lesson six death of a pig i. background information 1) the norton sampler: the text was selected...

Lesson Six Death of a Pig I. Background information 1) The Norton Sampler: The text was selected from the Norton Sampler, 3rd Edition, edited by Thomas Cooley, New York and London :W.W. Norton & Company,1985. The Norton Sampler is a rhetorically arranged collection of short essays for composition.

It echoes the cloth samplers once done in colonial America, presenting the basic patterns of writing for students to practice just as schoolchildren once practiced their stitches and ABCs on needlework samplers. The edition shows students that description, narration, and the other patterns of exposition are not just abstract concepts used in composition classrooms but are in fact the way we thinkand write.

The Norton Sampler contains 63 carefully chosen readingsclassics as well as more recent pieces, essays along with a few real- world textsall demonstrating how writers use the modes of discourse for many varied Beautifully written, demonstrating its own lessons about good writing. Students will find the book accessible and inspiring.63 carefully chosen readings

2) E. B. White (1899-1985):

Leading American essayist and literary stylist of his time, White was known for his crisp, graceful, relaxed style. "No one can write a sentence like White," James Thurber once stated. White's stories ranged from satire to children's fiction. While he often wrote from the perspective of slightly ironic onlooker, he also was a sensitive spokesman for the freedom of the individual.

2. About Pigs Why did E. B. White choose to write about a pig? Did his stories really happen? Read the answers in this letter, which he wrote to all kids everywhere shortly before his death.

Dear Reader: As for Charlotte's Web, I like animals and my barn is a very pleasant place to be, at all hours. One day when I was on my way to feed the pig, I began feeling sorry for the pig because, like most pigs, he was doomed to die. This made me sad. So I started thinking of ways to save a pig's life.

I had been watching a big grey spider at her work and was impressed by how clever she was at weaving. Gradually I worked the spider into the story that you know, a story of friendship and salvation on a farm. Three years after I started writing it, it was published. (I am not a fast worker, as you can see.) Yours sincerely, E. B. White

II Discourse analyses 1. The main idea of the text. By recording the last few days he spent with his pig, E. B. White empathized with his ailing pig. His role was changed, from the butcher in winter to the pigs friend and physician and his feeling of caring, sorry and sympathies were revealed vividly. Besides, he conveyed in his message that for humans or animals, time is painfully one- directional: the lost life can never return.

2. The outline of the text Part I pp 1-14 I bought a pig in the mid- September and I noticed something wrong with the pig. (pp 13) using the backshift way of description to tell my pig died and my feeling towards it. (pp. 414) with the time sequence, the author described how they treated the sick pig after noticing it was ill

Part II (pp15-35) My pig was suspected to got a fatal disease and the coming of Doctor McFarland (pp15-30) I phoned the doctor and the doctor suspected that erysipelas has to be considered. (pp 31-35) the doctors examination of the pig and my feeling of relief.

Part III (pp3641) the death of my pig and his burial. (pp 3637) My pigs last activities and final death (pp.3940) My dogs burial

III. Detailed study of the text Part 1 (pp 1-14) 1. ailing adj. somewhat ill e.g. He was still ailing, it was said, and the Squire nursed him like the proverbial woman.

2. things might easily have gone the other way round: Things might easily have happened in the opposite way, say, I died at last, and the pig lived.

3. recall; recollect Recall: to remember; to revoke; to take back (verbs); the ability to remember (noun) Recollect: to recall to mind, remember

He tried to recall how the faulty design had been tested. The company recalled all contracts until a new design could be implemented. General Motors recalled their defective automobiles. He had total recall of all the meetings. Workers could not recollect a worse catastrophe for their company.

4. 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 shows that my health is deteriorating. Otherwise, I would be able to remember. Notice the humor conveyed by the solemn tone as if the event was of great historical importance.

5. afflict; inflict afflict: cause distress inflict: impose something unpleasant e.g. Jack was afflicted with running sores. Jack wanted to know why God inflicted pain and sorrow on him.

6. decent Waiting for a decent death. It was decent of her to help the homeless. I am a decent girl !!! -----

He spent three years in a sweatshop before he found a decent job. His first novel was a flash in the pan, and he hasn't written anything decent since.

The director of my factory was very decent about my being away when my wife was ill. , , The new manager is pretty decent to us. He's done the decent thing and resigned. , .

