Symbolic Consumption

So far in the novel, we've encountered different types of consumption, each with their own symbolic meaning. We saw Art eat the dirt from his family's graves, Nelson eat the marble, Cecil eat the heart, and most recently Edgar eat the dirt from his mother's grave. I'm sure that Edgar was imitating what Art had done with the dirt from his family's graves, but I though that the differences between the two are very interesting. We mentioned in class that Art's consumption was more of a repentant act, somewhat atoning for his family's death, which was his fault. He wanted his family to be a part of him, so he eats the dirt.

Edgar's consumption really intrigues me because, while he was probably imitating Art, the relation between Art's relationship and Edgar's relationship is very different, and I think that this is reflected with the consumption. Edgar hardly knew his mother, and whenever he saw her she was drunk. He often fantasized about her living in a sunny California or some other Utopian reality. However, when he tried to eat the dirt from his mother's grave, he couldn't. She was hardly ever present in his life, and it's interesting that Edgar can not make her a part of him (through the dirt). I thought that that symbolism was interesting, and I hope we touch up on in more in class.