There is certainly something troubling about the way Duncan devours this woman, suggesting that the patriarchy and consumption that Marian fears is still alive and well in the world. But rather than eating this sugary treat out of routine or panic, Duncan eats the cake—and Marian made the cake—to find pleasure and connection, using this consumption not to distance themselves from human life but to feel closer to it. In other words, the novel’s closing moments seem to suggest, “production-consumption” can be a terrifying cycle—but under the right circumstances, it can also be a “delicious” one.