In Novella Carpenter’s “Farm City”, Carpenter communicates to her readers the emotional tie she underwent as the proud mother of two pigs. Like a new parent, Carpenter went into pig raising blind and inexperienced. Nervous at the auction from which she purchased the pigs, Carpenter thinks to herself, “After almost ten years of beekeeping, vegetable planting, and chicken tending – and more recently turkey raising and rabbit herding – Bill and I were going to reach the pinnacle of urban farming; we were going to raise a pig” (187). Carpenter went to the auction to support the 4-H kids, as well as to purchase a pig that with quality genetics. The idea of helping future farmers made her feel as if she was helping the future. After several pigs…show more content… But these cold nights of sifting through piles of slop was not the hardest part of parenting the pigs. Unlike other parents Carpenter and Bill will have to slaughter their children. Carpenter had no idea how to go about this, asking person after person how to kill the pigs. With feelings of hopelessness, Carpenter realized she had to hire someone to kill the pigs. Calling different farms, Carpenter found a short tempered, unique lady named Sheila. As anyone whose handing something that they’ve spent a great deal of time and effort on, Carpenter had many questions. Each question she had was like a fight to get the answer out of Sheila. The fear of the unknown kept Carpenter on edge past the day of giving the pigs to Sheila. Carpenter made it clear that when it was time to slaughter she wanted to be there to see it. Caring and loving Carpenter wanted to know that the pigs were not afraid before dying and to learn. This wish to bear witness to the pig slaughtering was not respected. Like a mother after their child’s funeral, Carpenter’s world was brought down when Sheila called informing that the pigs were ready to be picked
