Meat Factory Analysis

The meat factory audio piece is one which describes a man's work life in a meat factory and his experiences while he worked there. I think the piece is really uncomfortable to listen to as he goes into detail about his experiences, such as the bloodbath, in such a indifferent tone.

 There are many sounds in which can be heard throughout this piece, for example he plays songs he remembers listening to on his way to work etc, knives sharpening, sounds of cows mooing and sounds of the factory. All these sounds allow the audience to put themselves in the environment in which Richie Bernie is trying to simulate. There is the a voice over, Bernie himself, which describes the conditions, and tells his own stories from his time in the meat factory. Silence is often used within this piece as it helps create tension for the audience and emphasises what he has/is saying at the time. Bernie uses the silence as punctuation, to empathises when one section has ended and when he is moving onto another topic. The use of silence in this way helps create an uneasy atmosphere within the audience, while also allowing the audience to understand where exactly in the story they are.  This is contrasted with the cheery music which is injected into the piece at times. This combination of sounds makes the audience feel on edge and quite uneasy, as what he is explaining and some of the background noises you can hear are very uncomfortable, the upbeat songs being injected confuse the audience. 

 Overall I think the piece is successful in creating an atmosphere in which is uncomfortable for the audience, but the piece is still interesting enough to keep the audience wanting to hear more. I think the use of the music clips within this piece allows the audience to connect with the piece more, as it helps them realise that the narrator is just an ordinary person like them. therefore I would say this piece is successful in its aim to provide an insight into what its like to work on a killing line in a meat factory.