Meatless Days

Meatless Days is a memoir written by Sara Suleri, a Pakistani writer and

academic. First published in 1989, it is a significant work of postcolonial literature,
focusing on themes such as memory, identity, and loss. The book offers a deeply
personal narrative as Suleri reflects on her experiences growing up in Pakistan and
later moving to the West. Through her storytelling, she explores the complex
intersections of gender, culture, family, and history.
The title Meatless Days refers to a time of rationing and scarcity during the early
years of Pakistan's formation, but it also serves as a metaphor for personal and
emotional deprivations in the author’s life. Suleri's writing is known for its lyrical
and abstract prose, which makes the memoir an introspective and multi-layered
read.
Summary & Analysis
Sara Suleri is a prominent writer of the sub-continent, Pakistan. Her style of
writing is very impressive and nostalgic. She has written on different topics in a
very forceful and appealing way. "Meatless Days" is her unique, novel and catchy
piece of writing. In this book, she explores the various aspects of life and describes
them in the colour of criticism on life. Her illustration and description of events
are realistic. Most of her descriptions revolve around her family members, her
liking and disliking of different eatable things related to meat and vegetables.
From the book's title to its countless descriptions of meals, cooking, consumption,
and food figures are a prominent motif in Meatless Days. She also throws light on
the political condition of that time as an observer. In this finely written memoir of
life in postcolonial Pakistan, Suleri links the violent history of Pakistan's
independence with her own most intimate memories of her Welsh mother; of her
Pakistani father who was a prominent political journalist Z.A. Suleri; of her
tenacious (obstinate) grandmother
Dadi and five siblings; and of her own passage to the west: "There are nine
autobiographical tales that move easily back and forth among Pakistan, Britain,
and the United States...
She forays lightly into Pakistani history, and deeply into the history of her family
and friends. ... Suleri, the woman at home in Pakistan, makes this book sing.
"Meatless Days" is based on the childhood memories of Sara Suleri. She narrates
different stories of her childhood and associates them with her brothers and other
family members. The title of the book also relates to the events and contents of the
book. The story begins when her sister Tallat with her three children comes from
Kuwait. They both were like friends. One day Tallat revealed to her that the meat
stuff which Sara used to relish because of its taste and which she called
"Sweetbreads" were in fact" Kapuras" and " kidneys" cooked together. The face of
Tallat was kindling with superior knowledge. Then she declared openly that
Kapuras were testicles. Sara says that she refused to believe and went on cooking.
Then she describes the organic location of Kapuras in animals. Her going into
detail and collecting particulars about it is very interesting. Her mother forces her
to eat "Sweetbreads". But now it was very difficult for her to eat this dish of meat.
Her mother was very fond of mutton but Sara liked vegetables. Her description of
the parables of Kapuras is very funny and involving.
The writer describes her memories of Lahore in a very impressive way. They were
living in 9-T Gulberg Lahore. She was very frank with her sister Tallat and her
elder sister Iffat. Their cook Qayyam had a son and two daughters. The name of
her little daughter was Munni. Sara occasionally played with her. She liked her
curly hair. She used to make a pan with a mango leaf stuffed with little stones. She
usually gave "Muni" or "Pan" of Mango leaf and stones. Sara thought stones were
like kidneys.
She compares "Muni" with herself. According to her Munni was better to her in
this respect. Munni could throw out the stones from her mouth but she was forced
to eat the dish of Kapuras and kidneys.
Then the story takes another turn: Their cook Qayyum bought two buffaloes. They
tied them at the far end of their garden. Her mother treated the children like elder
brother Shahid She was also forced to drink first overpowering glasses of milk. She
called it a gulf stream of cream emitting a pungent glassy odor. Qayyum usually
pulls the udders of the buffaloes in a very festive manner. He called up the
children one by one to throw steaming jets of milk into their mouths. Sara often
ran as far as she could when her turn came to drink milk.
She also describes different vegetables in her garden. She liked them. There was a
row of cauliflower in the garden. She preferred to eat them instead of
"Sweetbreads" after the revelation of her sisters that it was made of Kapuras and
kidneys.
She praises the fragrant little heads of cauliflower because they look like brains.
There was always of layer of dewdrops on them. It was the most charming sight for
her. She usually goes to those flowers in the early morning. She often held them
between her knees and chewed them. Seeing this Qayyum usually cried "Maro!
Maro!"
He uttered so as he thought of her as if some animal eating the vegetables. So, it is
clear that she liked vegetables instead of meat and the title of the story "Meatless
Days" is appropriate. Her mother always insisted she taste kidneys. Qayoom was
also of the opinion to give her a full plate of that dish. One day-Iffat was present
she stood there to watch and to make sure that Sara was eating her mother
granted dish. Iffat suddenly gave her remarks in the following words.
