Symbol

Food serves as the primary symbol in Tender at the Bone. Cooking since she was young, Reichl describes her life relative to food, as do her family and friends. Food serves as a comfort to her, as it can remind her of special times or stave off embarrassment. When nervous around her crush Tommy, she immediately begins to cook to keep her mind focused and to prevent worrying. It is this therapeutic quality that food has that makes it a symbol of comfort. It also serves as a tool that various characters use to comfort themselves. Alice makes apple dumplings “when an occasion called for a response but she wasn’t sure what it should be”(25). Using food to stall for time is simply another example of how food is often a symbol for coping with the difficulties of life. Alice also cooks food from Aunt Birdie’s wedding menu so she can enjoy the memories of her youth. In Reichl’s mind, food is not just sustenance, it is part of a person, whether it be tied to their emotions or their daily life. Aunt Birdie is affected positively by Alice’s cooking that reminds her of a simpler time, and Alice can not imagine her life without cooking. Food becomes intertwined into the fabric of a person’s personality. In the novel food can not be tied down to one particular situation where it serves a symbol because it serves as multiple different kinds of symbols.