post-transition-society

The chapter follows the protagonist as he travels to the Hifu Tannery, reflecting on the desolate post-Transition world and his troubled family history. At the tannery, he interacts with the ominous owner Señor Urami, who obsessively manages the processing of human skin, revealing the brutal and dehumanizing nature of their work. The protagonist grapples with his complicity and the psychological weight of his job, sustained by necessity and expertise despite the moral and emotional toll.

The chapter depicts the protagonist's conflicted experience caring for a female captive in his barn after the societal 'Transition' that has altered human-animal relations. He grapples with the ethical and practical implications of raising her for meat, reflecting on the legal prohibition of slavery and the brutal reality of the meat industry, while also confronting his own personal losses and desires for escape.