Figures of Orality

Food became the center of power relations between master and slaves since basically food is a primary necessity. Only the masters can afford to buy food and so the slaves must do good and work well in serving their master to attain their need for food. And since food is a basic necessity, it is easier for the master to control their slaves just by taking away their chance to eat proper food.


A mother is associated with food since she is the provider of food to her child in the form of breastmilk. A child's food is milk and  breastmilk is the best for infants wherein the source is the mother.

What is the main idea of the essay "Do Nations Express themselves in their food?"

The main idea of the essay is that nations do express themselves in their food.

Like in Damascus, while the people are eating, classical music is played as background. This shows how they love and how proud they are with their culture. This also indicates to the outsider that in that part of the world the people love to relax and eat while they enjoy each others company. While in the Arab East, it's nibbling on food which brings social grace and contentment.Then, in Europe and North America, the cities are saturated with fast-food outlets where people eat and run. This reflects their lifestyle which is a fast-pace of life where, in order to succeed, time means everything. Foods also tell part of a nation's history. It tell who their ancestors were and how old their food culture is. Foods also serves as a nation's identification to be distinguish from other nations.