You could say the same about how we talk about religious rites. There are reports of primitive tribes who indulge – though there’s controversy about how much we colour these to suit our world view or colonial ambitions. Real-life cannibalism is typically about survival, as per the 1972 Andes plane crash or rumours of the Donner Party (see also The Shining). Whether you take this literally depends on your beliefs. The bread and wine of the Christian ritual of the Eucharist represents the flesh and blood of Jesus Christ. Like its characters, we use words to mask exploitation and cruelty. We can read the book as a commentary on doublethink.

The novel asks: what circumstances could make us view cannibalism as unavoidable, excusable or even stylish?īut given the commonality of torture of humans by humans, perhaps the question is: why haven’t we already embraced it? Tender is the Flesh, then, is alternate universe, forecast and allegory – all at once. Science fiction uses imagined and future worlds to show us ourselves in the here and now. Sometimes it’s just for kicks.Īgustina Bazterrica’s novel is set in a future in which everyone is complicit in mass killing. Either way, incidents reveal we’re drawn to blood lust and sadism, especially against those seen as inferior or weaker.

War is often a backdrop, though not always. Torture is nothing new – and certainly isn’t confined to foreign nations. Transitioning to dystopiaĪlternate universe, forecast and allegory – all at onceĪ 2017 episode of journalism podcast The Tip-off describes how a journalist at the Washington Post uncovered systemic torture at Syria’s notorious Hospital 601, revealing: “ the hospitals were slaughterhouses”. Like the book, it won’t be suitable for everyone. This page considers ways of interpreting Tender is the Flesh, by Argentinian novelist Agustina Bazterrica – with spoilers. While some revel in this new taste for the taboo, for Marcos the slaughterhouse masks grief and heartbreak.

It’s illegal to eat people with a first and last name … unless you find a loophole. This is “special meat”, and the humans raised for consumption known only as “heads”.

It’s completely legal – in fact, after a virus destroys the animal population, they’re the only source of meat. But what do we talk about when we talk about cannibalism? Tender is the Flesh serves up a dystopia in which animals are off the menu and eating humans is the norm.

Tender is the flesh agustina