Food in literature and cinema. Questions - Assignment Example

Food in the novel Madame Bovary. (Parts of the novel translated from French will be on your web page). Select ONE of these three questions:  a. Based on the article you read, "The Role of Food in Madame Bovary" give one example of one of the factors discussed: environmental, social indicator, characterization, source of imagery. This example must be found in the book and not in the article. “But it was above all at mealtimes that she could bear it no longer, in that little room on the ground floor, with the smoking stove, the creaking door, the oozing walls, the damp floor-tiles; all the bitterness of life seemed to be served to her on her plate, and, with the steam from the boiled beef, there rose from the depths of her soul other exhalations as it were of disgust. Charles was a slow eater; she would nibble a few hazel-nuts, or else, leaning on her elbow, would amuse herself making marks on the oilcloth with the point of her table-knife” (Flaubert 87) This particular quote from the novel in question helps to underscore the level and extent to which the meal in and of itself was far more than satiating a particular animal need for sustenance. In such a way, it is the social indicator of food and meal time that is the most troubling and horrifying to Madame Bovary within the above quote. Not wanting to have to deal with the annoying exhibitions of her fellow friends and family, she instead recluses towards hating the very idea of being “forced to eat” that is indicated above (87). 2. Discuss how the times of meals and the use of rooms in houses changed during Jane Austen’s times to reflect changes in English society. Changes in English society must first and foremost not be understood to be systemic. Rather, these changes, typified within Jane Austin’s novels reflect only one particular social strata; the extraordinarily rich. In much the same way that one cannot read the Great Gatsby and assume that the roaring twenties were typified by preeminently wealthy magnates, one cannot assume that the society of Austin’s time was typified by the habits of the wealthy. However, notwithstanding this, Austin indicates that meals during the period in question were shifted much later than they exhibited previously or have existed since. Breakfast was not served until after 10 AM and no lunch was taken as such. Instead, a light refreshment was usually taken late to mid-day which was then proceeded by a heavy final meal near around 9 PM. This shift in eating time indicated a society that was staying up later, partying more, and had a great deal more discretionary income as compared to the generations previously that had planned their mealtimes around the work day. 3. James Joyce returned to Ireland only twice and wrote about an Ireland that did not exist anymore. Discuss how his representation of food was used to create a nostalgic image of Ireland. One of the fundamental aspects of Joyce’s work that are presented at various junctures throughout his writing is the understanding that Ireland during his experience with it was far different from the Ireland of memory. As a means of hammering such an understanding home, Joyce goes into quite a bit of gruesome detail concerning the way that men within a particular bar are gorging themselves on the food before them. The actual gluttony that is witnessed is merely in the foreground of what Joyce is trying to relate. As a result of the socio-economic factors that have reshaped Ireland (due to the Potato Famine), the comparison between “new” Ireland and “old” Ireland is stark. The animalistic behavior of the individuals within the bar is just a further justification for the way in which a historic event has fundamentally shifted and entire people to behave in an altered way. 4. Discuss the function of etiquette and table manners in separating social classes in 19th Century England using examples from Charles Dickens’ novels. At the point in time in which Pip reaches out to Herbert as a means of helping him to become a gentleman, Herbert instructs Pip on the necessity of proper etiquette. As a function of this, Herbert launches into a long soliloquy regarding the dire importance of table manners and the need of practicing proper etiquette as a means of separating oneself from the more base or animal desires that are latent within humanity. However, as might be expected, Pip’s initial forays into the world of etiquette and table manners are an abysmal failure and Herbert ignominiously dubs him “Handel” due to his complete lack of prowess with etiquette and refinement. This is not meant to serve as derision or ridicule; rather, it is Herbert’s way of encouraging young Pip to lay aside his former habits and adopt new ones so that he could shed the image of the streets that ultimately held him back from any hopeful level of societal advancement. 