At night, the frantic men walked boldly to hen roosts and carried off the squawking chickens. If they were shot at, they did not run, but splashed sullenly away; and if they were hit, they sank tiredly in the mud.
– John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 29. Scenes of desperation see the laws of society being set aside, as hungry men steal other people’s chickens. They risk being shot to get food to feed their families.