The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

by

Ann Shaffer

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: Part 1: Wednesday Evening Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
A man who identifies himself as An Animal Lover writes to Juliet. He says that he's a member of the Society but rather than tell Juliet about books, he'd like to share what the islanders did to their pets. Thousands of people evacuated and left their pets behind to roam the streets. Then, the U.S. issued an order: there wasn't going to be enough food for people, so families could keep one pet and the rest would be put to sleep. It took two days to kill and bury truckloads and truckloads of pets.
An Animal Lover extends his ability to view other people as worthy of life unequivocally to animals, which makes him view this as a disgustingly inhumane act. As far as he's concerned, these euthanized house pets are some of the most tragic unspoken deaths of the war, especially since nobody else will tell this story.
Themes
Literature and Connection Theme Icon
Family, Parenting, and Legitimacy Theme Icon
War, Hunger, and Humanity Theme Icon