52 pages • 1 hour read
Mia P. ManansalaArsenic and Adobo
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2021A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
The Dog Statue
The statue of Lila’s dachshund is a symbol whose meaning changes throughout the narrative. Terrence tells Lila that Janet made this statue and was planning on giving it to her. The statue initially represents a peace offering following the women’s fight about Terrence, embodying the potential for healing and closure in strained relationships. However, the dog statue quickly becomes a symbol of violence and mystery. Janet is assaulted before she can give it to Lila. Lila asks Detective Park if he found the “statue of a dog” at the crime scene (286), but he is unaware of it.
Kevin, who assaulted Janet, took the statue and put it in the backroom of Java Jo’s to hide his guilt. During the climax of the story, Adeena “[throws] the statue at him but he [dodges] it” (288). She tries to use the dog statue as a weapon but fails. Lila is successful in hitting Kevin with the statue, and the statue becomes a symbol of victory over Kevin. The symbolic trifecta of reconciliation, violence, and triumph mirrors Lila’s character arc throughout the narrative, though in a different order: While her time in Shady Palms begins with violence, including her fiancé’s infidelity and Derek’s murder, she eventually reconciles strained relationships with family and friends and successfully solves the murder to clear her family’s name.
Jewelry
Throughout the narrative, jewelry is a symbol of family and friendship. Lila always wears the necklace she inherited from her parents after they passed away. She says, “It was a simple disk of green jade on a golden chain, and the one physical reminder of them I was able to carry into adulthood” (128). Lila is an orphan who is raised by her aunt Rosie, and the necklace connects her to her late parents. As Lila got older and her neck grew, Tita Rosie added her own bracelet. The necklace then became a symbol of Lila’s extended family, not just her parents.
Like Lila, Adeena has a bracelet that she always wears. When Lila sees “Adeena’s golden bangle” on the floor of Java Jo’s (282), she knows something terrible has happened to Adeena. When Lila spots it through the window of Java Jo’s, she thinks “I would’ve recognized it anywhere” (282). Lila’s intimate familiarity with Adeena’s bracelet emphasizes the close friendship the two have.
Ube Cookies
Ube cookies are a motif illustrating the theme of The Importance of Food. Lila makes her ube crinkle cookies several times throughout the narrative. Ube, or purple yam, is a traditional ingredient used in Filipino cooking. Lila’s use of this traditional ingredient in her signature recipe signifies the importance of her familial background as well as her desire to use baking to creatively re-interpret her cultural identity.
The cookies first appear immediately before Derek’s death. As he eats the cookies, he tells Lila they’re too sweet and accuses her of being overly sensitive when she gets upset. Lila’s emotional response to his insult reveals the personal nature of baking: For Lila, baking is both an emotional and a creative outlet, and Derek’s comment feels like a personal attack on her character. Derek’s claim that he dislikes the cookies even as he refuses to stop eating them also foreshadows the discovery that Derek has been fabricating his negative reviews.
After Derek’s negative commentary on the ube cookies, Lila is heartened when Marcus enjoys the cookies so much that he shares confidential details about the police case. Marcus’s response demonstrates the power of food to break down barriers and form community. However, as Lila learns more about the case, the ube cookies “turned to sand in [her] mouth” (118), highlighting once again the relationship between food and emotion.
The motif of the ube cookies appears for a final time right before Lila discovers Mr. Long’s body. She brings the cookies to an appreciative Mrs. Long, who enjoys them. The appearance of the ube cookies before three pivotal plot points—Derek’s death, Marcus’s revelations, and the discovery of Mr. Long’s body—underscores the far-reaching nature of The Importance of Food. Not only do the cookies illustrate Lila’s emotional response to food and food’s ability to sustain community, but they also help Lila solve Derek’s murder and save her family’s business.
