Food helps establish and illustrate the bond between Grayson and Maniac in various stages of their relationship. When Maniac wakes up in the band shell, Grayson feeds him soup, a common comfort food served by parents and caretakers to a sick person (Spinelli 81). And every morning, Grayson left Maniac money to buy Krimpets (Spinelli 98). Grayson cares for Maniac much like a parent who leaves lunch money for his child.
Maniac and Grayson evolve into a family through the regularity of food sharing. The two eventually eat breakfast, lunch and dinner together every day. Maniac depends on this constancy for his emotional well-being. They also celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas together with food rituals.
Food as a Metaphor to Construct Family and Caretaker Relationships
Mrs. Pickwell’s whistle invites Maniac to share a meal with the Pickwells. They’re welcoming and no one questions Maniac’s identity until after the meal. When he’s running from the Cobras, he sees the house “where he had eaten spaghetti” and thinks “he could go there, to the whistling mother, the other kids, be safe” (Spinelli 31). That simple act of food sharing helps create a safe haven for Maniac that he will return to later for both nourishment and care.
The types of food the adults serve are metaphors for the quality of care they provide their families. Mr. McNab provides poorly for his sons:
“His hands were nearly pure black. Stale body odor mingled with that of fries and burgers coming from the Burger King bag he held. Dropping the bag next to the bird remains, he bellowed “Chow!” and took a beer from the fridge ... ”(Spinelli 132).
Mr. McNab does not provide a loving, nurturing environment for his children. He serves fast food to his children with dirty hands. Even though he's providing for them, it's evident he doesn't do it well or lovingly, based on these actions. He’s a poor caregiver.
Conversely, Mrs. Beale and Mrs. Pickwell are nurturing parents who serve hot, home-cooked meals such as spaghetti and meatloaf. They put their love into their work. But the type of meal also means something. Meals such as meatloaf and spaghetti are typically shared with one another. They’re prepared and served in one container and passed around so that everyone can take from the larger unit. The portions, when combined together, form one meal for everyone — just like the members within a family, together, form one familial group.
Sharing a Basic Need for Food
Even Elmwood Park Zoo is more civilized than the McNab house, where Maniac has lived for three months without Mr. McNab knowing his name (Spinelli 151). Conversely, at the zoo, Maniac is part of the community. Maniac ate carrots, apples and hamburger buns just like the deer (Spinelli 29).
Bonding occurs when Maniac and the deer and buffalo eat and sleep together. The animals are his family when he feels isolated from the rest of the world. Eating together helps reinforce that bond between Maniac and the animals, because in spite of their differences, they share a basic need for food, just like the human characters in the novel.
Maniac Magee (ISBN: 0-316-80906-3)
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