Pastoralia by George Saunders
"Pastoralia" is a short story by George Saunders that takes place in a fictional historical-reenactment theme park, primarily within an artificial cave. The narrative centers around two main characters: an unnamed man who plays a caveman and his coworker, Janet, who portrays a cavewoman. Their lives are marked by routine and the challenges of maintaining their roles in the absence of proper support, particularly food, which they receive from a dispenser known as the Big Slot. The story explores themes of dedication, truth, and the struggle for survival in an absurd work environment, as the caveman actor grapples with Janet's inconsistent commitment to their performance.
As their situation deteriorates, the caveman finds himself compelled to confront the reality of Janet's performance and the implications for both of their livelihoods. The narrative further delves into the dynamics between the workers and their supervisors, highlighting the pressures of conformity and the consequences of honesty in a corporate culture. The climax occurs when the caveman must finally decide whether to protect Janet or tell the truth about her performance. Ultimately, "Pastoralia" raises intriguing questions about identity, responsibility, and the nature of truth within a satirical framework.
Pastoralia by George Saunders
First published: 2000, as short story and as short story collection
Type of plot: Satire, science fiction
Time of work: The early twenty-first century
Locale: A historical reenactment theme park
Principal Characters:
The narrator , an actor performing as a cave dweller at a theme parkJanet Foley , his coworkerGreg Nordstrom , their supervisor
The Story
"Pastoralia" is set within an imaginary historical-reenactment theme park, with its action occurring largely within the confines of an artificial cave. The primary interaction takes place between the two main characters, an unnamed man who plays the caveman, and Janet, who plays the cavewoman. The central difficulty experienced by the caveman actor arises from Janet's inability to play her part on a continuous, consistent basis, although she knows it is her livelihood.
The two actors live a life of routine. Each morning, they emerge from their separate areas and go to a dispenser called the Big Slot to obtain their food, usually a dead goat that they must skin and roast over a fire. The rest of the day is spent at such miscellaneous activities as working on cave paintings and hunting for imaginary insects to eat.
Soon after the story begins, the caveman actor rises and goes to the Big Slot, only to find a note apologizing for the absence of the goat. Janet complains aloud in English, while the caveman actor tries to maintain his role and grunts imaginatively. Attendance at their cave-dweller site has declined in recent weeks, and Janet's ability to stay in role has taken a downturn as well. Even so, the actor ends his day by faxing in his Daily Partner Performance Evaluation Form by answering questions concerning Janet's attitude and performance in the positive. Again, the next day, when no goat appears, the pair live off their backup supply of crackers, and again Janet complains, while the actor tries to maintain his role. When a goat does appear the third morning, Janet puts effort into her role once again, even though they have no audience to witness it.
The actors are occasionally required to leave their space, primarily to carry wastes to the disposal area. A nearby employee-only store is run by a couple named Marty and Jeannine. Marty's young son attends a private school and sometimes visits the couple at the store. When the caveman actor goes to buy a favorite drink for himself as well as mints and cigarettes for Janet, he learns that another actor, who played the Wise Mountain Hermit, has been fired. The Wise Mountain Hermit is another "Remote," as are the cave dwellers. The next day, a note arrives about the firings called "Staff Remixing."
An unprecedented event then follows: A supervisor in the organization, Greg Nordstrom, invites the actor away from his cave for brunch. Over bagels, Nordstrom queries the actor about Janet and encourages him to tell the truth about her. Nordstrom knows that Janet is not doing well but needs a negative evaluation from her partner before he can fire her. Nordstrom emphasizes to the actor that the company simply wants him to tell the truth.
Through a handwritten note, the actor reveals to Janet that she is in trouble. Grateful, she promises to stick to her role, which she does for several days, despite the hardship resulting from a lack of goats from the Big Slot. One morning, however, Janet's son walks into the cave. The boy is in trouble for stealing and taking drugs, and his presence makes Janet break character. The caveman actor, however, still covers for her. He has his own preoccupations, with faxes arriving each night from his wife about their son's health and financial problems.
He continues covering for Janet until the day when visitors finally drop by to observe their reenactment. Janet interacts poorly with them, speaking in English and not altogether pleasant English. The caveman actor finds he cannot justify covering for her again and finally sends in a negative evaluation form. Nordstrom, approving, tells him to be absent from the cave the next morning when they take Janet away.
Afterward, the caveman actor is rewarded with food and drink. Then he receives a company memo about its attitude toward truth. Truth, according to the memo, "is that thing which makes what we want to happen happen . . . truth is the wind in our sails that blows only for us."
The story ends with the entrance of a woman. She is the new cavewoman. She is so dedicated to her role that she has had a high-brow ridge permanently attached to her face.
Sources for Further Study
Booklist 96 (April 15, 2000): 1525.
The Boston Globe, May 14, 2000, p. M1.
Denver Post, May 28, 2000, p. F-04.
Kansas City Star, May 7, 2000, p. J1.
The New York Review of Books 47 (June 29, 2000): 38.
Publishers Weekly 247 (March 13, 2000): 62.
San Francisco Chronicle, May 11, 2000, p. B1.