Summary
As "all over the globe revolutions" erupt, Triton runs Mister Salgado's household, taking over Joseph and Lucy-amma's former roles. He learns various skills from the servants and neighborhood children, such as cooking techniques and English vocabulary. Though Triton plays with a neighbor's son, Triton's primary focus is learning "the art of good housekeeping," and enjoys very few joyful childhood experiences before becoming a young man.
Mister Salagado's longtime friend, Dias Liyanage, becomes a fixture in Triton's life. Dias is a genial government officer who brags about his important connections, such as when he escorted the Queen of England around Sri Lanka. On one visit, Mister Salgado and Dias discuss the state of the coral reef, which Dias observed on a recent trip. Mister Salgado reads through the oceanographic surveys Dias brings him and speculates that any changes in the reef's "immediate environment" has massive impacts on not only the reef but the entire ecosystem.
Dias encourages Mister Salgado to advocate for protecting coral reefs. However, Mister Salgado worries doing so will make him "obliged" to politicians and other influential people. Still, Mister Salgado takes a job working in ocean conservation, leaving Triton to run the house, often alone. During his prolonged periods of solitude, Triton reads Mister Salgado's magazines and longs to see more of the world.
When Mr. Dias falls into a sewage hole, Mister Salgado takes both him and Triton to the observatory. On the way, Mister Salgado nearly hits a cow with his car, prompting Triton to offer a donation to a nearby temple. Though Mister Salgado and Dias believe Triton is just superstitious, Triton's donation is motivated by a rational belief that even if the temple has no supernatural powers, his donation will feed the monks. During the rest of the car ride, Triton reflects on the nature of science and language and recalls Mr. Dias's stories about his childhood during World War II.
At the bungalow Mister Salgado uses as his observatory, Triton is intrigued yet saddened by the ocean. Though he expected the sea to be soothing, its sheer size daunts both him and Dias. Triton meets Wijetunga, Mister Salgado's highly educated assistant, who documents marine life and tidemarks. Despite Wijetunga's expertise, he cannot speak about his research in front of Dias and Mister Salgado.
One day, a young woman named Nili joins Mister Salgado for tea. Triton creates a feast for her and is incredibly pleased when she praises the cake he painstakingly perfected. Nili returns frequently, growing closer with Mister Salgado, and Triton develops skills that make him a good chef, such as timing courses and pairing dishes. Triton partially credits Mister Salgado and Nili's blossoming relationship to his cooking, as Nili excitedly eats more than her fair share of Triton's cuisine.
One day, Nili arrives unaccompanied at Mister Salgado's house when only Triton is home. She asks Triton to give her one of Mister Salgado's shirts so she can have a tailor make him a new one as a Christmas present. She swears Triton to secrecy and promises to return later in the day. Though Triton is apprehensive Mister Salgado might discover the missing shirt, he helps Nili, who does not return that afternoon. When Mister Salgado asks Triton for the very shirt Nili took, Triton lies and claims he had to wash and mend it.
To please Nili, a Christian, Mister Salgado and Triton host a Christmas dinner, though they have never celebrated the holiday before. Triton prepares a Western-style dinner with turkey and roast potatoes, a far cry from his usual South Asian cuisine. In addition to Mister Salgado and Nili, Triton cooks for a Sri Lankan dentist and his wife, as well as an English professor, an American named Robert, and a red-haired woman named Melanie. Triton grows anxious when Dias shows up unannounced, forcing Triton to rearrange the seating plan to accommodate him. However, all of Mister Salgado's guests praise Triton's elaborate meal.
Triton observes the guests and eavesdrops on their political conversations about the growing unrest in Sri Lanka. According to them, the working class is protesting because they are envious of the wealthy, and want "blood, not jobs." Despite his interest in the conversation, Triton's focus is on executing a flawless meal. After the party, Nili gives Triton a cookbook as a Christmas gift, shocking him, as he had "never been given a present" in his entire life. Triton cleans up after the party and reflects on other people sharing intimate moments before accidentally seeing Mister Salgado and Nili having a private conversation on the couch.