We must provide decent housing for the poor. . The lack of decent public transport is a great disadvantage. . You can't have good acting without a decent script.

His behavior is so awful that he ought to be drummed out of decent society. His flippancy makes it difficult to have a decent conversation with him. , .

Ragged jeans are not very decent to wear to a ball. . Most university graduates consider white- collared position as decent jobs. .

7. 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 patternbuying, raising and butchering is strictly followed on most farms. Notice here the author follows his metaphor, saying that most farmers never change the pattern the procedure of the buying, feeding and killing of a pig remains the same.

8. enact - act out; represent or perform as if in a play e.g. She hated to re-enact the character in the play. She often enacted the Stories told by her father.

9. fidelity: A fidelity is loyalty to a person, organization, or a set of beliefs. e.g. Fidelity to engagement is a virtue His fidelity and industry brought him speedy promotion

10. premeditate: v. consider, ponder, or plan (an action) beforehand e.g. The crime was premeditated. She carefully premeditated each step of her plan.

11. in the first degree e.g. murder in the first [second, third] degree [ ] M-! ( ) ! a principal in the first [second] degree [ ]

12. The murder, being premeditated, is in the first degree but is quick and skillful, and the smoked bacon and harm provided a ceremonial ending whose fitness is seldom questioned:

The tragedy has an endingthe killing of a pig and the serving of its meat. The killing, deliberately planned and carried out efficiently, is the most type of murder. However, whether pigs should end their lives that way has never been questioned. Notice the humorous use of the legal term premeditated.

13. Once in a while something goes wrong one of the actors goes up in his lines and 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 the chaos, and the whole play has to stop. The author humorously introduces the premature death of his pig.

14. 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.

15. I found myself cast suddenly in the role of pigs friend and physiciana farcical character with an enema bag for a prop:

The author was suddenly made to play the role of the pigs friends and physicianhe had to take care of the pig when it got sickwhereas originally he was supposed to be the butcher.

16. cast: throw: to place actors in roles; players in a play or movie e.g. They often cast loving glances. . The cast bowed as the audience. applauded. . The director cast me as a scientist.

17. This was slapstickthe 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 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 medical treatment; he was even in charge of the burial after the pig died.

18. slapstick: a rough play in which the humor depends on physical actions rather than on the clever use of language

19. When we slid the body into the grave, we both were shaken to the core: The author feels deeply upset. Notice the pomposity of the language and the exaggeration used to create humor.

20. But Im running ahead of my story and shall have to go back: This sentence concludes the summary, and prepares the reader for the complete story.

21. overhang - project over e.g. The tall trees overhang the road.

22. rail fence

23. A pig couldnt ask for anything betteror none has, at any rate: A pig couldnt ask for better living condition; at least no pig has ever complained. Notice the humor herea pig couldnt speak; therefore it couldnt let us know whether it was contented with its living conditions or not.

24. There is never any identification needed on a country phone; the person on the other end knows who is talking by the sound the voice and by the character of the question:

It is a small village and everyone knows everyone else. Therefore you dont have to say who you are when you talk to someone on the phone.

25. Henry says roll him over on his back and give him two ounces of castor oil or sweet oil, and if that doesnt do the trick give him an injection of soapy water:

They didnt even bother to check what was wrong with the pig and decided on the treatment straight away, as if the only disease a pig could suffer from was indigestion. Castor oil, sweet oil and soapy water are all for the purpose of having the vomit and thus solving indigestion.

26. do the trick: provide a solution; give the desired result e.g. If we use a piece of cork it might stop the leaking and do the trick. I have a fever. Can the tablet do the trick?

27. though: ad. (postpositive) however e.g. He said he would come, he didnt, though. She promised to phone. I heard nothing, though. . .4.I expect you're right I'll ask him, though. -- .

28. catch up on: If you catch up on an activity that you have not had much time to do recently, you spend time doing it. e.g. I was catching up on doing a bit reading, as I was fully engaged in the past two weeks.

29. odds and ends: a group of small objects of different types which are not very valuable or important One good thing I got done at the office today was to clean up my desk. I'd let so many odds and ends pile up that you could scarcely see the desk itself. But I got busy and took care of everything."

