I M Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing Summary

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In every business there is an element of fear. To elaborate, Brian in “The Last Stop,” by Brian Cable, visits a mortuary where he searches for confrontation of his fear of the deceased and finds consolation after acquaintance with a dead body. John in “I’m Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing,” by John T. Edge, experiences first hand the uncomfort that comes along with the bizarreness of the meat packing industry when he faces eating pickled pig lips, but soon after realizes the experience wasn’t nearly as bad as he anticipated. Finally, in “The Long Good-Bye: Mother’s Day in Federal Prison,” by Amanda Coyne, the hypocrisy of the prison system is questioned when Toby, whose mother is incarcerated, searches for solace among his unanswered questions …show more content…

Fear is natural and does not need to be reinforced. Simply, fear is inevitable. Similarly, death is natural and inevitable, while also greatly feared. In “The Last Stop,” Brian expresses his dismay by saying, “I feared rejection or worse, an invitation to come and stay” (Cable 70). Brian fears the unknown that awaits him beyond the doors of the mortuary. Fear of the unknown is also exemplified in “I’m Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing,” by John T. Edge. John fears trying the pig lips that he has never had before. He says, “I stifle a gag that rolls from the back of my throat, swallow hard, and pray the urge to vomit passes” (Edge 77). This quote represents the disgust and uncertainty John feels as he eats the pig lip. Comparably, in “The Long Good-Bye: Mother’s Day in Federal Prison.” by Amanda Coyne, uncertainty is expressed by her nephew, Toby, asking, “Is my Mommy a bad guy?” (Coyne 93). This quote represents the unease felt by Toby who does not yet comprehend why his mother is in prison. By asking this question he searches for comfort from the fear of uncertainty. Brian, John, and Toby all search for comfort from their fear, despite how different they all may

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