Life in a box
Henrietta isn't happy. Her flat is much too small - not much bigger than she is. She can't stand and she can't turn around.
She would like a bigger place, but her landlord says she can't have one. In fact, he never lets her leave her little home.
It's very loud where Henrietta lives. Her neighbours make a terrible noise all day. And at night, the lights in her building can't be turned off. Henrietta doesn't get much sleep.
Whether she has slept or not, Henrietta has to work seven days a week. Her work must be done!
When one of her neighbours is ill, Henrietta will probably become ill, too, altough her food is full of chemicals to keep her healthy. And if Henrietta becomes seriously ill, she will be killed.
Is Henriettas story a vision of live in the future? Or perhaps a report on life during a terrible time in the past? Or is she a victim of poverty in a Third World country?
No, Henriettas story comes right out of 21st-century Britain. You see, Henrietta is a chicken. Her job? Laying eggs in a battery. She will do this for 13 to 14 months; than her body will be sold for meat.