This chapter really made me think. I never had considered this possibility before, so now I am racking my brain trying to remember meal scenes from novels I've read. One of the first ones that comes to mind is the wedding celebration scene in Kite Runner. After the main character got married, the two families shared a meal--proving that that the two families had joined as one. This makes sense to me, becuase we do that in our society too. I had just never considered the symbolism of the reption/meal.
So far I like this book.OK, so what do you think? Is eating a meal in literature more than just eating a meal? Do you agree with the author? If so, why? If not, why not? Can you think of an example from literature of a meal/communion with a deeper meaning? If so, describe it. Be sure to include the title and author.
I agree that in literature eating a meal has a deeper meaning. Usually like in the example you used of the wedding the meal is like the final tie between the families. Not only are they joined by the marriage but also by the breaking of bread, as said in the book. I do not agree with the author in all senses. I don't like the idea of communion as smoking weed. In the book i'm reading now, Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz, there is a meal scene between the teen spy and a family he has to learn about for his mission and it shows how the family is not completely together. They're distant, the wealth that they have separates the family as in they're spoiled.
ReplyDeleteI think that a meal in literature may or may not represent something more than just a meal. Depending on what the story is actually about, will determine weather or not the meal has a deeper meaning. Some stories were some families come together and eat may just represent them doing just that, but in other stories such as tales were the hero of the story has to embark on a journey and has a feast before hand may represent the unity of the hero and his companions or teammates, etc.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he says that meals in literature are more than just meals. Sharing a meal with someone either family or friends brings them together. In real life and in literature. Like in a book I just got done reading called Jade Green. In the book an orphan comes to live with her distant uncle, cousin, and their housekeeper. The first few meals they share are awkward for each of them but eventually they all open up to each other over meals and become a close family.
ReplyDeleteI believe that if an author puts a meal scene in their piece of literature he is implying a deeper meaning. Why else would you put an eating scene in? Its very bland and boring, but if the dinner is between two feuding friends or families it shows the first steps of mending the relationship. A meal is the basic form of a coming together, a communion. A shared since of community shared by a group of people, so in-fact a meal can be so much more. I think that this is what occurs in most cases of a meal scene in literature, its a mending or sharing process.
ReplyDeleteI liked the first chapter much better than this one. Yet, I dont agree when the author says eating a meal is like communion. Communion in the church is about celebrating the sacrifice Jesus made to us, and by comparing it to a meal eaten by a family or people coming together. Yes, Jesus brings people together but that isnt the solitary reason for communion, or even dinner for that matter. With communion you eat and drink the "body" and "blood" of Jesus at his last supper. He says "Take this cup and drink from it, this is the cup of blood, the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all. Do this in memory of me." Comparing that to a lousy dinner is taking away from the true meaning of communion.
ReplyDeleteIn literature I think that a meal can mean more than just a meal. Sharing a meal with someone means that you are sharing a bond with them, the two people are together for the time that they are sharing the meal. In the book The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta always shared a meal together before they went to the games so that during the games they had a certain bond with each other that they didn't with the others. Also when they first eat on the train all of the rich food that they get to eat compared to the little poor food that they eat at home is a way of showing how the Capitol is so much wealthier and better than the other districts.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that a meal in literature can mean more than just the characters need to eat. Communion is more than just religious. The dictionary definition for communion is the sharing or exchanging of feelings and emotion. The Grinch is a good and simple example of communion. The whole book the Grinch hates the Whos, but at the end he discovers that he actually likes them and their cheerfulness. So he eats the feast with them as a symbol of coming together.
ReplyDeleteI agree i think that meals in literature could be considered more than a meal. It could have a specific connection to the entire story and could mean much more than a meal. It could be symbolic and lead to what is going to happen further on in the book. Honestly since i dont read, i can not think of any type of connection of meals being specific in books
ReplyDeleteYes. I agree with the author. A "meal" in literature means a lot more than the actual meal. When you have a meal with someone, or if you have a meal with someone says everything about your relationship with that person. Like he says, you do not have meals with someone you hate without an ulterior motive. A connection with this would be communion. This is when everyone in the church comes together to drink wine and eat bread together. It is a religious experience about the reminder of how Jesus died for our sins and how we are thankful and never forget that he did that for us.
