In 2012, writer Wendell Berry spoke before a large audience of everyday people, a speech that would later be titled “It All Turns on Affection”. No stranger to speaking before an audience, having been a teacher, Berry set the stage in Henry County, Kentucky back in 1907 when his father was 6 years old. As was common in the area, his father’s family farmed tobacco, and they relied heavily on that crop to pay for their expenses. Even with their family being weighed down by debt, his father’s parents spoke about what their earnings could go toward once the tobacco crop had sold. Perhaps this time the money could go towards what they wanted. When it came time, however, the sale had only enough to pay for itself, leaving the family with nothing for themselves. This event, as Berry points out, was the catalyst for which his father would become an advocate of small farmers and a proponent for land conservation. Without this experience, Berry’s father likely would not have passed down this reverence for smaller …show more content…
A “sticker”, as defined by Berry, refers to individuals who settle and make a living for themselves. These individuals are moved by love; a love for a place, the life that is a part of it, and a desire to preserve that place. (Berry 6) Through this example, Berry juxtaposes it with James B. Duke who helped found the American Tobacco Company. In contrast to Berry’s, the lifestyle of James B. Duke is that of a “boomer”. The term “Boomer” refers to individuals that are moved solely by greed. Duke would follow in the footsteps of other capitalists by eliminating all other competition, thereby creating a monopoly in the tobacco business. In controlling the tobacco industry, the American Tobacco Company could undercut farmers, paying them whatever price they see fit. In turn, this forced families to either cut corners, simply get by, or leave farming