Interview with a Hamburger - Final Draft

Did you know that food talk? Why yes, it's quite true! Food talks, as it communicates a message, one that is often quite varied! In several works of literature, food communicates a message to us that is aided via the metaphysical; magic. It is through the metaphysical, that one sees how overly complex and meaningful these messages are. Not only that, it is almost as if the two simply cannot exist without the other. The intertwined concept of food and magic is quite apparent in "The Book Of J", Homer's "The Odyssey", and Laura Esquivel's "Like Water For Chocolate".
The introduction to this very concept begins with one of the most easily recognizable stories ever told on Earth, the story of the "Garden Of Eden". Once again, we're all introduced to "that" story, to the characters of Adam, and his wife, Hava (Eve), the snake and Yahweh. Despite the fact that the story of the garden has been told an innumerous amount of times; giving rise to individual interpretations behind its meaning, we must ignore any theological interpretations in order to make meaning of the text. The snake, knowing that he is nothing but a lowly creature without any arms, tempts Hava (Eve) into eating fruit from a tree forbidden by God, telling her that that on the day she eats it her "eyes will fall open like gods, knowing good and bad"; therefore granting her [and them] knowledge akin to that of God's (Book Of J 63). The snake knowing that he is a lowly, physically incapable creature, unable to best a human being in weight lifting, but markedly "smoother tongued than any wild creature that Yahweh had [ever] made", is by all means a creature who simply wanted others to be as intelligent (or more so) than he.
Thus, one could argue, this lowly creature was one of the first to communicate a pre-Socratic method of philosophy, and of the pursuit of knowledge, he himself already knowing that food (in this story) somehow makes you as intelligent as God. Despite knowing any possible ramifications from the creator which he himself gained knowledge, he's simply distressed when it becomes apparent (to much of his possible annoyance) that two human beings are living in a world full of carefree innocence (Book of J 63). And thus, the snake with his sly ways tempts Hava into eating the forbidden fruit, communicating how badly he simply wanted to stress the importance of knowledge. Therefore, he helps humanity gain knowledge, all the while sacrificing himself to be doomed onto his belly for movement for all eternity, communicating that knowledge is worthy of a noble sacrifice. Of course, a piece of fruit doesn't "magically" give you knowledge, and since trees don't ever bear fruit which grant "knowledge" such as the fact that being naked is utterly shameful, we'll assume this fruit is of the magical and metaphysical variety... from God himself.
Communication intertwined with food and magic is found in another tale, Homer's "The Odyssey". In this epic poem, we become privy to Odysseus' fanciful flights with horror and heroism, eating (and more eating), and his intelligent ways of defeating monsters. One can note that the concept of food's synonymy in regards to communication being aided by magic as being quite prevalent even in some "archaic" writings. Food talked, even back then! While I believe the meaning(s) that food plays in regards to communication in much later works have meanings that are far more natural to comprehend, I believe that because of the prose presented here, the Odyssey becomes subject to varying individual interpretations. The following is one such example. Odysseus and his men, upon arriving at the island of the Lotus Eaters, become "slaves" to the magical qualities of the fruit given by its "friendly inhabitants", sans Odysseus (of course). Any traveler who arrived on the island, and thus given fruit by a group of characters not in any way suspicious "lost the will to report back, preferring instead to stay there, munching Lotus, oblivious of home"(Book 9 Lines 94-96).
While I originally felt this only portrays that the food has some bizarrely magical (and hallucinogenic?) qualities, I feel that the food also serves as a communicatory role, in how much the Lotus Eaters wanted to express how lonely they really were. The Lotus Eaters, realizing that they are the only ones on the island; and of the fruit's magical qualities, gave the fruits of the island in effort to trap any future explorers, due to their own isolation from the rest of the world. Those who were quite reclusive thus decided that any and all explorers, should be doomed to the same fate. If they were fact not isolated, I'm sure the fruit would have been something not exclusive to its respective namesake. In learning this, we need to ask a few qurestions. Does eating fruit makes you forget about EVERYTHING ELSE? Or forgetting anything at all? Does eating food make one not want one to make the journey back home if one such individual happens to be belong to a band of heroic explorers? Does it make you so brain-dead that you have to be literally dragged off the island, because you have no idea what's going on? It is quite obvious such things are markedly implausible, unless another force of the metaphysical nature was at play. The passage could be seen as a motif expressing how big of an issue isolation is, and how food draws and brings people together (even forcibly).
Later on, upon arriving at the island of Aeaea, Odysseus' men meet Circe, a goddess (or witch) who would soon become Odysseus' lover. Circe, inviting them to her house, lavishly feeding them Pramnian wine; lacing the wine with drugs. They are as a result, left with their bellies quite appeased, but no doubt ready for a hangover the next day. As a result, Circe decides to strike them with "her wand and herded them in the sties outside. Grunting, their bodies covered with bristles, they looked just like pigs, but their minds were intact" (Book 10 Lines 253-58). The very men she had now invited to eat (an innocent gesture) had now been turned to pigs soon after eating (a perverted gesture). But why? Why does such an event so innocent in literature become so perverted, but yet so dominant in nature? I believe Circe simply wanted to communicate a message of dominance; due to her being a minor goddess (or a witch), and proved to be a woman who showed dominance towards all men, except Odysseus. By turning and filling these men to their heart's delight (the way to a man's heart), she proved to be not an innocent character, but one who showed absolute dominance, turning the eaters into pigs, one of the lowliest forms of animals, with magic of course.