ReplyDeleteYes, i agree with the author that eating a meal in literature means more than just eating a meal. This shows people coming together for all kinds of reasons good or bad. It depends on the relationship of the people. Like Allie said, the Grinch came together with the who's to show how they were all friends in the end, but like Kevin said in his book the family eating shows that they weren't that close to each other. I think in most cases the meal scene in books shows these relationships to give the reader more of a sense of the relationships in the book.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he says that a meal is just a meal in literature. But i wouldn't classify it as a communion, because that makes me think of Christ's sacrifice for us, a very serious and reflective time. In a story when characters congregate together to share a meal they are becoming a community. They are joining together and getting to know each other. At a meal in a book or a movie, the characters are impacted in unique ways, the story is impacted as a whole.
ReplyDeleteWhat pops up in my mind first is not a meal scene in literature, but actually a scene from my favorite movie, Donnie Darko. The whole family sits to eat dinner together, a ritualistic act within the family symbolizing their togetherness. However, the dinner is not particularly peaceful, and shows the discord that exists within their togetherness. They discuss politics, showing the disagreements of opinion between them, which looks tame in comparison to the other conversation that takes afterwords. Donnie and his sister get in an argument that quickly turns hostile. Profanity is exchanged, and his sister reveals to their parents something that Donnie had been withholding from them. The scene is crucial to understand the relationships between the family efficiently without having to go into a long, unnecessary explanation. It also shows how Donnie was distant from not only his peers, but his family as well. I agree with the author's point that although some meals have some great depth, others do not.
ReplyDeleteSo far I'm enjoying this book c:
I would have to agree with the author. A meal in literature and a lot of time in movies is usually symbolizes much more than just dinner. Like you said a wedding is a fine example, also in action packed films the cops, robbers, or secret lovers will meet at some sort of restaurant and share a drink or meal with one another. One example that comes to my mind is Brooklyn's Finest. Every time the undercover cop needed to speak with his boss they would meet at a low profile bar/restaurant, eat, and discuss what was wrong.
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying this book. It is very interesting. I believe that eating a meal in literature can be more than just eating a meal. I agree with the author. Meals can easily show many things. They can show the inner workings of relationships, family or not. They can symbolize the coming together of a family or people. It can also symbolize the separating between people. It can be used as a great time of fellowship between people. And, the final safe place. The calm before the storm, so to speak. A great example of a meal in literature is the Last Supper of Jesus Christ. It symbolizes as a parting of ways. This was the last night Jesus was free, before he was imprisoned and later crucified.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author. The meals in literature are more than just the eating. If the meal was just regular why would you include it, nobody wants to read about how you had fried chicken for dinner. It makes sense that the meal is about relationship because in real life you eat with people you like normally. I believe the author hit some good points in this chapter. Another book were there is a meal is in Twilight were Bella is invited to the Cullens house and they cooked dinner for her even though they dont eat. Although in the case they didn't actually eat together they took the time to make the meal so that Bella felt comfortable with there family. They wanted to build that relationship.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author as well. Meals in literature and in movies play a more important role than simply just being a meal. It symbolizes different things, like coming together as one for example when to separate families come and eat dinner with one another and get along well and the meal is described as a happy time, the family is usually happy. The way a meal is described in literature reflects a lot of the values of the family, like for instance a family that eats together have more of tradition values and are more closer as a family and vice versa. In a book I am currently reading, Waiting for You, the is a meal scene where the family has over a guest. Everything is real uptight and you have people arguing well later on in the book, the family splits up.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author in chapter 2 when he implies that a meal is more than just a meal when used in literature. Yes, communion has a religious meaning, but it also means the exchange of emotions and feelings. In a book, there could be two completely different people or families uniting and relating to each other, despite their differences, in a meal. Besides the meal being the factor of uniting, it could also represent the books setting, time period, or family traditions. Whether a man eating at a restaurant alone every night, or a family at a big home cooked dinner, the meal is a represented by more than just a meal.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author. I do think that a meal is more than just a meal. Usually when you sit down with your family to eat dinner many conversations take place some important some not. But I think eating together has a purpose. It either brings a group people in and close or it separates them and shows people's true differences. I don't think "eating" scenes are placed in books just for kicks and giggles they have a deeper meaning.
