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The Girlfriend
Tin Head is an ill-fated character in a story told by the old man’s girlfriend. Tin Head is plagued by misfortune: due to an injury, he has a metal plate embedded in his skull, and the animals on his paltry ranch continually suffer bizarre mutations. In the girlfriend’s story, Tin Head slaughters steers to keep his family fed; one year, however, he kills and begins skinning the animal, but leaves the job unfinished. When he finally remembers that he needs to finish skinning the animal, he sees that the steer is gone. When he eventually locates it, he realizes that the half-skinned steer is still alive. The steer looks at him with hatred, and Tin Head realizes that he and his family are doomed; he angered and provoked nature by disrespecting the steer’s sacrifice, and must suffer for his mistake. Tin Head’s tale frames Mero’s life story, illustrating the ongoing thematic tension between man and nature.
Tin Head Quotes in The Half-Skinned Steer
The The Half-Skinned Steer quotes below are all either spoken by Tin Head or refer to Tin Head. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Half-Skinned Steer
Quotes
I’ll tell you, on Tin Head’s ranch things went wrong. Chickens changed color overnight, calves was born with three legs, his kids was piebald and his wife always crying for blue dishes. Tin Head never finished nothing he started, quit halfway through a job every time … He was a mess with the galvy plate eating at his brain and his ranch and his family was a mess. But … they had to eat, didn’t they, just like anybody else?
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Every year Tin Head butchers one of his steers, and that’s what they’d eat all winter long … he hits the steer a good one with the axe and it drops stun down. He ties up the back legs, hoists it up and sticks it, shoves the tub under to catch the blood. When it’s bled out pretty good he … starts skinning it … and he gets the hide off about halfway and starts thinking about dinner. So he leaves the steer half-skinned there on the ground … but first he cuts out the tongue which is his favorite dish.
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Get the entire The Half-Skinned Steer LitChart as a printable PDF.
Tin Head Quotes in The Half-Skinned Steer
The The Half-Skinned Steer quotes below are all either spoken by Tin Head or refer to Tin Head. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
The Half-Skinned Steer
Quotes
I’ll tell you, on Tin Head’s ranch things went wrong. Chickens changed color overnight, calves was born with three legs, his kids was piebald and his wife always crying for blue dishes. Tin Head never finished nothing he started, quit halfway through a job every time … He was a mess with the galvy plate eating at his brain and his ranch and his family was a mess. But … they had to eat, didn’t they, just like anybody else?
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Every year Tin Head butchers one of his steers, and that’s what they’d eat all winter long … he hits the steer a good one with the axe and it drops stun down. He ties up the back legs, hoists it up and sticks it, shoves the tub under to catch the blood. When it’s bled out pretty good he … starts skinning it … and he gets the hide off about halfway and starts thinking about dinner. So he leaves the steer half-skinned there on the ground … but first he cuts out the tongue which is his favorite dish.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
