“Coming Home Again,” written by Chang-Rae Lee, illustrates the family relationship, particularly between a mother suffering from stomach cancer and a son who is increasingly distancing himself. . This profound news demonstrates the importance of the bond between a mother and her son. In addition, it establishes and concludes with the negative consequences of their disconnection: regret. A main theme of “Coming Home Again” is the bond that authentic Korean cuisine brings mother and son together. This connection is apparent early on when the author mentions that as a child he always stood by his mother's side while she cooked so he could absorb her techniques (3852). The author briefly described one of the Korean dishes, kalbi, which he watched his mother prepare. Kalbi is a cut short rib seasoned with Korean spices and sauces; Lee states: “…she dug her hands in and kneaded the flesh, careful not to dislodge the bones. I asked him why it was important that they stay connected. “The meat needs the bone nearby,” she said, “to borrow its richness. » (3852) This directly ties in with the mother's thoughts on her son's departure to a private boarding school. she needs her son nearby because their connection gives her strength. Additionally, even while the son was attending Exeter, she drove up with the family for Parents' Day and provided a plethora of cooking; the son then remarks that “under her worried face, I thought my mother was smiling” (3857). Although the son was disconnected from the family while attending boarding school, when they were together there was an ultimate bonding experience. Moreover, whenever he came home, she would prepare kalbi (3857). As mentioned...... middle of paper ......e still thinks about this story as he drives alone on the highway; he still sometimes “sees” them stopped on the side of the road, which arouses guilt about his past (3858). The significance of the father's story and "Coming Home Again" is to show the growing disconnect between a son and a mother. . All the mother wants is for her son to do better than her, even if she sometimes regrets sending him to school. As a result, the son becomes impatient and distant – as most adolescents do – until he becomes an adult and begins to regret the negative attitude he once had towards his mother. Unfortunately, his mother's untimely death left him feeling remorseful for his negative attitude towards her when he was a teenager. Nonetheless, he remains connected to her after her cancer-related death through cooking, in which he finds himself cooking exactly as she would..