Analysis
In Reef, the degradation of the coral reefs symbolizes the degradation of Sri Lanka's post-colonial social fabric. Though the country gained independence in 1948, the aftermath of British colonialism created economic and social inequality. Mister Salgado, a man "whom history favored," benefited socially and financially from colonialism, whereas Triton and Joseph, by contrast, did not. Mister Salgado becomes concerned for the survival of coral reefs, which can be destroyed by "even a small change in the immediate environment." In oceanography, this "small change" could be ocean acidity, whereas, in politics, this small change could be a socialist political movement. Though coral is a long-lasting organism, if its structure is destroyed, "the sea will rush in," engulfing it in its entirety. Similarly, as the post-colonial world began discussing political justice and social change, the entire unequal system began to erode slowly, then all at once with violence, like a coral reef.
The text uses abrupt, blunt language for comedic effect and to transition the story from Triton's philosophical thoughts to action-based storytelling. For example, after Triton uses highly poetic language to describe the process of reading and longing to see the world "beyond [his] garden gate," the text immediately states Triton got his chance to see the outside world "the day Mr Dias fell into a sewage hole."
Throughout the text, Triton compares others' bodies to Mister Salgado's as a way to assess a person's morality and value. For example, while riding in the car, Triton compares Dias's ears to Mister Salgado's ears. Triton describes Mister Salgado's "elegantly cupped," "divinely long" ears in loving detail, while by contrast, Triton considers Mr. Dias's small "foetus ear" a mark against him. This seemingly random imagery expresses not only Triton's fascination with Mister Salgado but the unspoken rivalry he feels toward Mister Salgado's other companions.
Triton experiences a rich, contemplative inner life, where he ponders Mister Salgado's arguments and important abstract topics, such as the nature of science and language. However, though Triton prepares arguments and observations to present to Mister Salgado, he never voices his opinions. This situation is an example of the theme of codependency and identity. Because of Triton's role as a servant in Mister Salgado's household, he cannot form social connections to express himself and explore his ideas. Thus, Triton's intellectual frame of reference depends on Mister Salgado's, even when Triton and Mister Salgado disagree.
Similarly, Mister Salgado does not recognize Triton as his intellectual equal, though they live in the same house and read the same materials. For example, when Mister Salgado nearly hits a cow, both he and Triton experience a moment of panic, though neither man is particularly superstitious. Triton donates to a nearby temple, reasoning that if supernatural powers exist, then the donation will protect Mister Salgado's luck, and if supernatural powers do not exist, Triton's donation will contribute to the welfare of the temple monks. However, though Triton and Mister Salgado experienced the same emotional reaction to hitting the cow and Triton's donation, Mister Salgado presumes that, due to Triton's lower social class, his behavior is dictated by irrational superstition.
The chapter title, "Cook's Joy," has a double meaning. "Cook's Joy" is a brand of oil that Triton uses when baking a cake for Nili; additionally, receiving praise for the meals he prepares is Triton's main source of joy.
Throughout "Cook's Joy," Triton's approach to cooking grows increasingly scientific and intentional. He invents recipes, learns to time courses and pair dishes, and reflects on the power of food to influence people's behavior. For example, Triton's excellent cooking makes Nili feel comfortable and cared for, enticing her to return time and time again to Mister Salgado's house. Thus, Triton's cooking is partially responsible for the couple's developing relationship. Triton even compares his own body to scientific equipment; for example, he believes the "middle joint" of his finger was just as accurate as a calibrated thermometer. Thus, Triton's descriptions of his cooking embody the theme of scientific investigation.
When preparing a Christmas dinner for the first time, Triton is fully aware that "every mouthful detonated a memory in each of them sitting there" and plans exactly how to flavor the food, present the dishes, and decorate the space to most benefit Mister Salgado socially.
