Bite Me

This thesis explores the symbolic role of food in literature and video games, focusing on The Last of Us Part I (TLOUP1 or L1) by Naughty Dog and The Name of the Wind (TNOTW) by Patrick Rothfuss. Through the lens of food studies and literary analysis, this project examines two distinct modes of consumption: "honor eating," as theorized by Robert Appelbaum, and a newly proposed concept, "gratitude eating." Honor eating involves the consumption of another being, often cannibalistically, as a means of reverence and communal bonding. In contrast, gratitude eating, which is rooted in Homeric traditions of hospitality and social obligation, refers to the act of consuming food under societal expectations, reinforcing power structures, survival hierarchies, and narrative tension. This study argues that both forms of symbolic eating function as speech acts that shape narrative structure, character development, and cultural critique. By analyzing the ways food structures relationships and power in these texts, this thesis contributes to the broader discourse on food symbolism, sociological hierarchies, and alternative eating practices in contemporary storytelling.