Fading Zoo

In Tender is The Flesh, by Agustina Bazterrica, livestock and wildlife have been systematically eradicated by the governments of the world, reportedly because of a virus called “GGB” (4). Because these animals are dangerous both alive and when eaten, the “undesirables” in human society have been denigrated to their level and cannibalism becomes normalized (6, 8). Marcos Tejo works in the meat industry, despite hating it, because he is caring for his ailing father (14). With his father remaining alive, Marcos can kindle hope, purpose, and solace that allows him to endure his own life. And so, Marcos works in a hazy state of unreality, with his deviant thoughts and dangerous words able to drift in the memories of the past, instead of raising up in the present, just as his father did before him.

A scene that encapsulates this is one of his memories with his father after his mother died. It starts with a description of the zoo, stating that it, “. . .was full of families, caramel apples, cotton candy, in shades of pink, yellow, blue; laughter, balloons, stuffed kangaroos, whales, bears” (44). The description of the cotton candy and caramel apples gives the scene sweetness, vibrance, and childhood nostalgia, while the stuffed animals stand in stark contrast to the current world, where they are contraband (27). 

This juxtaposition continues with the setting, a zoo, which once was a place of leisure and are now abandoned and dangerous (43). Marcos reminiscing about this, rather than reveling in the now accepted vices like his peers, suggests that he longs for what once was, clinging onto forlorn hope like how a wanderer reaches out towards a mirage for water that will never be (10). 

The scene continues with his father pointing out different animals to him. He mentions “. . .a squirrel monkey. . .a coral snake. . .[and]. . .a tiger,” which sets up the expectation that this is a strong bonding moment between father and son. These expectations are shattered as Marcos mentions “. . .he felt his father didn’t have any more words, that even the ones he said weren’t really there,” thus leaving them hollow while still trying to pack as much meaning as they can to connect and be present with his son. 

Marcos, even as a child, knew that this could not endure for long as he remarks “. . .that his father’s words were about to break, that they were held together by the thinnest of transparent threads” (44). This shows the foundations of his current purpose, to keep his father, and the emotions behind his lost words alive.

Seemingly trying to make the best of things, his father then brings him to the lion’s den. Only the lionesses can be seen and Marcos stares at them observing that, “They’re so far away. . .[and in that moment]. . .all he wanted to do was leap into the den, lie down with the lionesses, and go to sleep,” hinting that he is already tired of the world, despite the horrors of it only just beginning (45).

The scene ends with the other children around the den acting up as they, “shouted, growled. . .[and]. . .tried to roar,” and when he looks at his father and tries to get them to join in their merriment as the lion appears, he sees that “. . .his father’s head was down, he was fading among all those people. And though he wasn’t crying, the tears were there, behind the words he couldn’t say” (45). This somber solitude that his father experiences in this moment is reflected in Marcos’s present, in the words and resentment for his work that he now cannot say (13). The sentiment of having words and desires bottled up inside while being unable to express them is therefore somewhat alleviated by the solace that his father experienced something similar in his own life. Having his father stay alive is, in consequence, a way for Marcos to not be alone in his struggle, despite having to pay a heavy price via performing a job that he hates.

These two characters are linked together, and this scene helps highlight it by showing how similar the two of them are and how, regardless of being a caregiver in different circumstances, both of them rely on the dependance of one another throughout their lives. Each in turn gives the other hope, purpose, and in the end, solace that they are not alone and there is a reason to continue living. However, this cannot last forever, and just as the cracks in both of their facades bring them closer to one another, it also gives them a glimpse of the fleeting nature their bond is tethered on.