30. Unconsciously I held off, for an hour, the deedthe even succession of days. I wanted no interruption, wanted no oil, no deviation. The author uses parallelism (no interruption in the regularity of feeding, the steadiness of growth, the even succession of days; no interruption, no oil, no deviation) to emphasize, or so it seems, that he was unwilling to accept the failure of his scheme.

31. hold off: to stop or delay doing something e.g. Let's hold off until we have more data. The rain held off just long enough for us to have our picnic. Could you hold off (making) your decision until next week? ?

32. desultory - marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another; ( purposeless) e.g. He broke into a desultory chat with me over his business affairs.

32. roll by: move away e.g. I am sure that our difficulties are only temporary. We must wait until the clouds roll by. He waited and waited till the clouds rolled by.

33. summon: ask to come; gather or bring together e.g. He summoned his soldiers to fight. The shareholders were summoned to a general meeting. I was summoned by my boss (to explain my actions). .

34. Clothesline: A cord, rope, or wire on which clothes may be hung to dry or air. e.g. Its a skid-proof clothesline from the department store.

35. listless: marked by low spirits; showing no enthusiasm (=dispirited) e.g. And between the trees appeared one or two street lamps, listless as the eyes of someone drowsy. At last, she asked listlessly, Is that you?

36. right - regain an upright or proper position (change posture) e.g. The capsized boat righted again. The half-drunk man finally righted himself and sat in chair with a forced smile.

37. In the upset position the corners of his mouth had been turned down, giving him a frowning expression: This is a vivid description of the pigs facial expression ( as is a pig was capable of giving a facial expression) during the treatment, which shows that he didnt like it.

38. They did not look troublesome but at the same time they did not look like mere surface bruises or chafe marks, Rather they seemed blemishes of internal origin: Those small dark spots immediately puzzled and worried the author. Although they didnt seem too serious, they were not bruises caused by external force but were symptoms of internal illness.

39. rehearse: to practice in preparation for a public performance (= practice) e.g. He rehearsed the interview in his mind beforehand. . If you can rehearse it 10 times in front of others, it will eventually become a good presentation. Ask the listeners to comment on your presentation.

40. List of words ending with -some adventuresome; awesome; blithesome; boresome; bothersome; burdensome; cuddlesome; cumbersome darksome; delightsome; dolesome; eyesome;dventuresomeawesomeblithesome boresomebothersomeburdensomecuddlesome cumbersome darksome fearsome; gamesome; gladsome; gleesome; handsome; irksome; lightsome; lonesome; longsome; meddlesome; nettlesome; quarrelsome; tiresome; toothsome; toilsome; troublesome; unhandsome; unwholesome; venturesome; wearisome; wholesome; winsome; worrisome

41. at someone elses expense: (humorous) being a guest at someone elses expense. The author had just had a good dinner at his friends place.

42. crave - have a craving, appetite, or great desire for e.g. By this time the inner man began to crave nourishment. He knows that if they trust him, he can give them the happiness which they crave.

43. lusty; lustful lusty: full of strength or vitality lustful: full of strong drive, desire, or enjoyment, especially strong sexual desire e.g. The lustful sailors were driven upon the rocks by the siren's song. The team broke the huddle with a lusty yell.

44. vicarious: experienced through the actions of other people e.g. His success gave her vicarious pleasure. He got a vicarious thrill out of watch his son score the winning goal.

Part II (15-35) the process of treating the ailing pig. 1. dachshund

2. made many professional calls on his own: The dog would often even visit the pig by himself as if he were a doctor or nurse. Notice the humorous use of the word professional.

3. bedridden: confined to bed (by illness) e.g. They were bedridden all of Wednesday and Thursday, and seemed to grow more and more tired and worn, all the time.

4. You could see him sown there at al hours, his white face parting the grass along the fence as he wobbled and stumbled about, his stethoscope danglinga happy quack, writing his villainous prescriptions and grinning his corrosive gin:

Fred was quite excited about the event. He was down at the pigpen all the time. Because of his swollen joints, he moved about unsteadily. His face set apart the grass along the fence as he moves about. He was like a doctor, with his long, dropping ears dangling like a stethoscope, and he scrabbled on the ground as if he were prescribing some medicine.