"Kidneys make pee, Sara"
She relates that she tried to know the facts of "Kapuras" or "Testicles". But her
mother, grandmother and all the people of her family didn't bother to explain the
exact location and physical terminology of " Kapuras". So, it remained a mystery
for quite a long time in her life.
Meatless Days is full of the rich memories of her childhood. The writer describes
Ramazan's memories with their particular religious colouring and taste. Sara
remembers the days of Ramazan. In her childhood, she liked the month of
Ramazan with great passion and excitement. She describes the enjoyment of
awakening at Sahri and then preparing for it.
Iffatri was full of nourishing foods and it was a pleasing and enjoyable time. One
had to get out of bed very early to prepare Sahri. She didn't sleep after Sahri but
enjoyed chatting with others. The same practice of making a variety of foods was
done at Ifftari time. She enjoyed Chat, Pakoras, Samosas and other dishes in the
company of Dadi, Iffat and other members of the family.
The writer describes that there were other enjoyments in life too. She used to go
out with her old friends Nuzaat and Aalya to Bagh-e-Jinnah. There they ate Gol-
gupps with great relish. They also enjoyed other outdoor dishes like Dahi Baray,
Fruit Chat and so on. Chatting, enjoying and laughing with Gol-Gups was a great
phase of life.
Sara shares another memory of her Meatless Days. She remembers that the
government of Pakistan announced Tuesday and Wednesday as Meatless Days. It
was decided to conserve the national supply of meat in the form of goats and
cattle. But it had opposite results. All the rich families started storing the meat one
day before meatless days i.e. Tuesday & Wednesday. The butchers also started
taking the benefit of meatless days. They slaughtered extra animals to sell more
and more meat to earn maximum profit.
Sara gives the minute details of this issue. She describes the details of meat shops,
slaughtering conditions and the dirty atmosphere of meat shops. As it is the main
topic discussed in this memoir. Due to this description, she entitled the story as
"Meatless Days".
Besides personal glimpses of her childhood memories, Sara also throws light on
the deteriorating conditions of politics in the country. She mentions the days of
General Ayub Khan, General Yahya Khan Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and then Zia ul Haq.
She also tells the political turmoil which ravaged the roots of the country and
resulted in the separation of East Pakistan.
The writer gives the unique history of their cooks. Their names were Qayyum,
Ramzan and Allah Ditta. She didn't like the cook, Allah Ditta, as the taste of his
dishes was unlikely for her. Allah Dita served their family for many years.
Sara also shares with us her unhappy memories of life. She left Pakistan and went
to the U.S.A. She also spent some time in London. It was a great shock for her that
her elder sister Iffat died in the prime of her youth. The days of her life had
become as tasteless as they were meatless days. She couldn't even meet the
children of her sister for four years. He describes the bitter realities of her life. Her
elder brother Shahid divorced his wife and married a foreign girl. They had to give
their children to that foreign lady. It was a shocking event in her life.
The last memory of Sara Suleri is very painful and horrible. It was a chilly morning
in New York. She received bad news of her mother's death. It was one of the worst
shocks of her life. She became unfortunate and upset. She had a horrible dream at
night. She saw that her father was present outside the home. There was the dead
body of her mother in the ambulance. She saw in the dream that while putting the
dead body of her mother into the coffin. She has stolen a part of her mama's dead
body and hid it under her tongue to share it with her siblings (children).
It was the period of her meatless days as it was full of unhappy events in life. After
that, she tells her readers that she got up from her dream world into the world of
"Meatless Days". Stealing the piece of her mother's part of body symbolically
refers to the fact that she has tasted the bitter and unbearable taste of her sister's
and mother's death. After their death, this world had become meaningless for her.
She was deprived of the warmth and taste of true love.
We may capsule the discussion by saying that "Meatless Days" is a unique and
heat-catching story of family love, memories and political criticism on different
aspects of life with symbolic background. The book's title suits it as it signifies the
meatless days and the loss of love and taste of life.
Critical Analysis
At its core, Meatless Days is a meditation on memory and how it shapes identity.
Suleri’s prose moves fluidly between the personal and the political, and she often
shifts from recounting intimate details of her family life to discussing historical
events in Pakistan. This shifting narrative structure, which blends the past and
present, reflects the fragmented nature of memory and identity. Suleri’s style is
also known for being elliptical and complex, requiring readers to engage deeply
with her language and meaning.
