Alone in a new town, a young man takes a job at the local slaughterhouse. As the violence of the work begins to dominate his life, he is given the chance at something better. But is it too late? Has he already changed by the world of men?
Once he arrives at work, in the loud abattoir locker room, Tobin shrinks away from the others, a boy amongst men. The other workers change into white overalls as Tobin changes into blue ‘trainee’ overalls. One worker, the Knifeman, seizes on Tobin’s weakness and mocks him. He is humiliated. Tobin walks with the men toward the abattoir floor, as it looms nearer he tries to hide his trepidation.
Over the coming days, Tobin will be picked on by colleagues and challenged within his new world. He will be forced to assess if he belongs in the abattoir environment.
At its core, Tethered is a story of the coming of age of a young man. But it reaches farther. It discusses exactly what it is that defines the masculinity that Tobin strives for. As adolescents, people strive to become independent adults and affirm their identity by looking to find cues in the world around them. The true difficulty is in knowing which cues to follow. It is the search that provides the conversation that underlines, Tethered.