This no doubt; in turn, also perverts the very concept of Xenia; the very code she was expected to uphold, and one that many would more than likely never dare question. Xenia, being a code of hospitality followed by many denizens of Greece, and something quite prevalent in the works of literature of the time. By perverting this concept, I believe Circe wanted to communicate a message of [her] dominance towards any trespassers by (a) luring the men with food, (b) and then turning the men into food that they so regularly enjoyed by means of magic. Does one actually go out of their way to invite and cook for stray passengers, and then go against a code of strict and absolute code of hospitality? Take note of this as well: can I actually turn a man into a pig should I choose by simply touching them with a stick? Not unless I'm in a lucid dream! Once again, it is shown how food can communicate a message via means of the metaphysical.
In "Like Water For Chocolate", we are introduced to a very special young girl, Josefita "Tita" De La Garza. She is special not just because of how determined she is in the face of a markedly depressing existence, but because of the significant circumstances under which she was born, being literally "washed into this world on a great tide of tears" (Esquivel 6). Such things, of course are not even remotely possible at home, or at a hospital. Tita, being born into the kitchen, literally becomes "one" with the kitchen; her cooking portraying her very emotions, being aided by a force arguably not of the physical realm. She belongs to the kitchen, and it is almost as if the kitchen itself is her servant; the kitchen willfully obeying. Because the food she so delightfully prepares is able to portray her emotions, Esquivel is able to illustrate to the reader the concept of "emotional eating". The emotional eating here does not reflect the issues prevalent in society or of a tabloid nature, but of a literal and fantastical meaning in the text.
It is through this "emotional eating" that Esquivel is able to sufficiently portray that food is synonymous with one's emotions. Granted, such things are only lightly thought of in everyday life, but here the results are of grandiose nature. An example of such would be when Tita is left by her beloved Pedro in favor of her sister Rosaura. Due to her "fate"; since she is the youngest daughter, Tita is forever condemned to take care of her mother, Mama Elena, whilst her siblings are free to live their lives as they choose. It is as if one lived in a totalitarian government, except the only one affected is Tita. Because of her imprisonment to a cruel fate, Tita ends up crying nonstop whilst making the wedding cake for her sister; the cake that should be rightfully hers. She is expected to prepare the cake while being heckled by her dictatorial mother; repeatedly asking (and demanding) that she calm down.
In literature, as per real life, we have cause and effect, and such things are not ignored here. Because of how emotionally broken Tita is left in, her very emotions (and tears) affect the very food she ends up preparing at a time when she can't even express herself, due to how "imprisoned" she is. She's not getting what she wants, and sooner or later, a depressing and very illustrative (and communicatory) form of "teenage angst" kicks in. And thus, the guests at the wedding, upon eating the cake are overcome by "a strange intoxication-an acute attack of pain and frustration" (Esquivel 39). Here, Tita's very emotions that she puts into her culinary arts end up affecting “Everyone there, every last person fell under the spell" (Esquivel 39). As a result, the members of the wedding reception become subject to horrific acts of vomiting during the reception, and recall painful memories of past relationships. Not even Rosaura; the bride, is spared from the terror of a sullied wedding dress, as a result of her tasting the cake.
Tita, who can't quite communicate to Pedro personally that she is so hurt by his pending marriage; due to her cruel fate, decides to pour (inadvertently) her thoughts and feelings into the food she prepares. Thus, this leaves the guests in utter disgust for how bad it tastes, for that is how she feels, and as a result a traumatizing scene is the result. Emotional eating at it's most finest, and most disgusting is portrayed here. It's obvious here, that for the fourth time, Mr. Metaphysical has returned to the pages of literature. Does eating a cake make you cry, remember past relationships, and and as a result, make large amounts of people violently throw up? Does any of this plausibly occur simply because a girl cried onto the mixture? Too outlandish? Perhaps another example would do better.
Shortly after the wedding, Tita receives a rose (but in secret), from Pedro amidst not wanting his secret; that he married Rosaura only to be close to Tita, to be revealed. Pedro is expected to not to dare look at Tita, and her cooking is to not be complemented, and therefore the communication of which they share must be in secret, or communicated in a rather subtle manner. This is important to note, as the rose(s) she had just received has drastically changed her state of being, and because they cannot communicate directly. In lieu of receiving the rose, Tita prepares dinner. As a result, upon tasting the dish they find that "they couldn't take their eyes off each other", for they were so enamored by the plate's delight (Esquivel 52). Granted, it's plausible this has only occurred because of their feelings, but the text directly states this is as a result of the dish they are eating from. Now then, does this result ever occur in everyday life?
Not only that, the dish produced far more than simple puppy love, for it produced in poor (well) Getrudis a markedly sexual message; her now being the outlet for what Tita so wished to reveal and express to Pedro in a far more secluded place. She finds herself bathing in a shower that's too hot, she finds herself rather uncomfortable in certain areas, and is seen running off naked. The very fiber of her [Tita] love for Pedro, then manifests itself in Gertrudis who soon runs off in a very lustful manner atop a horse with Juan, before finding herself amidst a brothel. Right. Does eating dishes make the bathroom of which you're taking a shower overflow with heat because of how much you want to be with the male persuasion? I'm assuming these dishes somehow make you want to share something so intimate in nature with a guy you've never met, but also because that person was drawn to your house of residence, because of this very same dish? These examples only continue, and show that food, being influenced by magic convey (communicate) Tita's (and other characters) very thoughts and feelings, as she is unable to express her feelings directly due to the ramifications she would suffer under Mama Elena.
Food talks. While food doesn't talk to one via personification, it's quite apparent that the food of which one consumes in literature communicates a meaningful message. In my learning of this, I and perhaps others should look to other popular works and see if such messages exist. If the messages here are of a quite complex nature in the most popular of works, then one can only imagine how meaningful of a message they would be of an author’s whose work is quite unknown. My conclusion based on these findings has helped me determine that authors deliberately include food to illustrate not just nourishment, but something far more thematic and complex in nature.