In the poem’s final stanza, the townspeople talk about two particular food items: meat and bread. These items are considered food staples in the history of the human diet. Meat, unspecified from which animal, is a recognizable symbol for food of substance worldwide across many cultures, and bread, while sometimes sweet and delicious, is a food without much substance and little nutritional value. A person eating only bread will not be as healthy or as energetic as someone eating meat and bread (although you should eat your fruits and veggies too!), and the poem describes how the working class goes without meat in their diet at all: “And went without the meat, and cursed the bread” (Line 14). Meat is also an expensive food item. For many people, especially before the 1900s, it was not accessible because it was considered a luxury. It would not have been uncommon for families to go without a protein on their evening dinner plate during tough economic times. If a person is eating only bread, it is understandable why they may become annoyed or sick of it, cursing the bread. Although the townsfolk are bitter and jealous of Cory, it is essential to understand where they are coming from as well. Desiring a warm meal to fill their bellies is not much to ask, however ungrateful they may be for the bread they have.