A Temporary Matter
Shukumar began to prepare dinner for the two of them, measuring out cupfuls of rice and spices. He combed through her cookbook, following her penciled instructions to use two teaspoons of ground coriander seeds instead of one, or red lentils instead of yellow. Shukumar enjoyed cooking for Shoba. It was the one thing that made him feel productive. As he prepared chicken with almonds and sultanas, he was reminded of Shoba in the kitchen singing to herself as she pounded garlic and cardamom pods, occasionally stopping to kiss Shukumar on the cheek. But Shoba hadn’t sang in the kitchen in a long time, and Shukumar knew that it if it wasn’t for him, she would eat a bowl of cereal for dinner.
In her short story “A Temporary Matter,” Jhumpa Lahiri details Shoba and Shukumar’s crumbling marriage after the death of their newborn son. Shoba and Shukumar no longer eat together, and Shukumar prepares dinners for Shoba, making certain that Shoba eats the food that she once loved to prepare, even though he knew he could easily resort to serving her microwave dinners and PB&J’s. For Shoba, food evoked memories of happier times. It reminded her of
…show more content…
Prior to the stillborn birth of her son, the kitchen was well stocked and Shoba found pleasure in preparing elaborate dinners for her loved ones. Shukumar smiled sadly to himself as he remembered when the pantry was always stocked with extra bottles of olive and corn oil, depending on whether they were cooking Italian or Indian. There were countless boxes of pasta in all shapes and colors, zippered sacks of basmati rice, whole sides of lamb and goats from the Muslim butchers at Haymarket, chopped up and frozen in countless plastic bags. For their first anniversary Shoba had cooked a ten-course dinner just for him. For their most recent anniversary, she had bought him a sweater that he
The Use Of Pathos In Dorothy Allison's Panacea
514 Words | 3 PagesDorothy Allison’s purpose in Panacea is to show that insignificant items like food can mean much more than a meal to some people. According to Allison, food can trigger thoughts and emotions in people. She goes about showing this by using imagery and a pathos approach to emotionally link thoughts to food. In the real world, this idea may be seen in a man whose reminiscence of his passed away grandfather is triggered by eating a particular flavor of ice cream.
Late Night Chitlins With Momma Analysis
771 Words | 4 PagesOne generally invites one’s friends to dinner, unless one is trying to get on the good side of enemies or employers. We’re quite particular about those with whom we break bread.” (Foster, 9) Through the breaking of bread, or in this case the laborious cleaning, cooking, and finally the eating of chitlins is representative of a communion, between the almost sacred bonds between a mother and her daughter. Throughout the exposition of the short story, we constantly see that the other members of her family reject the chitlins for being “country” or smelling strange.
Symbolism In A Lesson Before Dying
648 Words | 3 PagesThe women in the novel show and share their love with one another by gifting baskets of food. A rejection of a meal is therefore a rejection of care, love and effort into a relationship. Grant observes that “nothing could have hurt [Tante Lou] more when I said I was not going to eat her food” (24). By refusing her symbol of affection and eating instead at a restaurant in Bayonne, Grant denounces his aunt’s efforts to care and love for a family member. The day after this incident, Tante Lou sarcastically remarks, “’Food there if you want it.
My Father's Lunch Poem
813 Words | 4 PagesAuthor Erica Funkhouser’s speaker, the child of the farm laborer, sets the tone in “My Father’s Lunch,” through their narrative recount of the lunch traditions set by their father preceding the end of a hard days worth of work. The lunch hour was a reward that the children anticipated; “for now he was ours” (14). The children are pleased by the felicity of the lunch, describing the “old meal / with the patina of a dream” (38-39) and describing their sensibilities as “provisional peace” (45). Overall, the tone of the poem is one of a positive element, reinforced by gratitude.
Lee Smith's Recipe Box
981 Words | 4 PagesNew recipes for hibachi, fondue, quiche, crepes and the most recent addition salsas, were added to her mother’s recipe box. These foods indicate how far she has come from the traditions of her southern hometown. Additionally, she describes how cooking isn’t solely controlled by women but to men as well in the 21st century. The chapter provides a stark between the conventional housewife and the new aged husband who shares the responsibility of cooking. The starts the comparison by describing the image of her mother waiting for her father to come home from work every day.