5. In Woody Allen’s movies he associates food with sex in order to satirize 19th century Russian literature. Discuss how he does this. This is ultimately affected by juxtaposing food and the process of mealtime with the release of tension and/or a miniature denouement between characters as exhibited via the mechanism of sex elsewhere. Although this may seem as something of a comical sanitization, it has a profound level of power due to the fact that both food and sex are represented at the very baseline level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and as such can ultimately be substituted for one another with respect to a discussion of basic human needs that must be satisfied. Moreover, as a filmmaker/artist, Woody Allen is always on the look-out for a new and provocative way to cast basic human experience and emotion that each and every other film, book, poem, and/or musical has attempted to define over the past several hundred years. 7. How does Tolstoy use in the novel Ana Karanina food to represent the contrasts between the country and the city and between the upper class and the peasants? Though himself a vegetarian, Tolstoy was also something of a renaissance man of his time. This can be seen in a variety of his writings but is most indicated within his book Anna Karanina where a painstaking discussion of the differentials that exist between the educated and mannered city dwellers differ from those that dwell in the country side. For instance, Oblonsky regularly dines on succulent meals that are comprised of luxurious ingredients from around the world. The emphasis upon the finery and prestige that such a process engages helps to remove Oblonsky from the realm of reasoned society and presents him of something of an intellectual lightweight consumed in needless fineries of life. By comparison, Levin enjoys the simple yet ample food that the villagers rely upon; bread, potatoes, and salads. As a means of contrast, this simplicity helps to denote the character of Levin is far different from the haughty and epicurean nature that Oblonsky promotes within his own lifestyle and decision making structure. 8. How was food, cooking and the serving of food used in the 19th Century South and North to separate and to bring together social classes? Food and cooking have long had a profound impact with regards to the way in which individuals assume themselves to be a part of a particular culture or even ethnicity. Whereas language, race, national origin and other factors have powerful impacts upon the way that individuals see themselves as both part of and distinct from another group, cooking and the preparation of ceratin dishes can by no means by left out as unimportant. With regards to how this impacted upon the 19th century and the means by which North and South developed alongside yet separate from one another, key differentials in climate and social status must be noted. With regards to the gullah cultures that sprung up in and around the coastal regions of South Carolina and Georgia, these cultures leveraged a heavy reliance upon African cuisine as a means of separating themselves from the remainder of the society. However, the Cajun cooking that mixed African, French, and American influences was readily accepted, not only within Louisiana, but elsewhere throughout the country. Moreover, due to the fact that the United States is and was such a melting pot of different cultures and different immigrants from a variety of different nations, the impacts that each of these successive groups had on delineating the way in which cultures interacted with one another and saw each other as either separate or part of a larger whole. 9. How did picnics evolve in 19th century France and England? Whereas it may seem strange to the casual observer, the picnic was not always something that was an open possibility for each and every person of varying social class. In the modern era, nearly each and every individual is capable of packing a small bag or box and heading out into nature or to a local park in order to engage in what we have termed as “picnic”; however, the practice, as it existed prior to the 19th century was far different. Ultimately, picnics, in England and France, were massive outdoor feasts that were engaged in by the super wealthy. Food historians have referred to the earliest mention of a picnic being in the 13th century where English noblemen threw a very large hunting feast for friends and colleagues. In much the same what that the traditional interpretation of a formal dinner connotes a specific engagement that proper form and attire are required, the picnic was no different. However, a fundamental shift was seen beginning in the 19th century. Due to the fact that a greater level of overall wealth was being realized within the middle class and the breaking of many previously rigid social norms was being affected, this rapidly vocal and important middle class developed a process of “picnicking” that more resembles what is currently practiced within the United States and elsewhere. Without engaging in the pomp or the ceremony that was traditionally associated with such an engagement, the picnicking that came to be common within France and/or England during this time was completely and entirely a process of and for the people. In such a way, by challenging the convention and engaging in a process that they had previously been discouraged form, these individuals forever changed the culture and the face of picnics. Work Cited Flaubert, Gustave, and Rene? Schickele. Madame Bovary : Sitten der Provinz ; Roman. Zu?rich: Diogenes-Verl, 1980. Print. Read More