The importance of food in this essay was very clear in a few different ways. First of all the opening sentence "When my mother began using the electronic pump to feed her liquids" (pg 11) hit me pretty hard because at that point in his mothers life she was being fed a mostly liquid diet because she had no appetite. She had swapped out a colorful, spicy diet for a lifeless machine that pumps liquids and medication in her.
Food and cooking in many cultures is a bonding experience between families and they had a bond in the kitchen since he was a little boy and she used to take care of him but now the rolls switched and he was in a way taking care of her now. What I got from it is that change is inevitable and roles change as well. Him going to college leaving his mom her life force leaving her because she mentioned how he was her life therefor dissolving that culinary bond. I felt as if the kitchen or the sharing of cooking represented their relationship.
Hi Brian -
ReplyDeleteI agree it's ironic and sad his mother went from preparing and eating her dishes filled with love to not having enough strength to make the food or the appetite to eat it. I appreciated you pointing out that change is "inevitable". Growing up we believe our parents are going to live forever, therefore we tend to take advantage of the time we are able to spend together; not fully comprehending nothing lasts forever.
Thank you,
Sarah Baker
I think you did a good job explaining your feedback. I agree how sad it could be to have the roles switched, after her taking care of him his whole life and now he has to take care of her and he tries to cook nice meals for her but she can never eat them because she didn't have an appetite. And I agree as well that we really don't think about these things until something like this happens and we take advantage. I think about it from time to time about mine and I just tell myself it could happen anyday and then I remember to fully appreciate what my parents and other poeple do for me.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI too did food as being very important in the theme of this story. It is very true that she switched her food for a machine. Food was a way of life and she went from that to eating out of a tube. It must be very depressing for not only the people surrounding her but for herself as well. We never see the simple pleasures out of life. We often take a lot for granted and don't fully appreciate the people surrounding us or the little things. Lee tries so hard to make his mother happy but she can't even eat which must be a hard thing to see especially when your son is switching roles from being the one getting food made for him to making the food himself.
thanks
-Catherine.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteCooking certainly was a bonding experiencing for both of them. It's interesting that sometimes you have trouble communicating with someone, but you find that one thing that connects you and allows you to develop a strong relationship. By spending time in the kitchen, they grew closer and strengthened their relationship. They truly had a beautiful relationship.