Entry 3

In Mostly Martha, the main character is a particularly uptight woman who is stuck in her ways. Food is everything for Martha, her job, her life, and the ideal way to express herself. In this film food plays a big role in revealing character traits, motivations, and feelings. Food is constantly used to reflect Martha’s mindset and opinions. When it comes to Martha, food and the recipes for food are her way to control things in her life, only ever adhering to a recipe. Martha is the type of person who wants simple solutions to problems in life much like how recipes provide easy steps to making complex meals. She even says that she wishes she had a recipe for Lina because she has no idea how to take care of her. She also wants everything to be orderly in her life, as shown by how she conducts her kitchen and makes food in an assembly line process, and how she makes very professional meals even for herself at home. 

Love for Martha comes in the form of her being able to cook for others, mostly because she doesn’t have another way to connect with people. After her sister dies and she must care for her niece, Lina, Martha tells her that she will cook for her. This is Martha’s way of telling Lina that she cares and will try her best in but so many words. 

When it comes to Lina, someone who is half German and half Italian, food is meant to be her connection to her other half. Lina herself is also the bridge between German and Italy, serving as a metaphor for getting Martha and Mario closer, and soon romantically involved. Mario, and his food is meant to bring more love into everyone’s life. This is seen as he is the catalyst that makes Lina start eating and get closer to her aunt by coming to work with her. Mario also forces Martha to start eating with her coworkers instead and reading silently, which ends up making her less lonely. Mario also insists on serving food for Martha and Lina “family style” which makes everyone closer instead of eating at a table and not interacting at all. 

Food is also the thing that brings romance into the movie. Mario and Martha spending time together in the restaurant kitchen caring for Lina is what made their romantic spark. Mario cooking for Lina and Martha, meant that Mario and Martha were spending more time with each other for their romantic relationship to blossom even more. Finally, Mario coming over and having Martha taste his food brought them together completely. 

Overall, love and romance are represented through cooking and food in this film. Food helping to bring people closer together and allow characters to express their feelings for one another.