In today’s society, food is the center of our world. Everywhere we turn there is either a fast food restaurant, a supermarket, or a convenience store- places where we can buy a variety of food. In many cases, food is used to bring people together, either for a celebration or for a farewell. In other cases, food is a symbol of our culture and our traditions; we can associate food with a childhood memory. Food is a powerful symbol in our lives; it shapes our past and our future. It should be the factor that makes people’s life happy. Food, in an American society, should help define our culture; it should play an important role in our relationships, whether it is to family, to one another, or to society.
We can associate food with a memory from our past. Ghosts of Taste by Edna O'Brien has a nostalgic take on food from her past being connected to her present. O'Brien shows her love for food especially ones that bring the memories of childhood back to her, through the use of imagery and vivid details. O’Brien explains how her love for food and cooking “[began] with [her] Mother”(O’Brien page 90). Mothers are usually the ones who introduce us to the kitchen and give us a littlest task to complete. Just by peeling the potatoes or by squishing the avocados, one gets the sense of how joyful it is to cook. Food should have the role of bringing people together to puzzle back the pieces that we have lost in our culture. When our ancestors came to America, they had to leave a piece of themselves back in their native country. We should honor them and the life they left behind by eating the food that represents our culture. The Queen of Mold, by Ruth Reichl, shows how the choice of food you eat can reflect on your personality and character. This excerpt starts off with a flashback of Reichl's mother cooking breakfast in their New York City apartment. In fact, this whole