When Paul came back from leave he had the potato cakes with him and “then it occurs to [him] that [his] mother cooked them herself and that she was probably in pain as she stood before the hot stove” (198). Something as small as the potato cakes had so much meaning behind it. He wanted to give them away but he knew that this would be a cruel thing to do considering all the pain his mother went through to make these. Before Paul’s realization of how his mother went through pain to make the potato cakes he realized he “has no taste” (198) for them. He was going to give the potato cakes away but they are a part of her pain and he would feel bad if he did eat them. He would be giving away a gift of his mother. The potato cakes are a symbol of how something as small as the potato cakes can mean so
When Paul came back from leave he had the potato cakes with him and “then it occurs to [him] that [his] mother cooked them herself and that she was probably in pain as she stood before the hot stove” (198). Something as small as the potato cakes had so much meaning behind it. He wanted to give them away but he knew that this would be a cruel thing to do considering all the pain his mother went through to make these. Before Paul’s realization of how his mother went through pain to make the potato cakes he realized he “has no taste” (198) for them. He was going to give the potato cakes away but they are a part of her pain and he would feel bad if he did eat them. He would be giving away a gift of his mother. The potato cakes are a symbol of how something as small as the potato cakes can mean so