49 pages • 1 hour read
Tender Is the Flesh
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
Tender Is the Flesh is a 2017 dystopian novel by Argentinian writer Agustina Bazterrica. Against the backdrop of a society in which cannibalism has been normalized, Bazterrica examines such themes as misogyny, the commodification of humanity, and the use of language to mask wrongdoing. The novel won the Clarín Novel Prize and has been translated into several languages.
This guide is based on the 2020 Scribner edition, translated from Spanish into English by Sarah Moses.
Content Warning: The source text includes graphic depictions of cannibalism, sexual assault, mass human suffering, incarceration, misogynistic violence (including reproductive violence), and death by suicide.
Plot Summary
After a virus makes it unsafe for people to eat or interact with animals, much of the world’s animal population is exterminated. Some people turn to cannibalism to meet their demand for meat. This movement gains momentum until cannibalism is legalized, and the production of humans for slaughter becomes a large and profitable business.
Drawing on his experience working at his father’s beef and pork slaughterhouse growing up, Marcos Tejo is a manager at Krieg, a slaughterhouse for humans. Tejo’s father has dementia and lives in an expensive nursing home. Tejo visits him frequently, but his sister Unlock all 49 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
