Rhetorical Analysis of Jeffery Masson’s the Pig Who Sang to the Moon

Pig Book Review

Perhaps one might, upon reading the title of the book, find that it is more suitable for a bed time story. I agree since the author, Jeffrey Masson, has taken to treating his readers like a bunch of children, in a bid to entrance them so that they do not mind his flawed reasoning. The title doesn't tell anything about the fact that the book is really a study of "the emotional world of domesticated animals." The author, Jeffrey Masson, was once the head of Sigmund Freud Archives, and had once said that Freud covered cases of child abuse for the purpose of backing his "seduction" theory -- that the patients had wanted to be seduced as children. Ever since, Jeffrey Masson has been revealing cases of abuse, including those featured in studies and animal abuse by man (Cohu, 2004).

In a narrative that is fairly typical of his writing, Masson notes that in a manner similar to human beings, pigs too are individuals. Masson's writing is filled with trickery, in that, acceptance of the fact that the word individual applies to all of us as humans, and also that it applies the same way to animals, such as pigs, then, in other words, we will have accepted the assertion that pigs are humans. This particular assertion is supported by several anecdotes, including one about pigs who grunt in pleasure or wag their tails in happiness or of a pig named Pru that rescued its owner who was stuck in a marsh, or of another pig who went searching for help, after its owner had a heart attack. Masson also argues that people's perception about pigs has always been that they are dirty animals, and that the attitudes of humans are even far worse and embedded with quite ugly phrases when referring to other humans, such as: you are a filthy swine, your room is like a pigsty, or even don't be a road hog. Masson further argues that not only are our phrases against pigs, but also our ideas, and he makes similar arguments about the attitudes of humans against all other domesticated animals. However, according to Cohu (2004), if we were to follow Masson's arguments, it would mean that all similes and metaphors ought not to be used so as to treat these animals fairly.

Masson's earlier book, When Elephants Weep, was the first work since the era of Darwin to investigate the animal emotions, particularly, wild animals. His latest book titled the 'pig book' takes a different angle. It examines the world of domesticated animals and reports shocking findings, revealing that farm animals too have emotions and consciousness. In his latest work, Masson looks into anecdotes, scientific research, his experiences, history and also reviews literature on different domestic animals like chickens, goats, sheep, cows and pigs over duration of 60 months. His book is one of the few works that not only shows the importance of farm animals, but also gives them dignity, in contrast to how we normally treat them by killing, shearing, milking or even eating them (Buffalolib, n.d.). It is a fact that many behaviorist scientists are of the opinion that we can never know what makes animals happy. However, Masson believes differently, he argues that an animal can be joyous if it is living according to its inherent nature. Thus, according to his argument, domesticated animals are the saddest or suffer the most compared to wild ones. He gives an example to back his argument when he says that Chickens would love to nestle at night with friends and that they can't do this by being locked in a cage every night (Masson, 2003). From pens to farms and barns, Masson writes of the feelings and the intelligence of domesticated animals, such as the sheep, dogs, chicken and many more; each animal with its own special qualities. Intelligent, emotional and self-dependent are some of the attributes that Jeffrey Masson attaches to pigs. However, it would be difficult for any sane individual to agree with such sentiments (Buffalolib, n.d.). In the pig book, Masson further argues that pigs do have the same behaviors as humans. That they can tell colors, dream and are cognizant of their names (Masson, 2003). He argues that cows often mourn their young one's when they are being taken to abattoirs for slaughter. That given options, other animals, such as sheep, would choose to eat nutritious food and other animals, such as goats, show a sense of fearlessness, dignity and humor. With regards to fearlessness, Masson gives an example of an Indian goat that can kill leopards. He also talks, in his book, of the social nature of chicken, stating from experience, that chickens can move close to a human companion or sit close by someone who takes care of them (Masson, 2003). In short, the above arguments, in the Pig book, shatter the misconception that farm animals are unintelligent and without emotion (Buffalolib, n.d.).

However, Masson's answer to stop the so-called mistreatment of animals is quite radical. He calls for a reversal of centuries of human development, for a return to veganism. He argues that if man can stop capital sentences, wife battering, and slavery, then surely he can stop exploiting farm animals (Masson, 2003). While recognizing the intellectual way, he presents his facts; there is a need for one to look deeper into his logic (Jaine, 2004). A dog might be smart, yes. It can be told to walk, sit or bone, and respond by springing to action, or wagging its tail in happiness. It might be bright yes, but not to the level being suggested by Masson. Nothing seems beyond the intelligence of domestic or wild animals according to the author (Jaine, 2004). It is obvious that various types of farming are against what is natural, and should not be allowed e.g. factory farming. But denial of the fact that there is a trade-off i.e. while domestic animals have shorter longevity, they also have full stomachs and more tranquility; this is downright dishonest (Jaine, 2004).