Chickens: My Little Soul Mate
Jake Powers 4/24/12
Prof. Tilley FYW 101
Chickens: My Little Soul Mate While most of us know chicken from our dinner plates, few of us consider this bird’s many virtues. There are many people who think that chickens aren’t meant to be eaten but rather to be pets. In the film The Natural History of the Chicken by Mark Lewis, people are interviewed and they share their experiences with chickens. These people have a special bond with their pets and see them as a “friend.” The interviews are compelling and emotional. The way that people often talk about chickens is very serious, but sometimes it is clear that the seriousness is also meant to be funny. Some of the scenes show how pets can be just like humans and how they are loved like everyone else and shouldn’t be eaten or put into cages. Mark Lewis shows the cruel and remarkable stories of the chicken. Through these stories, this documentary illuminates the role that chickens play in some people’s lives. Perhaps the most surprising is the case of the Florida woman who bathes her chicken, and takes it both swimming and shopping. In the interview with Karen Estrada she explains her experience with her chicken named Cotton. Estrada believes that chickens were on this earth for a reason and shouldn’t be living on a farm but be cared for. “That there just not a little chicken in the barnyard to eat, no they have a special personality” (Estrada). The chicken acts likes a human in some things Cotton does. Estrada takes Cotton in the pool with her to cool him off. Estrada believes her chicken is her soul mate. “He is my soul mate” (Estrada). Estrada takes him everywhere and thinks he is a human. Sometimes Cotton feels housebroken but he watches television to keep him occupied when Estrada isn’t home. “When I leave the house, I always leave the television on so he can watch it, or classical music” (Estrada). Estrada sees her chicken as a pet, like a dog because Cotton eats the same food as
Prof. Tilley FYW 101
Chickens: My Little Soul Mate While most of us know chicken from our dinner plates, few of us consider this bird’s many virtues. There are many people who think that chickens aren’t meant to be eaten but rather to be pets. In the film The Natural History of the Chicken by Mark Lewis, people are interviewed and they share their experiences with chickens. These people have a special bond with their pets and see them as a “friend.” The interviews are compelling and emotional. The way that people often talk about chickens is very serious, but sometimes it is clear that the seriousness is also meant to be funny. Some of the scenes show how pets can be just like humans and how they are loved like everyone else and shouldn’t be eaten or put into cages. Mark Lewis shows the cruel and remarkable stories of the chicken. Through these stories, this documentary illuminates the role that chickens play in some people’s lives. Perhaps the most surprising is the case of the Florida woman who bathes her chicken, and takes it both swimming and shopping. In the interview with Karen Estrada she explains her experience with her chicken named Cotton. Estrada believes that chickens were on this earth for a reason and shouldn’t be living on a farm but be cared for. “That there just not a little chicken in the barnyard to eat, no they have a special personality” (Estrada). The chicken acts likes a human in some things Cotton does. Estrada takes Cotton in the pool with her to cool him off. Estrada believes her chicken is her soul mate. “He is my soul mate” (Estrada). Estrada takes him everywhere and thinks he is a human. Sometimes Cotton feels housebroken but he watches television to keep him occupied when Estrada isn’t home. “When I leave the house, I always leave the television on so he can watch it, or classical music” (Estrada). Estrada sees her chicken as a pet, like a dog because Cotton eats the same food as