I’ve
never thought about the food in Some Act
of Vision, but what a great question to ask about characters: But what are
they eating? I suppose the title of Chapter Two is most appropriate for today’s
guest post: “Eat Something.” Jordan Walker is a ballet dancer, and as a former
dancer, I can attest to the strange relationship that dancers have had
(historically) with food. I think it’s getting better now, but when I was a
teenager, food was a topic fraught with anxiety and wish-fulfillment. I was
always hungry—I loved food, and especially sweets—but my anxiety about the way
my body was supposed to look
according to magazines and other dancers made me love-hate food. I’d love
whatever it was I was eating, but later “hate” that same food when around my
friends. Thankfully, things have changed since the 80s, and we’re raising girls
and boys with smarter approaches to body image.
Jordan
Walker’s father reminds her to eat something—anything—as he stands at the
counter and wolfs down his morning oatmeal and coffee. Jordan doesn’t struggle
as mightily as her fellow dancers do; except for one friend who dared to eat
half a muffin, Jordan’s friends don’t eat on recital days even though their
dance teacher reminds them to eat well.
But
food isn’t the enemy in Some Act. In
fact, one of Jordan’s favorite smells is watermelon Jolly Ranchers, which is
her little brother Ethan’s favorite candy. When he blows on her wet mascara as
her tiny make-up assistant, his breath smells like watermelon Jolly Ranchers.
There’s something magical and powerful about the way food—and the aroma of food
in particular—can attach itself to a person, becoming a characteristic as
important as his nose or her laugh.
Once
the fracking disaster occurs and fundamentally changes Jordan’s body, food is
the one thing she no longer needs. What are we without our bodies? What if we
can no longer dance or eat our comfort foods or physically do all the things
that have shaped our identity? This is the question Jordan must figure out. I
faced this question when my feet were too damaged to dance. We face it when our
favorite foods are banned from us. (Am I still the chocoholic of the family if
I can no longer eat chocolate?) Do you identify with a particular food or
drink, even if it’s something you can no longer have?
Thanks for stopping by to share your food for thought, Lori!
You can find Lori here:
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