A Feast of Words: The Moviegoer

A Feast of Words is our series highlighting meals in literature, film, and culture. The following excerpt comes from Walker Percy’s novel, The Moviegoer.

“Do you have any more crabs, Mother?”

“Any more crabs! Ask Lonnie if we weren’t just wondering what to do with the rest. You haven’t had your supper?”

“No’m.”

Mother folds up the thick layer of newspaper under the crab carcasses, making a net bundle with her strong white hands. The whole mess comes away leaving the table dry and clean. Therese spreads fresh paper and Mathilde fetches two cold bottles of beer and two empty bottles for hammering the claws and presently we have a tray apiece, two small armies of scarlet crabs marching in neat row. Sharon looks queer but she pitches in anyhow and soon everybody is making fun of her. Mathilde shows her how to pry off the belly plate and break the corner at the great claw so that the snowy flesh pops out in a fascicle. Sharon affects to be amazed and immediately the twins must show her how to suck the claws.