To Eat With Confedence.

     In Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature Like A Professor second chapter, Nice to Eat With You: Acts of Communion, stresses not only the importance of shared meals but the attitude to look at such events for symbolic or metaphorical purpose. Moving beyond religion helped me dive to a deeper understanding in the significance of eating with one another, or the meaning behind an invitation to dine together. However if that same meal where to fall through poorly those who were involved are given an admonishing outlook. But not to later be confused when Foster discusses symbolism and its lack of specific meaning, yes, the meal could have no purpose but there would not be any reason to smudge the story with useless side information irrelevant to the message. While he too advises even when writing that because you can add or use symbolic situations (specifically meals) does not make the story any better.
     Recalling back to when I read To Kill a Mockingbird, in an earlier chapter Scout brings home Walter Cunningham for lunch with her father Atticus and brother Jem. The meal goes down the drain when the close gathering becomes subject to personal uncommon preferences, such as pouring molasses on a plate of traditionally un-sweet foods. When Calpurnia takes scout into the kitchen after her incessant questions, the meal shows that the increased peace and relation will occur over time do to scout sheltered knowledge about living in terrible financial situations. After Scout has been separated from the table she understands she must apologise and interact at a different angle even though she is still just a young girl. By her attempt to make amends Water, Jem and she return to school represented an altered perspective and compassion for those one does not know.
    When I combine the concept of the word communion to that of community in relation to its denotation where communion means the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings,  on a mental or spiritual level, the thought of weddings comes to mind. Especially when reading The Kite Runner, Amir  the protagonist gets married to Soraya where they follow the ceremony with a reception dinner. Typically, and in The Kite Runner, when a couple is married they invite members of both families and close friends to share toast, cake, and time together. Both families unite and discuss memories, share intimate thoughts and enjoy a moment of bliss together.
     Dinner is commonly used as the communion of literary works but if one looks at the pretenses that having breakfast at ones house or meeting for lunch implies intimate or regularity of activity in a relationship. Deciding to engage in a meal displays interest and curiosity from an individual, by following though one begins the first sharing of commonality between the group. Knowing that Communion and meals coincides with one another, reading specific scenes or novels will increase my conscious search for later representation and reflection of how the interaction went and the impact it related on the the whole books collective symbolism.