Breakfast in Bed - Essay Example

Is the main idea explicit or implicit? If it is explicit, quote the thesis statement and identify the paragraph number where it is located. If the idea is implicit, state the main idea clearly, in your own words.
One of the works of Joe Fiorito, taken from his compilation titled ‘Comfort me With Apples’ which had been published as a regular feature in the Hour magazine was ‘Breakfast in Bed.’ The author’s main idea is explicit and deals directly with the importance of smell in one's life. The thesis statement that explains this explicit idea is that – “Smell is fundamental to happiness“ and “It is a form of greeting every bit as intimate as a kiss, but it goes deeper than that; it’s a way for friends to take in each other’s smell. Its how friends fill the empty places caused by absence.” (Paragraph 1)
The tone of the essay is filled with undercurrents of sentiment and emotion. It conveys different messages on a personal level. As a reader, I found it to be soul-stirring and pulling at my heartstrings every once in a while. I was also moved by what a simple thing as ‘smell’ could invoke within a person – sweet/bitter memories, reminisces, love/hate, and other good or bad feelings. Besides this, I also noted that smell is one thing we do not place much emphasis on or don’t give much credence to. Therefore after reading this essay it has made me much more aware of the sense of smell in my life.
A good example of the personal tone of this essay would be – “I know a man who travels with a piece of his wife’s clothing sealed in a plastic bag. When the separation is too much to bear, he opens the bag and breathes.”

REACTIONS

1. a) crawling into bed on a cold night – reminds me of the heavy winters we had to pass through. As little children, my mom used to tuck us into bed with comfy soft pillows and the warm fresh smell of the blankets we used to love. (Paragraph 3)
2. b) smell the person sleeping next to you – my reaction to this one is sweet memories of my childhood friend who used to come to my place and stay over the nights while we did joint study during the exams.