This Town Is Full Of Tabasco Summary

“This town is full of Tabasco.” This is just one of the ways the author describes the city full of debauchery and degeneracy, New Orleans. But be mistaken, The author Elton Glaser loves the city so much that he believes a the only way to live is the New Orleans lifestyle. This consists of spending sunday in the pews and riots and parties in the street. Even your own funeral is a party you don't wanna miss as a parade of bells, trumpets, and drums travel down the street, shaking the ground. People in New Orleans are carefree and enjoy all of life’s amenities. No where else can you truly experience the extremity of life except for New Orleans.

The author is very particular in the words he chooses, every word is a puzzle piece that creates a picture of life in New Orleans. In the the very first line Elton uses the word Tabasco. Primarily because it is used in many common dishes found in New Orleans, However, Tabasco can also refer to the spiciness of the city itself and how every person in New Orleans has a bit of that

spiciness. He uses Louisiana cuisine as a way to show the diversity and carefree aspect of the city. Red beans and rice is a dish that consists of leftovers accented with beans served over rice. It describes the city because the dish itself has the similar carefree nature. Just throw everything in a pot and see what happens.
When describing his red bean and rice concoction he describes it as an ugly child that only a mother could love to give it a perfect disgusting image. “Thursdays blunder around like a blind paraplegic on a whoopee crutch, no cure except suicide or Friday” This perfectly describes the long bore that affects everyone on this bothersome day and the author is saying that to end the nuisance is to die or just wait 24 hours. He also provides examples of classic, cliche New Orleans. “The radio cracks out another sloppy chorus of Frogman Henry.” He shows how some of the classic stereotypes of Louisiana are not so outrageous. Words like crack and sloppy show us that people do not care if the music is bad that are still happy they get to listen.
The author employs the week to describe life on a regular basis.

“Sunday, we balance our knees, strippers and street cleaners in the same pew, listening with our heads shut tight so the sermon won't use up the rest of the week.” This shows the lack of judgement in the lovely city as strippers and street cleaners happily share a wooden bench, and how all eyes are focused downward so the sermon doesn't waste them time they could be using having riots and parades. “Tuesday breaks once a year, a fat riot, a freak’s parade before forty slow days of denial.” This describes the ultimate party anyone can experience, Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday marks the last day of chaotic carnival and then transitions into forty days of giving up the party phenomena. “Wednesday stays home, a bubble of nothing dead center.” Wednesday is the pitfall of the vibrant life as carnivals, parades, and festivals are nonexistent. It is unfamiliar and gives the city a ghost town

persona.”
“Greenbacks gushing out of Dallas, a trickle of small change from Toledo.” Because New Orleans is so favorable it makes it the prime location for tourists who want to unwind during the day and dance until the sun rises. The tourists bring in so much money that a smile goes a long way. Smiling and laughing is just second nature to people from New Orleans. It’s a part of their optimistic, carefree way of life.
When funerals occur people say that you are being lifted out of paradise suggesting that the way of life is the closest to we can get or possibly even better than the afterlife. Armed with his exemplary imagery and distinct diction, Elton Glaser dictates that New Orleans life is so amazing that everyone needs to live this way, and if you don't then you could be missing out on the biggest party, life.