The Slaughter House :: Description Essays

The Slaughter House â€Å"Though he was harshly treated, he submitted and opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, or a sheep before the shearers, he was silent and opened not his mouth† Isaiah 53:7 Trudging along the dirt road that led down to the abattoir, I was experiencing strong emotions. My stomach churned at the thought of the blood I was likely to encounter during the processing of lambs. I reasoned that to get a valid opinion on the subject, I had to witness the entire process, no matter how unpleasant. As I entered the abattoir I was greeted by Tim, a young graduate student who would be assisting the professor throughout the process. I was told to step into a tray on the floor filled with a disinfectant to prevent the entrance of unwelcomed germs that hid on the bottom of my shoes. I pulled on a long yellow apron and placed a hair net and hard hat on my head. A small class of animal science majors walked in who would also be viewing the slaughtering. The professor and Tim prepared for the process by thoroughly washing and sanitizing all of their instruments, sharpening their knives, and placing hooks on a track overhead that holds the sheep carcass upside down. I stepped outside and saw the four sheep that were to be killed. They were huddled together as if they knew what was to happen and were saying their goodbyes. Tim reassured me they were only afraid of being in a strange, confined space. I stood off to the side as Tim led the first of the sheep inside. The sheep gave little struggle and made no sound. Tim gripped its head tightly as the professor placed a bolt gun on the top of its skull. The bolt gun worked similar to a revolver.