Eating + at a dinner table + with people = communion

What happens when you share a meal with others?

Communion: "the sharing or exchanging of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially when the exchange is on a mental or spiritual level."

or what I gathered from Thomas C. Foster is that something went down or somethings about to go down. Foster states that "whenever people eat or drink together, it's communion." Something that I had not previously realized.  Immediately I thought back to the books I've read and the films I've watched and yes, a communion did happen. Even though I wasn't aware of it at first, I did learn something new about the character(s). I did see a change in their relationships. And I did notice that the interaction had many outcomes.

Books and movies almost always has a scene where people are sharing a meal.  the whole scene, at times it seems a little unnecessary or extra, but after reading the Nice to Eat with You chapter, the meaning was made more transparent. Knowing that the meal is not as important than the interaction of those eating it is what clicked for me. The communion is what makes the whole description of the interaction worth it in literature. For example, in the hilarious movie, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby , Bobby is to say a prayer in order to bless him and his upcoming race. As soon as he begins with " Dear Lord baby Jesus...", you already know that this prayer is going to be a riot. His prayer is focused on rather stupid and shallow things such as his wife's beauty or the "always delicious Taco Bell". After the prayer we see a clear disturbance in the family, Everyone except Chip, the grandfather, seems to be disrespectful and misguided. You can see the tension that is given off between Chip and everyone else. This scene is on the surface a nice communion, but considering the actual dialog and relationships,this communion could also be considered a negative one.

The act of  communion in literature often serves as a kind of turning point in the novel. But, that turning point is not always a positive one. it is said that " a failed meal carries negative connotation. So when the teen-aged girl runs from the table in angst when her father tells her to break up with her boyfriend, that's a form of negative communion. Like "The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" talked about earlier in this post, there are two sided communions, however, you don't have to dig that deep to determine the meaning behind the communion. For example, misunderstanding is what you think of when you read the dinner scene of Vanity Fair by William Thackeray. Becky Sharp flirts by saying "all Indian food must be good", little did she know the Indian food curry with a chili was not her idea of "good". This is considered a negative communion, still has humour to it, but the reader is able to recognize the negative from the positive.