"Death of a Pig"

I think that “Death of a Pig” by E.B. White shows how close of a relationship humans can have with animals of all kinds. The narrator knew that when he got this pig he was raising it to butcher it. He knew from the very beginning that the pig was going to die, but he was thinking it was going to be at his hands. Throughout the reading the pig and the narrator’s dog were personified to show the closeness the narrator felt to both of them. The personification also helped show the reader how the pig felt and made the reader feel as close to the pig as the narrator did. Although the narrator at first seems to only want the pig for food, we come to find out that he really actually cares about him. He could have easily just let the pig die on its own and bought another one, but he showed compassion and was worried about the pig. The narrator put as much time into helping the pig as someone would care for their sick child. He even says, “I felt his ears (as you might put your hand on the forehead of a child)” At the end of the story he even points out that he will revisit the grave, almost like we do for our family members and friends that have passed and even our pets.