Food and Literature??
There are many things worth analyzing in the world; sports, cars, politics, even food. Not only can they be analyzed on separate view points, but also combined, rather it be cars and women, food and culture, politics and medicine, they're comparable. Yet, when it comes to food the term literature rarely comes to mind, at least from a comparable stand point. Sure, people think of food and literature in terms of cook books and Betty Crocker Magazine, but hardly ever in a way to assist in analyzing context. I for one like to break boundaries and so I did....again.
My example being "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, the story in which a Headless Horseman haunts the small land of Tarry Town and it's teacher Ichabod Crane. However, have you ever truly taken a in depth look at how Irving describes his characters mentality and physically?? Because I have and I want to share it with you!! Yes, I'm hyper, but moving on to my point Irving uses food in a way rarely scene in literature. He uses it as a tool to paint a more clearer and detailed image of his creation to allow all to understand.
During the story, there are many examples of this, for a variety of purposes. The first is to describe the main character of the story Ichabod Crane and his desire to become much more than a lowly school teacher. Which, if you read "Food as Culture" by Massimo Montanari he discusses food association to rank in the late centuries, but during the 19th and 20th centuries a switch happened where even those of low rank would eat more and become plump to show desire of higher rank. This is the embodiment of Ichabod, for two reasons first is the story takes place between those to centuries. Secondly, while he was visiting the farm of his wishful love Katrina Van Tessel, he began to imagine all of the live stock becoming meals and making his mouth water with greed. Yet, Irving also uses food and food language such as "plump, ripe and melting" and comparing her to her father's peaches to give life to the beauty and over all rank of Katrina. On a side note if you've ever seen the movies notice that Katrina's father always has a belly, that is because in the main ideal of that character is to represent a dying breed, someone who holds true to old tradition of being fat if of importance.
Food can be used for many things, even to give life to stories. Irving was a true genius to use this such an overlooked tool and do so with such effectiveness. Many author's will use a large meal scene to add some type of emotional response for us readers, but to use it as a stepping block to define identities and desires is a true gift.
Thank's for reading!!!
The Clutch
My example being "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" by Washington Irving, the story in which a Headless Horseman haunts the small land of Tarry Town and it's teacher Ichabod Crane. However, have you ever truly taken a in depth look at how Irving describes his characters mentality and physically?? Because I have and I want to share it with you!! Yes, I'm hyper, but moving on to my point Irving uses food in a way rarely scene in literature. He uses it as a tool to paint a more clearer and detailed image of his creation to allow all to understand.
During the story, there are many examples of this, for a variety of purposes. The first is to describe the main character of the story Ichabod Crane and his desire to become much more than a lowly school teacher. Which, if you read "Food as Culture" by Massimo Montanari he discusses food association to rank in the late centuries, but during the 19th and 20th centuries a switch happened where even those of low rank would eat more and become plump to show desire of higher rank. This is the embodiment of Ichabod, for two reasons first is the story takes place between those to centuries. Secondly, while he was visiting the farm of his wishful love Katrina Van Tessel, he began to imagine all of the live stock becoming meals and making his mouth water with greed. Yet, Irving also uses food and food language such as "plump, ripe and melting" and comparing her to her father's peaches to give life to the beauty and over all rank of Katrina. On a side note if you've ever seen the movies notice that Katrina's father always has a belly, that is because in the main ideal of that character is to represent a dying breed, someone who holds true to old tradition of being fat if of importance.
Food can be used for many things, even to give life to stories. Irving was a true genius to use this such an overlooked tool and do so with such effectiveness. Many author's will use a large meal scene to add some type of emotional response for us readers, but to use it as a stepping block to define identities and desires is a true gift.
Thank's for reading!!!
The Clutch