or happens. e.g. a number of
factors can account for the rapid development of the United States.
ii. To give an explanation for something bad that has happened,
especially something one is responsible for. e.g. The suspect was brought before the court to account for his deeds
iii. To form, use, or produce a particular amount or part of something.
E.g. water accounts for three fourths of the total surface of the earth.
? …and things might easily have gone the other way round and none left to do
the accounting.
It might have been me who had died and the pig might have survived; if that had been the case, there would be nobody left to tell the story, since the pig cannot write.
2. Even now, so close to the event, I cannot recall the hours sharply and am not ready to say whether death came on the third night or the fourth night. ? sharply: clearly, distinctly
3. This uncertainty afflicts me with a sense of personal deterioration; if I were in decent health I would know how many nights I had sat up with a pig.
? The fact that I cannot remember exactly when the pig died show that my
health is deteriorating. Otherwise, I would be able to remember. Again, notice the humor conveyed by the solemn tone as if the event was of great historical importance. You feel that the author is being fussy about the trifles since normally the date of a pig‘s death is of no importance and nobody really cares whether it died on the third or the fourth day.
Para.2
4. The scheme of buying a spring pig in blossom time, feeding it through summer and fall, and butchering it when the solid cold weather arrives, is a familiar scheme to me and follows an antique pattern.
? The three-step plan of raising a pig has been in practice for ages and is
therefore regards as an ancient tradition. I‘ve also done this before--- buying a piglet, raising it and then in due time killing it for meat.
Note that ?antique‘ is an unusual word in the context, used to show that this is the usual pattern of raising a pig, and therefore forming a sharp contrast to the author‘s experience.
? buying a spring pig in blossomtime: buying a piglet in spring.
? The solid cold weather: the cold weather in winter in which things are often
frozen solid.
? Scheme: a plan for achieving something, especially something illegal or
dishonest
5. It is a tragedy enacted on most farms with perfect fidelity to the original script.
? The raising of a pig is like a tragedy, because it always ends in the killing of
the pig, and the set pattern--- buying, raising and butchering --- is strictly followed on most farms.
? Here, the author uses a metaphor, calling the scheme ―a tragedy‖, the set
pattern of raising a pig ―a script‖. In later paragraphs, he makes more references to terminology of drama. i.) What is a tragedy? --- a tragedy is a serious play or drama which typically deals with the problems of a central character and has an unhappy or disastrous ending. ii.) Can you name a few famous works of tragedy, by Shakespeare, for instance? ---- Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, King Lear, Hamlet, etc. iii.)In what way the scheme is analogous to a tragedy? Firstly, in the scheme, the pig is the main character. Secondly, it is, with few exceptions, murdered in the end, a disastrous ending. The author is being ironical here.
6. The murder, being premeditated, is in the first degree but is quick and skillful, and the smoked bacon and ham provide a ceremonial ending whose fitness is seldom questioned.
? The tragedy has an ending—the killing of a pig and the serving of its meat.
The killing, deliberately planned and carried out efficiently, is the most serious type of murder. However whether pigs should end their lives that way has never been questioned.
? Premeditated: (legal) (of crime, bad action, unpleasant remark, etc.)
deliberately planned.
Notice the humorous use of the legal term ―premeditated‖. It is used here because pigs are fed to be killed, hence ―a premeditated murder‖.
? first degree murder: (American) the most serious type of murder,
premeditated murder (cf: manslaughter)
? ceremonial: used on formal or traditional occasions. Pigs are often butchered
at the end of the year for holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, so in this sense, they die ―a worthy death‖.
Para. 3
7. Once in a while something slips--- one of the actors goes up in his lines and the whole performance stumbles and halts.
? The metaphor is carried on. Occasionally something goes wrong. One of the
actors in the play, in my case, the pig, performs its part too early, thus creating chaos/troubles, and the whole play has to stop. The author introduces the premature death of his pig in a humorous way. ? Slip: to fall into fault or error, to go wrong
? Lines: the words that an actor says in a performance
? Stumble: to speak, act or proceed in a confused, blundering manner ? Halt: to stop, especially temporarily.
8. My pig simply failed to show up for a meal. The alarm spread rapidly.
? Pigs seem to be always hungry, so when the author‘s pig refused a meal,
everybody instantly sensed trouble.
9. The classic outline of the tragedy was lost.
? What is the classic outline of the tragedy?
To buy a piglet in spring, feed it through summer and fall, and butcher it in winter. In other words, the pig is not supposed to be sick any time in between.
