Significance of Kiwis

Kiwis factor into the short story “Fruit Juice”. Kiwis are discovered boxed and crated in an old post office, now being used as a storage facility. While reeling from the impending death of her mother and the awkwardness of meeting her father for the first time, the unnamed girl in the story break into the office and begins eating one kiwi after another. The narrator explains she is eating through sadness. The kiwis therein symbolize sweetness, and a bountiful and full life, which the girl does not have. She feels empty, and the kiwis are filling an emotional void physically.