Final answer:
Thomas C. Foster's view that literary meals act as communion draws on the notion of Christian Eucharist, conveying unity, sharing, and community among characters. It represents a spiritual or communal sharing that parallels the unity and deeper connection experienced in the religious practice of Holy Communion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thomas C. Foster's assertion that all acts of characters sharing meals are a form of communion is rooted in the understanding of the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, in Christian practice. This rite, based on Jesus' Last Supper, remains a profound act of sharing and remembering.
Foster sees meal-sharing in literature as a symbolic act that involves not just the physical nourishment of the body, but also a deeper, spiritual or communal nourishment.
In literature, characters sitting down to a meal together signifies a moment of unity and sharing that parallels the religious significance of a community coming together in a church for the Eucharist.
It is an intimate act where barriers fade, and participants engage in a shared experience, echoing the communal aspects of the Eucharist where individuals partake in the body and blood of Christ as a unity of faith.
The act of sharing food can bind characters together, symbolizing the larger social and cultural rituals that define communal bonds—much like the exchange of symbolic foods at a wedding binds families. Consequently, meals in literature can reflect the complex interplay of relationships, power dynamics, or social structures, revealing much about the characters involved.