Virginia Woolf Two Meals Analysis
608 Words | 3 PagesThe short and brief sentences give no description and only state the food she is prepared. The passage would be descriptive if the occurrence is more appalling. Passage two is much shorter in length than passage 1 due to the lack of explanation. The sentence structure of passage two reveals the underlying attitude of resentment, gratefulness, and
Cultural Symbolism In Madeleine Thien's Simple Recipes
1223 Words | 5 PagesMadeleine Thien’s “Simple Recipes” is not mainly about the father cooking food and his treatment towards his son, instead, the author uses food to symbolize the struggles her immigrated family experienced in Canada. While it is possible to only look at the narratives that food symbolizes, the idea is fully expressed when the father is compared with the food. The theme of food and the recipes are able to convey the overall troubles the narrator’s family encountered. Although, food is usually a fulfilling necessity in life, however, Thien uses food to illustrate the struggle, tensions, and downfall of the family. Yet, each food does represent different themes, but the food, fish, is the most intriguing because of the different environment
The Fat Girl Analysis
1926 Words | 8 PagesThe short story by Andre Dubus follows Louise from age nine up until the time she becomes a mother. It gives insight to the damage that can be done when loved ones force negative body images on young children. Louise’s mother starts her on a self-destructive path, which Louise will never overcome and continually affects her life. This is reinforced by the similar opinions of her relatives and friends who make her feel that she will only be truly loved if she is thin. The prevalent theme of Dubus’ “The Fat Girl” is the destructive way society views food addiction and how it adversely affects women.
Rhetorical Analysis Of Food
1040 Words | 5 PagesChoi then quotes the Director of food studies at New York University, providing relevancy and authenticity to her work. The statement also establishes a link between what we eat and how it connects to particular memories and places in our minds. Moving on, the article is divided into six different subheadings. Each subheading explains the origin of indigenous food in different countries and what that denotes particular culture. Broadly speaking, food is necessary for survival, signifies status denotes pleasure, brings communities together and is essential for humanity.
Geeta Kothari If You Eat Analysis
793 Words | 4 PagesArticle “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” was published in 1999 in the Kenyon Review. The author describes her childhood life growing up with Indian immigrants. She feels a deep separation from not just her parents but her culture as well. Writer Geeta Kothari explores her personal identity through food. Kothari uses unique writing structure and personal stories to form a well-written piece.
A Raisin In The Sun Gender Roles Essay
848 Words | 4 PagesRuth Younger does the wifely job of making breakfast for her husband and son. “What kind of eggs you want?” (Hansberry 1913). “I feed my son Lena!” (Hansberry 1921).
Popular Mechanics By Raymond Carver Essay
675 Words | 3 PagesWhen the argument shifts its setting by moving from the bedroom to the kitchen, Carver’s use of symbolism adds intensity to the story. Too busy with their selfishness, “In the scuffle they knocked down a flowerpot that hung behind the stove” (329). Neither parent stopped to see the broken pot, nor did any of them break focus on their fight with the child. The kitchen is usually a place where a family comes together, but here they were breaking apart at the seams.
More about A Temporary Matter
Nt1310 Unit 1 Assignment
1359 Words | 6 PagesScarlet Ibis Symbolism
582 Words | 3 PagesThe Use Of Pathos In Dorothy Allison's Panacea
514 Words | 3 PagesLate Night Chitlins With Momma Analysis
771 Words | 4 PagesSymbolism In A Lesson Before Dying
648 Words | 3 PagesMy Father's Lunch Poem
813 Words | 4 PagesLee Smith's Recipe Box
981 Words | 4 PagesVirginia Woolf Two Meals Analysis
608 Words | 3 PagesCultural Symbolism In Madeleine Thien's Simple Recipes
1223 Words | 5 PagesThe Fat Girl Analysis
1926 Words | 8 PagesAnalysis Of Un Día De Estos
1581 Words | 7 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of Food
1040 Words | 5 PagesGeeta Kothari If You Eat Analysis
793 Words | 4 PagesA Raisin In The Sun Gender Roles Essay
848 Words | 4 PagesPopular Mechanics By Raymond Carver Essay
675 Words | 3 Pages