Analysis of the Stylistic Elements in "Meatless Days"

Meatless Days, Sara Suleri's essay on culture on family and food and how it defines us, finds its crucial elements in the use of metaphors and synechdoche. It is through the use of these stylistic devices that the author is able to communicate and support her theme. The theme she uses here is that the merging of food and family connects both our past and our present lives. The predominant metaphor she uses is that of the food "kapura," a food she grew up with which projects very poignantly its ethnic nature. As a synechdoche, its translation is a dish made from testicles, is the embodiment of a man. It is the part representative of the whole, which is of course what a synechdoche is. As far as what "kapura" represents, in both its ethnic nature and that it is a male organ; it stands for the paternal half. Perhaps the shock of revelation in finding out its true meaning brought onto her memories of betrayal of her maternal half.