The development of Lisa's relationship with Jeanne is never displayed directly; instead the author goes into great, vivid detail of Jeanne's prepared dinner, the "savory bread," and the garish excess of the entire meal through the "warm, cloying" miracle whip filling. Despite her initial struggle in understanding the richness of Jeanne's favorite food as seen through her volunteering to make the cheese bread, she gradually comes to accept it, adding heavy cream as opposed to milk in her recipes. The hinted-at uncertainty of Jeanne's rapidly deteriorating health makes the story itself even more emotionally poignant, and in the end she learns to prepare the rather distasteful meal described in the beginning properly for her. Lisa's desire to genuinely comfort her through her mother-in-law's favorite food is a brilliant way to show their developed familial relationship.
-Tomas F.
I too found it very interesting that Lisa would relate food and cooking to her mother in law. I thought that was a very funny concept. At first when I read the title and a little of the story it kind of made me laugh and think "we are what we eat" but to compare leftovers that are gray and lumpy to a mother in law is really funny. Most people have the sterio type of the worst mother in law and this story really made me laugh a little and think about that sterio type. But it was good that she showed the "developmed familial relationship" through her moer in laws favorite foods.
ReplyDelete- Ashley