"Naked Lunch"

"Naked Lunch"
By: Michael Hollinger

     The scene of this story is of Lucy and Vernon who are sitting down to a dinner.  As the scene was described I realized that Vernon had set the table and cooked the dinner.  The flowers being in an awkward vase made me first think of a man doing something that he doesn't normally do because he has done something wrong and is trying to apologize.  As I read more I learned they had broken up, but not sure why.  When I read the story again I thought that maybe the awkward vase was a symbolism of there relationship.

     As they were eating Vernon the antagonist saw that Lucy wasn't eating her steak and asked why.  Lucy told him that after their break up she did some soul searching and decided to become a vegetarian. She doesn't want to eat anything with a face. Vernon being the controlling type of man did not like this.  He then begins to talk about the other choices Lucy has made.  Vernon does not respect Lucy or any of her choices.  Lucy asked Vernon if they could just start over trying to get him back on his conversation, but he is not letting up on this.

     Vernon gets up and holds Lucy's plate in front of her face asking do you see a face over and over again.  He is just tormenting her.  Then he cuts a piece off and makes her eat it.  He then tells her how juicy it is and she just shakes her head in agreement.  The rest of there dinner is in silence. I think at this moment Lucy realizes that the meat was not the poison in her life it was Vernon. 

     He then