Thursday, January 22, 2009
I think Carson chose to make this story a whole chapter to reveal the contrasts in culture. In most American books, you would not find a whole chapter dedicated to such a small story, but I think Carson is trying to portray the fact that the people of Irish culture take time to recognize every story, tune, poem, etc., no matter the length. This format also parallels to the fact that the cultures and attitudes between the cousins are vastly different. Paddy is so at ease with life in no sense of hurry, letting the pigs eat as much as they want one by one. While the cousin is only interested in the amount of time it takes to complete the job, disregarding the pace and care with which Paddy does his work. The "slower pace of life" is also seen in the way the story is told, recounting every detail of Paddy's work, while the cousin's only input is in one line at the end. I think this only shows the great contrast between the characters. I believe the Irish farmer, Paddy comes out on top of the story because he seems so much more at peace with his life revealed in his clever and insightful comment at the end, " But, sure what's time to a pig?" The Yankee seems more concerned about himself and the amount of time it would take him rather than his cousin who seems to be just as carefree as the pigs with total disregard for a timely, and hurried away of living.
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5 comments:
I forgot to put the title. This comment is about "Pigtown" in the Carson
Good comments.
I would add, also, that Carson is using this chapter as a way of illustrating one example of how musicians "pass time" in sessions--namely, by telling jokes and funny stories (I first heard this joke, for example, at least 25 years ago).
In a sense, then, this chapter is like a piece of a collage--one element, not authored by Carson, but "pasted" by him into his larger original art-work, as a means of conveying *something* important about how musicians experience time--and comedy.
I grew up on a hog farm and I find Pigtown funny for a variety of reasons;-) Partly because it is so true - a pig doesn't have the same sense of time as humans do. Plus the fact that farming, in general, is often seen as a slower-paced lifestyle and this story indicates that the life of an American farmer is faster paced than Irish farmer. Which, to me is quite insightful because I know how slow-paced my dad's life (a farmer) is. That gives me a good benchmark for the pace of the Irish farmer in this story.
Oh and the number of pigs the Irish farmer owns is very telling of the goals of that particular farm. Six or seven pigs is really only enough to sustain a few families. It is not an operation that makes money by taking the pigs to market. That is a HUGE difference compared to hog farms in this country.
Oh and the number of pigs the Irish farmer owns is very telling of the goals of that particular farm. Six or seven pigs is really only enough to sustain a few families. It is not an operation that makes money by taking the pigs to market. That is a HUGE difference compared to hog farms in this country.
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