Figures Of Orality

1. How does food become the center of power relations between master and slaves?

-Aside from the classics such as physical abuse and rape, food is the center of power relations between the master and/or mistress and slaves because of many reasons. One reason is that the master commands the slave to prepare a meal, and if the meal was distasteful to the master, he would force the food into the throat of the slave. This is an example of the standards of the master and the brutality of the consequences if it is not reached. Another example is that the breast milk of the slave is used by the master without her consent when it is supposed to be for whoever she decides it should be, such as her offspring. The thievery of nourishment is not enough; the master forces the slave to eat something revolting, such as dog vomit.

2. How is food associated with a mother?
-In my opinion, food is associated with a mother because a mother produces a certain nourishment such as breast milk, and only when taking control of a mother will this resource be exploited. Another opinion would be that maybe mothers, specifically slaves, are seen as "sex food", which is just another term for sex tool, and are used to satisfy their master's "sexual appetite". Food is also associated with a mother because the mother in the story is a cook and she feeds her master while simultaneously feeding her child.