The Bear: Carmys 8 Tattoos & Their Meaning Explained

Summary

• The Bear’s Carmy uses tattoos to symbolize his complex past and struggles in finding his identity as a chef.
• The tattoos on Carmy’s arms reveal his journey, from honoring his roots to representing his inner conflicts and family dynamics.
• The inked designs on Carmy serve as reminders of his past, present struggles, and the importance of his culinary career in The Bear.

Jeremy Allen White’s Carmy sports some impressive ink, and what The Bear tattoos mean reveals a lot about both his character and the show. Created by Christopher Storer, The Bear follows the journey of a fine dining chef, Carmy, who finds himself returning to his roots when his older brother dies and leaves him the family restaurant. As Carmy struggles to keep the business afloat and battles his personal demons in The Bear‘s seasons 1 and 2, he forms new unexpected alliances along the way, while facing familial and professional challenges he had never anticipated.

The Bear‘s Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto is a multilayered character, and his tattoos that cover a significant portion of his arms seem to be a crucial part of his identity. As explained by Jeremy Allen White’s tattoo artist, Ben Sheilds (via Popsugar), he had initially designed close to 75 different tattoos for Carmy but then they “whittled it down.” To come up with the designs for The Bear‘s Carmy, the artist considered many aspects of Carmy’s characterization, before sizing and placing them on his arms. Given that so much work went behind creating the tattoos, it is hard not to wonder what they mean.

8 One Of Carmy’s Tatoos Represents His Roots In The Bear

The 773

A key theme throughout The Bear is Carmy’s complex relationship with his past. The show opens with Carmy returning to Chicago following the suicide of his brother, which makes this particular tattoo incredibly relevant to his character, as it’s been with him as a constant reminder of where he came from throughout his life. Ben Shields revealed that the “773” tattoo on Carmy’s bicep represents Chicago’s area code , suggesting that Carmy likely got it when he was much younger.

The “773” on his left bicep serves as a timestamp that symbolizes his roots.

It could have also been his first tattoo, since most people settle for something safe when they get their first ink. Reminding him of the childhood experiences that shaped him and made him the chef he is today, the “773” on his left bicep serves as a timestamp that symbolizes his roots. Since Carmy left for New York to pursue his culinary dreams, it is also possible that he got the “773” tattoo before leaving Chicago in The Bear to remind himself of his humble beginnings.

7 2 Carmy Tattoos Symbolize The Contradictions In His Characterization

The Reaper With The Alcohol, And The Two Angels With The Sun

Speaking about Carmy’s tattoo of a reaper shaking hands with a bottle of alcohol in one arm and the one with two angels on the other, Ben Shields highlighted that the contrasting tattoos represent “the light and dark” in Carmy’s characterization. They portray how Carmy is full of contradictions, and as much as he tries not to repeat his family’s mistakes, there are times when his dark side gets the best of him.

It reflects how Carmy seems level-headed toward the ending moments of The Bear season 2 but suddenly starts losing his grip on his emotions after he gets locked in the walk-in freezer.

On a deeper level, the contrasting tattoos could also represent his relationship with the family and how it shaped him.

On a deeper level, the contrasting tattoos could also represent his relationship with the family and how it shaped him. The reaper with the bottle of alcohol could symbolize his mother’s relationship with substance abuse and how it affected him when he was younger. The two angels on the other hand could portray how his brother, Mikey, and sister, Sugar, raised him and later encouraged him to leave town and find his path away from the toxic environment of their home.

6 1 Carmy Tattoo Alludes To His Story Arc In The Bear

The Snail

A snail tattoo on Carmy’s right forearm has the words “Live Fast” underneath it. The snail probably represents his life before he moved out of Chicago in The Bear, a period of stagnation where his family conflicts held him back. The “Live Fast” is from his professional life after he left Chicago and lived the quick-paced life of a fine dining chef.

The slogan “live fast” under a snail, creatures known for the slow pace at which they move, is a tongue-in-cheek juxtaposition.

The “Live Fast” credo under the snail could also be a reminder, similar to the “Every Second Counts” poster in Carmy and Sydney’s The Bear restaurant. There is, of course, a bit of humor to this tattoo too. The slogan “live fast” under a snail, creatures known for the slow pace at which they move, is a tongue-in-cheek juxtaposition. The snail may have further underlying significance too, as the shell could represent Carmy’s guarded nature and the difficulties he has letting people in on an emotional level.

5 Carmy’s Knife Tattoo Represents His Struggles As A Chef

A Chef’s Knife Through A Hand

On the back of his right hand, The Bear‘s Carmy has a tattoo with a chef’s knife stabbing a hand. While Ben Shields did not explain the meaning of this one, it could symbolize Carmy’s struggles as a chef.

As seen in The Bear season 1, Carmy had to make several sacrifices to become the brilliant chef he is in the show’s current timeline. He also has PTSD from the toxic working conditions of his previous restaurant workplace, which suggests that the chef’s knife stabbing the hand is a metaphor for how he has taken a lot of emotional damage to get where he is today.

The symbol most often used is a dagger through the hand to indicate self-destructive behavior or struggles in some form.

The tattoo, however, is also a take on a symbol that’s used by a lot of tattoo artists. The symbol most often used is a dagger through the hand to indicate self-destructive behavior or struggles in some form. For Carmy, the dagger is replaced with a chef’s knife in keeping with how much cooking and his place in the kitchen means to him. Carmy sees preparing food as an art form, but also as something necessary, and those two points of view can sometimes be in conflict.

