Analysis Of If You Are What You Eat By Geeta Koethari

In the story “If you are what you eat , then what am I?” by Geeta Kothari, Kothari wants to inform the reader that many things can contribute to the person who you are today. In the story, Kothari utilizes food to symbolize her identity which she struggles to identify herself as American or Indian. Kothari purpose of writing this story is to notify young adults who are in the process of finding themselves to not worry much about what you believe makes you who you are rather than letting you become the person you are meant to be. Throughout the story, Kothari uses figurative language. Kothari states,” And the tuna in those sandwiches doesn’t look like this,pink and shiny, like an internal language”(Kothari 7). In other words, she compares the

tuna color to the part of the human body.
The author does a excellent job at being able to demonstrate her beliefs. In the beginning of the first paragraph she clearly states the main idea of this short story. Kothari states,” My mother buys the tuna, hoping to satisfy my longing for American food. Indians, of course, do not eat such things”(Kothari 1). Kothari begins with giving us a hint between her struggle with her culture. Also, Kothari uses pathos and logos. Kothari uses logos more than one time. For example, when Kothari talked about how she didn’t want her husband to leave her for a meat eater. Kothari states.” If I really want to make myself sick, I worry that my husband will one day leave me for a meat eater, for someone familiar who doesn't sniff him suspiciously for signs of alimentary infidentility”(Kothari 12). Lastly, Kothari uses logos when her mother told her to to drink from a straw or else she would get sick. Kothari states,” When I throw up later that day( or is it the next morning, when a stomachache wakes me from deep sleep?)”(Kothari 9). Furthermore, kothari became ill due to the fact that she did not listen to her mother when she gave her the advice.