From Meatless Days by Sara Suleri

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From Meatless Days by Sara Suleri

There is lots to discuss about this passage but I think the most important takeaway is Suleri’s negative relationship with food. At a very young age, she is overly concerned with what food she will eat, and these memories are so vivid that the passage seems as if it was written not so long ago. When describing the food she eats and how she eats it, Suleri uses descriptive imagery. It forces the reader to live the tasting experience of each meal with Suleri and compare it to their own personal eating habits. 

In Meatless Days, Sara Suleri states, “Gosh, I thought, to think that my mother could do that to me. For of course she must have known in her Welsh way, that sweetbreads could never be simply sweetbreads in Pakistan. It made me stop and hold my head over that curious possibility: what else have I eaten on her behalf?” (732). When told that “sweetbreads” actually contain testicle meat, Suleri feels betrayed (730). How she views her parents and food changes after that. I found this experience similar to when I first read “Hansel and Gretel” at a young age and was convinced my parents only fed me to later cook me and eat me. My mom assured me later that this was not true, but I skipped dinner that night. In the morning though, I had forgotten and was hungry again, so I ate, fully trusting what my mother prepared. 

Doubting reality can be very scary and can lead to some negative thinking habits that can affect daily diet. Not only was Suleri’s diet influenced by the “sweetbreads” incident, but also the “meatless days” that were enforced by the Pakistani government (730). I don’t think her relationship with food is positive, and I think her culture might have a lot to do with that.