His time previously working in the family restaurant also wasn’t exactly where he wanted to be, but he did want to be in a kitchen. Becoming a chef is a long and difficult road for many, and the tattoo can also reflect that before Carmy ever encountered the restaurant that caused his PTSD.

4 Carmy’s “SOU” Tattoo Is a Reminder In The Bear

SOU Across Carmy’s Fingers

Many of Carmy’s tattoos in The Bear directly relate to his career, which is unsurprising given that the kitchen is more than just a way to make a living for him. The “SOU” inked across his fingers seemingly stands for “Sense Of Urgency.” In one of The Bear‘s episodes, Carmy can be seen writing the same on tape as a reminder. “Sense of urgency” is a term used in both foodservice and retail to remind employees to always move with purpose and efficiency.

Carmy likely got “SOU” tattooed on his fingers to keep reminding himself of the stakes involved in his work as a chef.

Considering how the restaurant-running business is a highly competitive space that always keeps employees on their toes, Carmy likely got “SOU” tattooed on his fingers to keep reminding himself of the stakes involved in his work as a chef. It probably gives him a much-needed push when required and helps him maintain a sense of criticality towards his work as a chef and small business owner.

3 One Of Carmy’s Tattoos Reflects His Life’s Philosophy In The Bear

The Fish Tattoo

Carmy has several tattoos in The Bear, such as the SOU on his hand and the Chicago area code on his bicep, that have relatively straightforward or easy-to-decipher meanings. However, one of the most mysterious tattoos on Carmy’s arms is the one with a fish that has an hourglass in the middle. While it may hard to deduce the tattoo’s precise meaning, fishes are usually symbols of flow, change, and constant renewal in many cultures because of their association with water.

The hourglass on the fish could represent the flow of time and how it will eventually end.

The hourglass on the fish could represent the flow of time and how it will eventually end. The Bear‘s Carmy probably got this one to remember that be it in the kitchen or the world outside, his time is limited, and he must make the most of it by embracing the ever-changing landscape of the culinary world.

2 1 Tattoo Highlights What Cooking Means To Carmy In The Bear

A Globe In A Measuring Cup

Carmy has a complex relationship with his professional life. The kitchen is all he’s ever known, though it’s also a painful place for him given his family history, and it takes him a long time to reconcile the two and understand why his role fulfils him despite the emotional turmoil is also brings. Carmy’s left arm has a tattoo showing a globe inside a measuring cup, which seems to align with what he wishes to teach Richie in The Bear season 2.

Carmy helps Richie understand that his purpose as a restaurateur is to serve his customers and leave them satiated.

By sending Richie to work at a three Michelin-star restaurant in The Bear season 2’s episode 7, Carmy helps Richie understand that his purpose as a restaurateur is to serve his customers and leave them satiated. It probably took Carmy some time to realize the same when he started his culinary endeavors and got the tattoo when he realized his purpose as a chef. Going by this narrative, Carmy’s globe inside a cup tattoo in The Bear represents how cooking means the world to him.

1 Carmy’s Flower Tattoo Seems To Honor Mikey In The Bear

A Forget-Me-Not

Carmy also has a flower tattoo on his left arm that seems to honor Mikey’s memory in The Bear. Although the flower could have a different meaning or interpretation, it looks like a forget-me-not, representing remembrance and his connection with his brother before he passed away. Family is one of the key themes in The Bear, and it’s Mikey’s death that brings Carmy back to Chicago and acts as a catalyst for events in the show. It would make sense that he has a tattoo to honor him.

The flower tattoo has immense sentimental significance for Carmy, showing how even though he was not around during Mikey’s final days, he hopes to cherish his memories.

If this symbolism holds, the flower tattoo has immense sentimental significance for Carmy, showing how even though he was not around during Mikey’s final days, he hopes to cherish his memories with him in The Bear and remember him for all the ways in which he looked out for the Berzatto family.

The Tattoos Add To The Realism Of The Bear

There is a stereotype that chefs often have skin covered in tattoos. That stereotype exists because those who work in kitchens do, often, have tattoos related to both their personal lives and their work. It’s been speculated that this might be the result of those people who couldn’t find jobs for companies that wouldn’t allow visible tattoos being able to work in the back of the house for restaurants.

Nuvo expressed this idea in a feature penned by Ayesha Habib. Habib interviewed chefs like David Zilber for the piece, and they noted that:

… the kitchen offers a space for artistic expression. It’s a space of heat, sweat, chaos, and ultimately, creation. A space as fraught with emotion and intensity as an artist’s studio.

It’s a marked commonality between both chefs and tattoo artists that there is a certain kind of precision involved in both types of work while there is also a large measure of creativity. Both types of work also involve a huge amount of training, long hours, and sometimes, thankless tasks.

Tattoos also allow chefs their own form of self-expression, telling a story on their skin that their dishes might not tell. They’re able to bring their individuality into a kitchen where every dish needs to meet the same standards and have the same level of care. Their tattoos allow them a way to stand out, but also a way to fit in, since such a large number of those working behind the scenes in the restaurant industry also have their own unique tattoos.

The book Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos explores this idea. Isaac Fitzgerald interviewed more than 60 chefs to find out just why they got tattoos and what their different tattoos mean. Interestingly, one of things Fitzgerald found is that chefs getting tattoos knew it could make it harder for them to find a more typical job, so getting a tattoo was a way for them to show their commitment to their kitchens.

Tattooed chefs aren’t the only realistic aspect of The Bear. The high-stress environment of the kitchen, the camaraderie of the staff, and even the lingo used in the show can all be pulled right out of a real restaurant.