Sunday, June 6, 2010
Tender At the Bone Theme/Motif
A reoccurring theme in the novel is cooking. The author uses cooking as a device to display emotions, whether it be chaos or solace. She uses it this way because she grew up "at the table" (cover) and food was always a steady constant in her life, portraying one of the reasons she might have written this novel. Food was a grace and an appendage when she felt alone, like when she was forced into a French Canadian school, away from her family, and she shows it to one of her friends deprived of cultural food like Chinese, Italian, etc. In this way, cooking food was an importance to her because she knew she could rely on it to keep her sane and happy--she always had loved ones cook for her until she learned on her own, which could draw a parallel to growing up and her independent love for cooking growing along with her.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I agree that that cooking is a very important theme in this novel. And I saw it as everything else was changing around her but the actual food remained as her safety. Like you said, whenever she felt uncomfortable in a situation or felt lonely, food was always there for her to be a security blanket. I do agree that there exists a parallel between her growing up and her growing abilities to cook. However, I believe that no matter how much her life changed, she always had a constant love and security with food.
ReplyDeleteI share your view that cooking was a way for Ruth to cope with life. But I also believe that this was true for many characters in the novel. Aunt Birdie dealt with the death of her husband by eating food off their wedding menu, Alice cooked when she was anxious, etc. Food definitely is the theme, and I found that it applies to many aspects of this memoir, including Ruth's life. As a reader I could not help but wonder what this story would have been had she not known to cook. I feel as though she would be damaged and not be as successful as she is today.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both Connor and Ryan as they explain how cooking was a very crucial part of her life. For Ruth, the kitchen was a sanctuary, it was the only place where she felt at home and at ease and could truly be herself. Being judged her whole life for her looks or weight, cooking became a way where she could create an emotional connection with the people who would eat her food. Feeding them the meals that they love, Ruth was a able to reach their hearts through their stomach. Also cooking was a way to feed her craving of curiosity, from learning how to make gourmet cakes or the secret past of Hortense, cooking was a way for her to find some answer and a way for her to feel satisfied with what she had learned.
ReplyDelete