The Abominable Pig by Marvin Harris
Is it possible that the almighty God is wrong? The bible explicitly states, in no questionable terms that whatever is of the hoof and is cloven footed and chews the cud among animals, you may eat. Obviously, the pig has fallen short of the statement’s requirements, hence the reason why, Marvin Harris author of the article “The Abominable Pig,” has opted to explore the reasons why this is the case as his central argument. Harris does not seek to completely refute this theory; in fact, even though he pinpoints certain flaws in the biblical proclamation, he scrutinizes the reasons why God has chosen to isolate this particular animal, for it is no more a carrier of disease than any other. Harris contends that if the statement is reworded to state, “Flesh of swine thou shalt not eat until the pink has been cooked from,” and then that would have sufficed as opposed to eradicating its use completely.
Firstly, Harris looks at the Old Testament’s characterization of the pig and then compares it to a trichinosis perspective (which is a di...
Feed by M.T. Anderson is an ADULT sci-fi novel about a world in the future where a new technology, called the Feed, is implanted into your brain. Feed was a boring and uninteresting book that should not be added to the already rigorous English curriculum for 9th grade students. The curriculum consists of other novels such as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I write to parents, teachers, and school administrators because they have the ability to make the right choice for our students. I believe that the book Feed shouldn’t be adopted into the English curriculum for freshman students because it sets a bad example for students, it teaches very little to children, and it is not practical for 9th graders.
Justin Torres Novel We the Animals is a story about three brothers who lived a harassed childhood life. There parents are both young and have no permanent jobs to support their family. The narrator and his brothers are delinquents who are mostly outside, causing trouble, causing and getting involved in a lot of problems and barely attending school, which their parents allowed them to do. The narrator and his brothers were physically abused by their father, leading them to become more violent to one another and others, drinking alcohol and dropping out of school. Physical abuse is an abuse involving one person’s intention to cause feelings of pain, injury and other physical suffering and bodily harm to the victim. Children are more sensitive to physical abuse, they show symptoms of physical abuse in short run and more effects in the long run. Children who sustain physical abuse grow up with severely damaged of sense of self and inability. The narrator and his brothers were physically abused by their father and showed long run symptoms of Antisocial behaviors, drinking problems and most importantly they becoming more violent themselves. Many psychological and sociological studies such as “Childhood history of abuse and child abuse potential: role of parent’s gender and timing of childhood abuse” and “school factors as moderators of the relationship between physical child abuse and pathways of antisocial behavior can be used to prove the argument that children who sustain physical abuse grow up with criminal and antisocial behaviors.
Having to take your anger out on someone isn’t fair or good, especially if you’re being killed with frozen lamb. Based on everyone’s understanding, when you kill someone you’ll have to pay the price and consequences. Apparently this lady didn’t. But are we sure she’s going to marry another man and kill him too? In “Lamb to the slaughter”, I’m going to be talking about Mary Maloney and how madly crazy she is.
kill it no doubt from the taboo of killing. The second time he meets the pig he
Michael MacDonald’S All Souls is a heart wrenching insider account of growing up in Old Country housing projects located in the south of Boston, also known as Southie to the locals. The memoir takes the reader deep inside the world of Southie through the eyes of MacDonald. MacDonald was one of 11 children to grow up and deal with the many tribulations of Southie, Boston. Southie is characterized by high levels of crime, racism, and violence; all things that fall under the category of social problem. Social problems can be defined as “societal induced conditions that harms any segment of the population. Social problems are also related to acts and conditions that violate the norms and values found in society” (Long). The social problems that are present in Southie are the very reasons why the living conditions are so bad as well as why Southie is considered one of the poorest towns in Boston. Macdonald’s along with his family have to overcome the presence of crime, racism, and violence in order to survive in the town they consider the best place in the world.
