When we first talked in class about how fiction can give us insight into other cultures, I wasn’t entirely convinced. After reading these two chapters, I can see how fiction can be so valuable in understanding other cultures in a more concrete way. Similarly, reading After Cowboy Chicken Came to Town also showed me how other cultures view the US.
This was one of the most interesting aspects of the story: how the characters viewed American business. Aspects of the story that seem normal to us were outrageous to the employees of Cowboy Chicken. One of the best examples of this was the buffet. To us, buffets seem like a normal occurrence when it comes to food in the US. This idea was outlandish to those working at Cowboy Chicken.
This aspect of the story ties into one of the more subtle themes: wastefulness. The employees at Cowboy Chicken were shocked and disappointed that Peter obliged to the American practice of throwing away leftovers at the end of the night; even going so far as to burn them. This made me think about how we take advantage of what we have here in the US. So many restaurants throw out extra food and products. The author adding this aspect of the story made it a good lesson.