Nice to eat with you
A meal really represent a reunion or understanding and forgiving each other. During the story, John Proctor eats a rabbit while Elizabeth watches him eat. This shows how the two are still in a awkward and icy relationship. While a meal represent the reunion and forgiveness, a failed meal foreshadows hardship and future crisis between the two. In the same scene, during their conversation, John Proctor and Elizabeth gets into a fight when Proctor states that he saw Abigail alone. Elizabeth here loses all faith in him and does not wish to speak with him at the moment. And John Proctor, upon seeing his wife’s reaction is furious because he believes that she still does not have faith in him. This fight during the meal represents a failed meal and foreshadows hardship. First hardship is the relationship between the two going downward. After John Proctor’s adultery incident the atmosphere of the house become cold as ice and the two were going through hardship. Upon knowing that John was with her alone, she loses faith in him and John Proctor is furious at the reaction. This shows the relationship of the two really compared to the fake emotions during the meal. Second hardship that is foreshadowed is Elizabeth’s summoning to the court. After the fight, Herrick shows up in front of their house and presents a warrant. The warrant stated that Elizabeth Proctor was to be taken to the court and her house be searched of materials related to witchcraft. This happened only few scenes after the failed meal.
The second representation of a meal is when Abigail Williams is in Reverend Parris’s house. While she was dining with the judges and other officials in Parris’s house, she squeals in pain and pulls a needle out of her stomach as she fell down to the floor. Abigail falling down to the floor with a needle in her stomach is the representation of the failed meal and it foreshadows Elizabeth’s danger. After the needle incident, a warrant to capture Elizabeth is passed and Elizabeth is taken away and found guilty on the charges of witchcraft. In both instances of the meal, after the failed meal it showed hardship.
The second representation of a meal is when Abigail Williams is in Reverend Parris’s house. While she was dining with the judges and other officials in Parris’s house, she squeals in pain and pulls a needle out of her stomach as she fell down to the floor. Abigail falling down to the floor with a needle in her stomach is the representation of the failed meal and it foreshadows Elizabeth’s danger. After the needle incident, a warrant to capture Elizabeth is passed and Elizabeth is taken away and found guilty on the charges of witchcraft. In both instances of the meal, after the failed meal it showed hardship.
Author's purpose
The author’s purpose in putting this symbolism is mainly to foreshadow the hardship that is going to be landed upon the characters. John Proctor had a failed meal when he started to fight with Elizabeth and right after, Elizabeth is taken to court. The judge’s meal fails as Abigail pretends to take a needle out of her stomach and shortly after a warrant for Elizabeth Proctor is passed.