Lemon Pie

In "Lemon Pie," the Professor's leftover piece of lemon pie symbolizes the life that he could have had if he had not been captured by the communist rebels. As the Professor is remembering the day he was taken hostage, he remembers that he "didn't even glance at the Styrofoam box of leftover lemon pie from the French bakery" on his way out the door (30-1). As he remembers, the Professor realizes that it's difficult to tell when the day stopped being an ordinary day and became the day that something "Happened" (33). In this way, the Professor implies that if he had put away the lemon pie, he might have never been taken hostage and might have lived a completely different life.

Mariela writing Martin's name

In "M+M," Mariela's writing Martin's name on his shoe symbolizes how Mariela has irrevocably shaped Martin's identity. Martin remembers...