One of the central themes in Meatless Days is the tension between private and
public history. Suleri frequently juxtaposes her family's personal experiences with
broader social changes in Pakistan, highlighting how individual lives are
inextricably linked with political forces. For example, the book discusses the
partition of India and Pakistan, the political turbulence in Pakistan, and the
impact of these events on her family, especially the women. In this way, the
memoir becomes a meditation on how history is felt and lived by individuals.
Another key aspect of the book is Suleri’s exploration of gender, particularly the
roles of women in Pakistani society. She reflects on the lives of the women in her
family—her mother, her sister, and herself—examining how they navigate cultural
expectations and personal desires. However, Suleri avoids simple or reductive
portrayals of these women; instead, she paints them as complex individuals who
both conform to and resist the traditional gender roles imposed on them. This
exploration of gender is intertwined with the theme of loss, as many of the women
in Suleri’s life die or are otherwise removed from her, leaving her to grapple with
their absence.
The memoir’s title, Meatless Days, itself is deeply symbolic. It refers not only to
the literal days of rationing meat during political turmoil in Pakistan but also
serves as a metaphor for deprivation and loss in a broader sense. The title evokes a
sense of austerity, absence, and yearning, which permeates the memoir’s
reflections on Suleri’s relationships and her losses.
Themes
1. Memory and Identity
• The book is an exploration of the fragmented nature of memory and how it
shapes identity. Suleri reflects on her past and her family’s history, showing
how memories are often unreliable and fluid. Memory is not just a
recollection of events but a reshaping of the past through the lens of the
present.
• Suleri's writing resists a linear narrative, which reflects the fragmented,
often contradictory nature of memory.
2. Postcolonialism and National Identity
• Meatless Days reflects on the formation of Pakistan and the postcolonial
identity that comes with it. Suleri writes about how the partition and the
political upheavals of Pakistan shaped not only the nation but also the
individual identities of its citizens.
• Through her family, she explores the ambivalence of being caught between
colonial legacies and the realities of a newly independent nation.
3. Gender and Patriarchy
• The memoir often highlights the experiences of women in a patriarchal
society. Suleri looks at the roles of her mother, her sister, and herself within
the context of traditional gender roles, questioning how much autonomy
they had over their own lives.
• Suleri’s mother, who gave up her life in Wales to marry a Pakistani man, and
her sister, whose untimely death profoundly affects the family, represent the
complex lives of women in a cross-cultural and patriarchal context.
4. Loss and Mourning
• Throughout the book, Suleri reflects on loss, both personal and collective.
The deaths of her sister and mother, as well as the losses brought on by
political events in Pakistan, become central to her understanding of her
identity and life.
• The memoir can be read as a way for Suleri to mourn and make sense of
these losses, especially as they relate to the women in her family.
5. The Immigrant Experience
 • Suleri’s memoir also touches on the immigrant experience, particularly the
disorientation and displacement felt by those who leave their homeland.
While she spends much of the memoir recounting her life in Pakistan, she
also reflects on her experiences living in the West, contrasting the two
worlds and exploring her hybrid identity.
• The tension between belonging and alienation is a constant theme, as Suleri
feels caught between two cultures, never fully belonging to one or the other.
Symbols
1. Meat
• Meat is a recurring symbol in the memoir, representing both sustenance and
the political tensions in Pakistan. The “meatless days” referred to in the title
point to days of scarcity during wartime and political crises, where rationing
of meat became a reality.
• Meat also symbolizes vitality, energy, and abundance, and its absence in the
memoir underscores feelings of deprivation, both material and emotional.
2. Food
• Food, in general, serves as a symbol of cultural identity, family, and memory
in Meatless Days. Meals and the act of eating are often tied to personal
memories, providing a connection to family and the homeland.
• However, food also represents how personal life is disrupted by political
turmoil, as the lack of food during times of political upheaval mirrors the
larger sense of loss and instability.
3. Water
• Water serves as a metaphor for memory and the passage of time in the
memoir. It is often associated with Suleri’s reflections on her past and her
attempts to reconcile her memories with her present self.
• Water also symbolizes both life and destruction, much like how Suleri’s
memories nourish but also torment her.
Conclusion
Meatless Days is a deeply introspective work that blends personal memory with
the broader political history of Pakistan. Through her complex and layered
narrative, Sara Suleri creates a meditation on the intersections of gender, identity,
family, and nationhood. The use of symbolism and rich themes makes the memoir
not only a reflection on personal loss but also a commentary on the larger
postcolonial experience.
The book’s emphasis on memory and loss, along with its exploration of the roles of
women in a postcolonial, patriarchal society, adds to its depth and resonance.
Suleri’s unique writing style—lyrical, fragmented, and abstract—challenges the
reader to engage with these themes deeply and thoughtfully.