We live in a world that is so fast paced, so full of hustle and bustle and complications. There are days where people stress themselves to the point of physical illness and where life seems to be anything but pleasant and enjoyable. Then there are the days that are so stimulating, so full of excitement and pleasure, the memory plasters to the inner walls of your brain. My favorite memories are the hours spent laughing in the warm kitchen, using my hands, mouth and nose as guides while my mom teaches me a new family recipe. In The Bone Garden of Desire, author Charles Bowden shows his philosophy of life through the use of detailed and poetic language. I will show that the main theme of this piece is the pursuit of a higher quality of life through the appreciation of food, through indulging in the satisfaction one receives from food; tasting, preparing, cooking, examining, feeling, desiring and eating it. I will discuss how Bowden describes memories of cooking and eating with friends, he uses historical references to emphasize the significance of food in our lives, and his incorporation of recipes to show how food and cooking increases Bowden’s quality of life. Bowden attains a higher quality of life through memories of cooking and sharing the love of food with friends. Although he reflects on the lives of his friends prior to their deaths and the reader is made aware of how each character passes away, the story is truly about appreciating life. He paints a vivid picture as he describes one of his favorite memories with his friend Art just months before he passes and becomes part of Bowden’s bone garden,
The beef was tender, the chiles hot, but not too hot, just enough to excite the tongue, and the seasonings bite, the garlic licks the taste buds, and I began to float on the sensations as Art drank his beer and the plants grew and stirred, the hummingbirds whizzed overhead and then hovered before my face, my tongue rubbed against