Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory

You might walk away from Fever, 1793 feeling a little hungry. The novel is filled with vivid descriptions of food, glorious food. Take, for example, this passage about the Cook's lunchtime meal: "Cold chicken, crisp pickles, butter biscuits, and peach pie were laid out on the table" (6.26). Mmm. We'll have seconds! What does food represent for the Cook family? What is the family's relationship to food? And what does food represent more generally?