Food Quote by John Updike
““For supper Jill cooks a filet of sole, lemony, light, simmered in sunshine, skin flaky brown; Nelson gets a hamburger with wheatgerm sprinkled on it to remind him of a Nutburger. Wheatgerm, zucchini, water chestnuts, celery salt, Familia: these are some of the exotic items Jill's shopping brings into the house. Her cooking tastes to him of things he never had: candlelight, saltwater, health fads, wealth, class.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Rabbit, Run by John Updike, 1960
Jill’s elaborate meals symbolize social aspiration and cultural contrast, highlighting class differences through food.
In simple terms: Food reflects class and taste differences.
Key Takeaway
Notice how meals reveal social status.
Themes
class
culture
food
aspiration
identity
Mood
reflective
observational
Type
literary
social commentary
When to use this quote
- dinner parties
- family meals
- social gatherings
- culinary experiments
Key Concepts
social stratification
culinary symbolism
Questions to Reflect On
- How does food convey power?
- What does the menu say about identity?
A Different Perspective
The description may romanticize class differences, overlooking economic realities.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