ReplyDeleteI think that eating a meal in literature is more than just eating a meal. I agree with the author when he says it represents more than just eating. A meal in literature brings together people, and allows them to either form strong ties, or it will break them. In the book I'm currently reading, Liar, there is a breakfast scene with the family. The younger brother starts a fight with her, and causes problems in the family.
ReplyDeleteYou read all the time about meals in literature. Whether it be a meal between friends, or a meal between enemies. These meals bring about a sense of companionship between people. Like the book stated if someone you don't like sits down next to you to eat, Do you continue eating or do you say i'm no longer hungry and get up and walk away. I think this same thing applies in literature. If a meal scene is instituted into a book then it is going to almost always have a deeper meaning than just food. So i completely and totally agree with the author.
ReplyDeletei agree with the author in how he states that eating a meal in literature represents more than just eating a meal. In literature people can be brought together and just like in the book i just read meredith was touched by her father the wrong way as well as andy which ends up being the guy she is with, it doesn't make sense but they are brought closer.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about it before... people do sit with there friends at lunch. Well i think it depends on what is going on in the story. They could just be eating i mean every one has to eat. but depending on the situation i can totally see. How a meal could show a since of fellowship and communion
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author of how eating a meal can show how the characters in a story are bonding, in the movie Pulp Fiction though the characters Vincent Vega, and Mrs. Mia Wallace have dinner at a diner. Mrs. Wallace discusses her experience in a failing t.v. show. So pretty much, they just had dinner and it didn't really have much meaning. I can't recall that scene ever having a great importance to the rest of the movie, but it did lead up to some pretty intense action in the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author. Eating a meal with someone shows commitment and a relationship. Like the author said, you wouldn't be eating a meal with someone you don't like. Meals bring people together as a whole. I keep thinking about the Princess Diares when she is eating her meal with her grandmother. She is not only eating a meal, but she is trying to learn proper manners at the table.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author, eating a meal together shows that there is a bond between the people. In the Harry Potter books Harry, Ron, and Hermione always eat together showing their close friendship. They know that if one is not eating as they normally are that something is wrong. They don't eat with people they dislike because they aren't trying to bond with them, they eat with each other to bond with those that they are for.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when he says that eating a meal can represent more than just literally eating a meal. Sometimes is goes much deeper than what you just see on the outside. People for the most part eat with people who they enjoy having company with, i know that for me one of my favorite things to do is to go out to eat with my friends. There is always symbolism is literature and i think that eating a meal is one.
ReplyDeleteOne example I have to agree with is the wedding. Before the wedding, before the couple declares their intent to spend forever together (which, according to today's divorce rate, 'forever' isn't as long as the denotation (vocab word, RIGHT THERE) leads us to believe), you will often find the ushers dividing people into groom or bride. Whose side you're on, where you're loyalties lie if somebody stands up and yells I OBJECT for whatever reason and the ghetto comes out of all the guest and they start yelling at each other...you get it. (My family's Latin, so I mean no insult by saying such drama can happen. They're passionate. Very. For that I couldn't love them more.) After the tying of the knot, declaration of forever, people eat and dance together. There are no more divisions. One example of the offering of food/bread offering magic would be in Suzanne Collins, 'The Hunger Games.' A young Peeta offers a young Katniss a loaf of old bread from his family's bakery even though his family is poor, he offers the girl who's on the brink of starvation bread at a very defining time of her life. Later, many years later, this one act of kindness would be the reason she couldn't do what she needed to. Least, originally. Read the books. They're awesome. Draco often approaches Harry at meals. Never is it good. A meal may not always be for communion, but in literature, it will always serve a purpose. For an epiphany, to help us understand how cold/drunken/etc. a character is, or anything like that. Meals will rarely, near not ever serve no purpose.
ReplyDeleteWhen we go on a date with someone and eat with them, we're saying 'I trust you,' on some level. Either that or you're good at reading people and understanding how you should act. In which case, my point's void.