10. I found myself cast suddenly in the role of pig‘s friend and physician--- a farcical character with an enema bag for a prop.
? cast: to choose actors for (a play, for example); to assign a certain role to (an
actor).
The author was suddenly made to play the role of the pig‘s friend and physician--- to take care of the pig when it got sick--- whereas originally he was suppose to be the butcher. (Therefore, his new role seemed ridiculous.) ? farcical: ridiculous
? enema: (see vocabulary B on page 84) a medical treatment in which liquid is
forced into a person‘s lower intestine to make him go to the toilet to empty his bowels; or a liquid used in this treatment.
? Prop: (also fml. property) n. (usu. pl.) a movable object used on a theatre
stage, in a film, etc.道具 e.g. stage props
11. I had a presentiment, the very first afternoon, that the play would never regain its balance and that my sympathies were not wholly with the pig.
? presentiment: (fml) a feeling that something is going to happen, especially
something bad.
? … the play would never regain its balance…
The author had the strange feeling that he would never be able to return to the original script of the tragedy, that is, the pig would never recover.
? balance: note words that can be collocated with balance: achieve /keep
/maintain /preserve /find /alter / loose/ upset, etc. ? my sympathies were not wholly with the pig
Read on, we should know that the author was annoyed by the unexpected event, he could not completely sympathize with the sick pig.
12. This was slapstick--- the sort of dramatic treatment that instantly appealed to my old dachshund, Fred, who joined the vigil, held the bag, and when all was over, presided at the interment.
? The whole matter of the pig getting sick and me taking care of it was like a
crude comedy, but my dog liked it very much --- he did not miss any part of it: he was there when I stayed awake during the night to take care of the pig; he was there to hold the enema bag during the medical treatment, he was even in charge of the burial after the pig died.
? slapstick: horseplay, crude comedy in which the humor depends upon
physical actions such as people hitting each other or falling down, rather than on the clever use of language.
? Dachshund: (see vocabulary B on P84) type of dog, characterized by a long
body, short legs and drooping ears.
13. When we slid the body into the grave, we both were shaken to the core.
? Notice the pompous (grand and formal) and exaggerative language used to
create humor.
? Shaken to the core: (mainly British) deeply upset or extremely sad. 14. The loss we felt was not the loss of ham but the loss of pig.
? We felt very sad not because we would have no meat for dinner but because
we had lost the pig, a member of the family.
15. He had evidently become precious to me, not that he represented a distant nourishment in a hungry time, but that he had suffered in a suffering world.
? This sentence explains the previous one, clarifying the distinction between
―meat‖ or ―ham‖ and ―pig‖. I felt the loss of the pig not because he would be butchered in winter and his meat be brought on my table, but because he, as a unique identity, had suffered in a suffering world, just like me. To the author, the suffering of the pig symbolizes the suffering of human beings. ? A distant nourishment in a hungry time: ham for food in winter 16. But I‘m running ahead of my story and shall have to go back.
? This sentence concludes the summary, and we are prepared to learn the story
from the very beginning.
Para.4
17. My pigpen is at the bottom of an old orchard below the house.
? pigpen: (or pigsty) a small building on a farm where pigs are kept. ―pen‖
refers to a small area with a fence around it, used for keeping animals in. We‘ve learned this word in lesson 4. Please note that a building for a pet dog is called ―kennel‖ while the home of some wild and fierce animals such as tigers or lions is called ―den/ lair‖. ―pen‖ can also be a verb, for example, to pen the sheep in for the night; to pen up a dog in the backyard. ? At the bottom: at the part that is farthest away from where you are. ? Below: farther down, as along a slope or valley.
18. The pigs I have raised have lived in a faded building that once was an icehouse.
? icehouse: a place where ice is stored.
19. There is a pleasant yard to move about in, shaded by an apple tree overhangs the low rail fence.
? overhang: to hang or extend outwards over sth. ( to hang over sth in the shape
of a umbrella)
20. A pig couldn‘t ask for anything better--- or none has, at any rate.
? A pig couldn‘t ask for any better living conditions; at least no pig has ever
complained.
? In a word, my pig lived in a pleasant environment. ―None has‖ is a ellipsis,
the complete sentence would be ―or none has asked for anything better‖, meaning none of pigs has ever complained so far. Note the humor here--- a pig couldn‘t speak; therefore it couldn‘t let us know whether it was contented with its living conditions or not. ? At any rate: at least.