"My main recollection is of the work I had to do in order to eat"

Clifton Fadiman's quote talks to the value of effort and the worth of a good meal. It recommends that he had to put in a lot of effort in order to have the ability to consume. This might mean that he needed to work long hours, or that he had to handle uphill struggles in order to make adequate cash to purchase food. It could also indicate that he had to put in a great deal of effort to prepare meals for himself. In either case, the quote stresses the importance of hard work and the fulfillment of an excellent meal. It likewise suggests that Fadiman was a person who was willing to put in the effort to get what he wanted. This quote is a suggestion that hard work is necessary in order to attain success and to delight in the rewards of life.