Review of A Day No
Pigs Would Die
By Mishae Hare (February 26, 2017)
Written by Robert Newton Peck
192 Pages
As I
came to the end of this book I reflected on the feelings that I experienced
throughout this journey through a small, but highly influential, part of a poor
farming family’s life. There were moments when I laughed out loud at some of
the stories that were told. However, at other times I felt extreme sorrow to
the point of tears when hardship and challenge swelled in this family’s life to
the point of bursting. The book, A Day No
Pigs Would Die, teaches us far more than the story line itself may
entail. As we dig deeper into the life
of a young boy, we begin to relate the lessons that he learned to our own lives
and be grateful for the hardships that most of us didn’t have to face that this
young boy did at the age of only twelve. However, we also begin to gain access
to the reality of growth that came at a young age on an olden day farm.
Robert Peck,
the boy spoken of in the above paragraph, left school early one day due to
bullying. On his way home, he encountered a cow that was having troubles having
her calf on her own. He managed to help pull the calf, and save the cow. Mr.
Tanner, the farmer who owned the cow was greatly appreciative of this and
wanted to give Robert a pig in return. Although he did not accept the pig as a
gift, he told him he would work for it instead. He was the happiest boy in the
world to finally have something he could call his own. Pinky the pig was his
best friend. It was better fed and taken care of than even he was. Robert new
they would be lifelong friends because Pinky would be a sow and wouldn’t have
to be used for meat. After trying multiple times Pinky was not able to have
piglets. Robert new what would have to happen to her because of this. When
hardship struck and there was no other option Robert and his dad butchered
Pinky. Life as Robert new it changed, and even more so when his father died
shortly after. He became the man of the house, and the now 13-year-old boy that
would run the family farm.
In this
short chapter book we can see many literary themes regarding agriculture that
relate to historical views in the past and the present day. For example, the
Peck family lived and farmed on a land that they were so close to paying off,
only five more years to be exact. Many
other families share this problem with the Peck’s. We just read from our textbook
about homesteading. I am not sure if this was the case for the Peck family, but
nonetheless they were farming to pay off their debts in order to be free
essentially. Money and finances are issues for a lot of farmers. It is hard to
make a living with only a small amount of land and equipment. Although Robert
and his family struggled, they always had what they needed, even if it was less
than what others may have thought was a necessity. I feel like this is an
example of all farmers. They go with little or nothing so their kids can have
it, or so it can be re-distributed into their work in order to be more successful
another year.
Another
example that we see is in relation to the death of the father. Robert Peck was
left to maintain the farm and take care of his mom and aunt all on his own. His
father personally gave him that responsibility before dying. He was only 13
years old. Death at a young age was very prevalent in earlier generations. They
did not have the medicine and the healthcare to prolong life and prevent
illness. My dad had a similar experience
as Robert. His father died when he was only 15 years old. His mother had cancer
and there were still several siblings left in the home. He was forced to grow
up, and go to work on the farm that his father taught him how to run and
maintain. It was also necessary for him to do other jobs to insure his mom’s
healthcare as well as providing very little food and clothing for him and his
siblings. I feel like this character of Robert is in my dad, as well as Robert’s
father. He works harder than I have ever seen anyone work, without being asked
or it being expected. A lot of the reason people are the way they are and
especially farmers is because of the expectations and the responsibilities that
are placed upon them at such a young age. Instead of sleeping in and watching
cartoons, they are up early milking cows and mucking stalls. This is their
life. They don’t need worldly things to make them happy.
A day no
pig would die and an everyday farmer go hand in hand. I believe that Robert
Peck as well as farmers of today are who they are because of the roots from
which they come from, and the hardships that they have overcome. Not just anyone
can be a farmer. It takes a special person that is willing to give it their all
and watch it fail, then pick themselves up and do it again and again. This is
exactly what the Peck family did. They are a family of farmers. They refused to
crumble, like farmers of ancient times, as well as today, and that is why they
succeed, and that is what makes them a farmer.
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