Throughout the novel, the meals the narrator receives from adults correspond to the degree of care and love that the narrator receives from his caregivers—or the lack thereof. The narrator’s father’s usual offering of burnt toast reflects the narrator’s sense that his parents don’t care about him (he hates burnt toast and his dislike isn’t a secret), as does the way in which his parents cook peas into disgusting mush. At the Hempstock farmhouse, however, every meal that Lettie, Ginnie, or Old Mrs. Hempstock serve the narrator is better and more nourishing than the last. This reflects the degree of care and concern that all three Hempstock women regard the narrator with. Unlike the narrator’s parents, they genuinely care about the narrator and what he has to say, and they demonstrate this care with the food they offer him. And the monster Ursula’s meals, just like Ursula in her human form, are beautiful—but the narrator’s refusal to eat them reflects his fear and distrust of her.
Food Symbol Timeline in The Ocean at the End of the Lane