5. quack - an untrained person who pretends to be a physician and who dispenses medical advice e.g. He is a quack doctor. Don't be taken in he's just a quack. -- .

6. corrosive - of a substance, especially a strong acid; capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action e.g. Rust and acids are corrosive. The calling of a man's self to a strict account, is a medicine, sometimes too piercing and corrosive.

7. When the enema bag appeared, and the bucket of warm suds, his happiness was complete, and he managed to squeeze his enormous body between the two lowest rails of the yards and then assumed full charge of the irrigation:

When it was time to dose the pig, the short-legged and long-bodied dog he became even more excited. He managed to get through the fence and acted as if he was taking charging of the medical treatment.

8. I have noticed that Fred will feverishly consume any substance that is associated with troublethe bitter flavor is to his liking. The dog will eat anything that is connected with troubleespecially he likes bitter flavor.

9. feverishly: in a feverish manner e.g. For my own part, I had been feverishly excited all day. They worked feverishly, so that they could complete the project before October 1.

10. to ones liking: If something is to ones liking, he or she likes it or approves of it. e.g. A gentleman would willingly marry, if he could find a wife to his liking. Jelly fish is not to my liking. It isn't to my liking. Whatever my mother cooks is to my liking.

11. tower of strength: a person who can be relied on to give a great deal of support and comfort (from Shakespeare's Richard III - 'The king's name is a tower of strength'. ); (= pillar of strength; sponsor, supporter, patron )pillar of strengthsponsorsupporterpatron

e.g. My mother has been a tower of strength during my husband's long illness The dressers, often inexperienced or nervous, found her a tower of strength.

12. A tower of strength and in convenience: Note the humor in incongruity of strength and inconvenience. Inconvenience is added by the author, which means that Fred was always in the way. He was meddlesome, although he meant well.

13. The pig, curiously enough, stood rather quietly through this colonic carnival, and enema, though ineffective, was not difficult as I had anticipated: 1) there is a funny contrast between the dachshund (enthusiastic and active) and the pig (quiet and passive)

2) colon: the lower part of the bowel (the tube that takes waste out of ones body) 3) carnival: a lively festival in which people walk through the streets playing music, dancing and often wearing unusual colorful clothes. 4) By colonic carnival, the author means when the pig was given irrigation, the dog was excited. He welcome this event as a festival.

14. stereotype: n. a conventional or formulaic conception or image; v. treat or classify according to a mental stereotype He doesn't conform to the usual stereotype of the city businessman with a dark suit and rolled. , . It's wrong to stereotype people, as if they were all alike. ,

15. stereotyped role: traditional role Originally, the author was the butcher and the pig would grow fat, and would eventually be served as food.

16. The pigs lot and mine were inextricably bound now, as though the rubber tube were the silver cord: The destiny of the pig and mine were joined together by the instrument of the rubber tube, which was used do the irrigation for the pig.

17. lot e.g. odd lot ; ; ( ) Lot 46: six chairs 46 : . Take the whole lot. decide by lot his little lot pay scot and lot

He fabled about his lot. It was settled by lot. They are a sorry lot. Take all the lot if you want. . This lot of shoes sell very well. My lot is a hard one. Is there a parking lot nearby? ? He repined at his unhappy lot.

She's the best of the lot/bunch. . I would not want to share his lot. Come on, you dozy lot use your heads. , -- ! For this lot, could you consider prompt shipment. The successor falls to the lot of Tom. The price quoted was for the small lot you named, 5 metric tons; we can offer you10% off for a 150. 5 150 10

He was not such a bad lot as to round on his comrades-in-arms. He won 500 and then blued the lot in three days. 500 , . Nobody in the first lot of applicants was suitable for the job. . To hell with the lot of you, I'll do what I please! , !

18. The pigs lot and mine were inextricably bound now, as though the rubber tube were the silver cord: The destiny of the pig and mine were joined together by the instrument of the rubber tube, which was used do the irrigation for the pig.

19. From then until the time of his death the pig I held the pig steadily in the bowl of my mind; the task o trying to deliver him from his misery became a strong obsession: From the beginning of the illness to the time of his death, the pig was imbued in my mind and I found it very hard to free myself from that unpleasant situation.

20. His suffering soon became the embodiment of all earthly wretchedness: The pigs suffering soon become the symbol of all miseries in life.

