Blog Post #33

After reading both evaluations of Sigmund Freud's Acts of Communion and Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires, it has become evident that in both Freud is trying to stress the significance of eating (with) others. Eating (with) people has always been sacred, not only on a biblical level but on all levels. Having dinner at the end of the day with your family is always a time to reflect, and a time to enjoy. When you are meeting your girlfriend's parents for the first time, you always have dinner with them. Not just because its the formal thing to do, but it signifies that they are welcoming you into their home to share with them. In Freud's Acts of Communion, the point of sacristy and sharing is pushed through as a religious session. "Here's the thing to remember about communions of all kinds: in the real world, breaking bread together is an act of sharing and peace, since if you're breaking bread you're not breaking heads." (Freud, 8) Eating with others is a time for peace, and one not to be interrupted. It brings people together on common ground and you really get to know a person by what (or who) they eat. People will always be willing to share their food with you if they truly think you're worth it. "We may not, for instance, accept a dinner invitation from someone we don't care for." (Freud, 8) Eating, taking communion, sharing and socializing with people over food or drink has always been part of our culture. It's just a nice thing to do, and eating with people you enjoy being with will always be more and more fun. If you dislike that person, you will know as soon as you attempt to make conversation. It's hard to be friends with people you don't care for, but sometimes you have to just put up with them. You'll know where you stand soon enough.

As for Freud's take on vampires in Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires, Freud stresses the symbolic meaning behind vampires. A vampire is a creature of the night that sucks your blood, everyone knows that. But Freud argues for much more. He claims that a vampire is an allegory for the selfish, like Gregor's father in The Metamorphosis. "Denying someone else's right to live in the face of our overwhelming demands." (Foster, 21) Vampires take others' fortunes and exploit their victim's values for their own benefit. They prey on others less than them, and draw from their hard work and self worth. Vampires are the worst thieves of all. Fraud argues from the modernist idea that we are all vampires. "Placing our desires, particularity our uglier ones, above the needs of another." (Foster, 21) We are always thinking about ourselves. We are the all singing, all dancing crap of the earth. (Fight Club) We demonstrate what we were taught a good life looks like on the outside, but only from building ourselves up on others' failure. All of these ideas play into Franz Kafka's ideas of modernism, and all are pretty depressing to admit. Either way, eating others or just eating with them has always been and always will be sacred.