As I have progressed through this class, my already strong interest in animal ethics has grown substantially. The animal narratives that we have read for this course and their discussion have prompted me to think more deeply about mankind’s treatment of our fellow animals, including how my actions impact Earth’s countless other creatures. It is all too easy to separate one’s ethical perspective and personal philosophy from one’s actions, and so after coming to the conclusion that meat was not something that was worth killing for to me, I became a vegetarian. The trigger for this change (one that I had attempted before, I might add) was in the many stories of animal narratives and their inseparable discussion of the morality in how we treat animals. I will discuss the messages and lessons that the readings have presented on animal ethics, particularly in The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Dead Body and the Living Brain, Rachel in Love, My Friend the Pig, and It Was a Different Day When They Killed the Pig. These stories are particularly relevant to the topic of animal ethics and what constitutes moral treatment of animals, each carrying important lessons on different facets the vast subject of animal ethics.
The pigs were kept outside the abattoir in a little pen area. The eldest butcher opened the door, and the first pig hobbled in on its arthritis-crippled legs to the first stage. The pig did not seem to have any idea what was going on as the butchers attached a chain to one of its hind legs. The pig was hoisted upside down, and the butcher punctured a gaping hole at the bottom of the pig’s throat. Blood immediately started gushing out. The pig barely struggled as its waning heart pumped out its blood onto the cement floor below.
Although many people believe the reason that Jewish people do not consume pork is because Moses influenced them not to, there are many other theories. As stated earlier, many people believe that the lack of refrigeration could produce serious illnesses in animals such as pigs and some scale-free fish. More restrictions were also placed on animals that eat other animals. People believed that carnivorous animals would spread their evil nature to the people that are eating them. Although these theories have been just as popular as the Egypt story, there is no evidence that God ever made these distinct restrictions and God did tell Noah that whatever living, moving thing is on Earth is meat for us (humans).
Norcross, Alastair. “Puppies, Pigs, and People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases.” Philosophical Perspectives 18, (2004): 229-245.
The rebellion fails due to the blindness of the animals, accepting each other as equal, but do not notice the pigs adding new rules to suit themselves, ‘no animal shall kill another animal without due cause.’
What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and objects with contrasting perceptions. Therefore, instead of painting a precise picture of the characters and the plot, the story expresses several views regarding the morals of the characters, the motivations of their actions, and the meaning of the events that take place. In “Puppy”, George Saunders explores the theory that perception is not an elementary, universal definition of an object or idea, but a complex interpretation that is influenced by one’s unique and varying past experiences and opinions. The complexity of perception is evident in one the story’s narrator’s, Marie’s, vantage point.
...efore unholy and received no blessing from God, granted only by the care if man. Only the wild animals with the cloven hoof and cud chewers were considered clean, this is the first defining factors of clean animals, the second is the uses of animals and their value, such as the pigs which have no value since they produce only meat and do not chew the cud, the third defining factor is the real in which the animals live in. In the air only two legged flying birds are clean. In the land only four legged that hop or walk. In the Water only those who swim with fins and have scales are clean. The predatory habits or scavenging was not considered. The dietary rules explored by Douglas were restrictions with the purpose of inspiring meditation, on the purity and completeness of God
The song "War Pigs," by Black Sabbath, argues the fact that, during the Vietnam War, politicians were willing to start wars and cause destruction because they were not the ones in danger of losing their lives or being injured. The song suggests that the politicians of the 1960's and 1970's started a war for fun, treating soldiers in America's army as "pawns in chess." By the end of the song, the lyrics say that those men and women will get what they deserve when their day of judgment comes.
Animals can be a man's best friend; however, they can also be ones worst enemy after passing certain boundaries. Peter Singer who wrote Animal Liberation gave valid points in my opinion because animals do have a right to live and we should give them their space. Humans take everything for granted and never seem to learn until it too late. Today slaughterhouses are abusing animals in disturbing ways which has to change. I will agree with Singers concepts on animals because they have a right to live a peaceful life like humans; they have a life ahead of them once they are born. Singer argues that animals should have their interests considered throughout their lives. Singer wants to eliminate speciesism from our thoughts which is, a human discriminatory belief that all other animals are not as good as them therefore they do not have rights and we could do what we want to them. We should not be the only types of "animals" in this earth who has a set of rights we should abide.
Toward the end of the novel the pigs will have broken all of these commandments, which lead to their demise.