In the second chapter of his book, Proffessor Foster writes that "whenever people eat or drink together, it's communion....breaking bread together is an act of sharing and peace....writing a meal scene is so difficult, and so inherently uninteresting, that there really needs to be some compelling reason to include one in the story. And that reason has to do with how characters are getting along. Or not getting along." (Foster 8) This concept of meals reflecting the status of relationships is used frequently in Jhumpa Lahiri's short story, "Year's End", to gauge the relationships between Kashik and his new step-family.
The first meal that Kashik has "with" his new family is when he comes home from college for Winter Break. I put with in quotations because his new step-mother and sisters don't eat with him or his father. From Kashik's meal alone where Chitara, his step-mother, tries to wait on him hand and foot, and his father has hidden the alcohol that he once drank with Kashik's mother, Kashik seems to be at complete odds with Chitara and her traditional customs. He is used to helping around the kitchen with the dishes, etc., having meals toghether as a family, having a drink after dinner, and having an independent woman in his family. She objects to all of this, and their language barrier further drives a wedge in their already distant, but short relationship so far (they had met for the first time at dinner) -- she doesn't really speak English and he doesn't really speak Bengali. She has no desire to drive a car (even when he offers to teach her), or even let her daughters go outside alone. Kashik can't help but compare her to his independent, outgoing, untraditional mother. This meal also reveals how Kashik's relationship with his father has changed and is now beginning to deteriorate rapidly. This is clearly shown when Kashik asks where the scotch that his father and his mother always used to drink was, and his father reveals how he had given up his old ways to avoid "alarming" his new wife. Kashik is astonished by how much his father has changed and makes him feel like his father is almost be trying his mother by completely changing who he was. This meal wasn't quite fitting of Professor Foster's definition of communion, but at least it did prevent the open argument that was waiting to happen but never did.
The second meal, and last that demonstrates the symbolism of the meal. that Kashik has with people in his new family is breakfast the next morning with Rupa and Piu, his step-sisters, at Dunkin Donuts. Even if he is at odds with Chitara, Kashik can't help but like her daughters. They both are much younger than Kashik, and are portrayed by Lahiri as very naive and cute in a little kid-sort of way. Their excitement at getting donuts, and paying for them themselves (with Kashik's money, but they got to give it to the chashier) was contagious. But even this very happy meal and relationship were not without conflict. Rupa and Piu, unversed in how to treat store clerks in America, come off as rude (pointing at what they want instead of asking and not thanking the cashier). Kashik tells them this, perhaps a little harsher than necessary and the girls become slightly sullen, embarrassed that they have angered their step-brother and also still worrying about the upcoming start of school. Kashik reassures them about school and the relationship, and the meal, are back on happier notes. The girls bring back donuts for their mother and tell her all about their fun breakfast with KD (what they call Kashit, short for Kashit Dada - the Bengali term of respect for a brother combined with his preffered name) also helps to slightly strengthen the very fragile relationship between Kashit and Chitara. This meal was much closer to Professor Foster's idea of the purpose of meals in novels -- reflecting the status of relationships and helping to create peace between characters.