21. By this time: till now e.g. By this time, he was hopelessly pickled. . By this time the inner man began to crave nourishment. They should have arrived in Beijing by this time.

22. My throat felt dry and I went to the cupboard and got a bottle of whiskey. Deep hemorrhagic infarctsthe phrase began fastening its hook in my mind: The author was very worried by the vets words about the pigs getting erysipelas and the possibility of his catching it, so he chose to grown his worries with whiskey.

23. I had assumed that there could be nothing much wrong with a pig during the months it was being groomed for murder; my confidence in the health and endurance of pigs had been strong and deep, particularly in the health of pigs that belonged to me and that were part of my proud scheme:

The author was reluctant to accept that there was something seriously wrong with his pig, because he had expected all pigs, especially his, to be healthy and strong.

24.The awakening had been violent and I minded it all the more because I knew that what could be true of my pig could also be true of the rest o f my tidy world: The realization that something could be wrong with the pig was sudden, and I felt even more upset when I thought that what happened to the pig could also easily happen to me or my world.

25. all the more: to a greater degree e.g. I know you find the subject difficult, that is all the more why you should work harder. If you are against his plan, he will stick to it all the more. , .

26. stocky: heavy and compact in form or stature e.g. There must have been a hundred of them--short, stocky men, with great beards that covered their faces.

27. overhaul : make repairs or adjustments to e.g. You should overhaul your car engine. Bush is right to be concerned about the long- term shortfall in Social Security funding, but the shortfall in Medicare is eight times worse, and Bush isn't campaigning to overhaul Medicare.

Part III (pp36-41) the burial of the pig 1. expressive: characterized by expression e.g. She gave us an expressive smile It's an expressive piece of music

2. I went back up to the house and to bed, and cried internallydeep hemorrhagic intears: It is a mimicking of the doctors words deep hemorrhagic infarcts. Behind the authors humorous words is his deep sincere sorrow for the pig.

3. Never send to know for whom the grave is dug, I said to myself, its dug for thee: The author was sad about the death of his pig partly because the death reminds him of the vulnerability of human life. Notice the parody used here.

4. overcast: n. the state of the sky when it is covered by clouds (= cloud over) v. make overcast or cloudy e.g. Its a bit overcast; it might rain. It began to overcast. His handsome countenance was overcast.

5. brink - the edge of a steep place; the limit beyond which something happens or changes e.g. The tree grew on the brink of the cliff. He stood shivering on the brink, waiting to dive in. . He dissipated most of his money and was on the brink of bankruptcy. ,

6. loose: not tight; free from confinement; to free from confinement lose: to not win; to misplace e.g. My shoe came loose. She wore loose garments in the summer. Can you work the screw loose. ? She helped the child loose the laces of his shoes.

Keep calm: dont lose your composure. , One false move may lose the game. Does your watch gain or lose? , ?

7.But even so, there was a directness and dispatch about animal burial, I thought, that made it a more decent affair than human burial : so that the inwards that had caused the pigs death preceded him into the ground and he lay at last resting squarely on the cause of his own undoing:

Our procession was a serious and efficient one. Fred, who acted the pallbearer, walked unsteadily in the back, though he was not qualified for that function. The sorrow of losing a family member was shown clearly in his face. The autopsy of the bodys inwards was done right at the side of the grave. The intestines of the pig were first thrown into the grave, so the pig could lie exactly on those things that caused his death.

8. dispatch: Speed in performance or movement e.g. We must act with dispatch. She did the job with great dispatch. With computers we can solve all problems with dispatch.

9. stopover - a stopping place on a journey; a brief stay in the course of a journey e.g. The ticket allows you two stopovers between London and Tokyo.

10. hitch: To fasten or catch temporarily with or as if with a loop, hook, or noose e.g. He hitched a horse to a tree. .

11. businesslike: serious and effective in the way you deal with things e.g. The talks were frank and businesslike. , Negotiations were conducted in a businesslike manner. . The couple maintained a businesslike attitude toward their divorce.

12. perverse: directed away from what is right or good; perverted e.g. She gets a perverse satisfaction from making other people embarrassed. We all wanted to go tomorrow, but she had to be perverse and insisted on going today.

lesson six death of a pig i. background information 1) the norton sampler: the text was selected...

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