Babette’s Feast

Babette's Feast: Short story by Isak DinesenThe major theme of this story by Isak Dinesen (aka Karen Blixen) is the transformative power of food. The lives of two aging Danish sisters, eight members of a dying religious sect, and a disillusioned French army general change when the sister’s maid, a refugee French revolutionary, wins the lottery and uses her winnings to prepare them a special meal. The meal brings the diners grace, forgiveness and the understanding that it is not sinful to enjoy life’s pleasures. The maid experiences a reinvigoration of her creative genius. Other themes include religious devotion, love, art and artistry, frugality, sacrifice, redemption.

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