Hunger Banquet

Tyler LaFollette
Global Health
Hunger Banquet
10/15/14
Hunger Banquet Paper
In the Hunger Banquet, there were three groups people were placed in which were the lower income class, middle income class, and the high income class. I was placed in the high income class. Out of everyone who attended the banquet, there were only 5 people who got to be in the high income class. After being placed into my class, everyone was assigned a situation. For my situation, I was a 40 year old women who lived in India. I was from a very wealthy family and was very wealthy myself. My husband was a business man and I was a doctor. We lived in a huge mansion with servants working for us. I also had 3 children who were all teenagers. They all went to private schools in India and wanted to go to America to go to college to get the best education there was. We had plenty of money so that was very likely for the children.
After being placed in our classes, different meals were served depending on what class you were placed in. Our meal consisted of sitting at a very fancy table. The table had very nice silverware, cups, plates, glasses, with flowers and candles placed in the center of the table. The meal started off with servers coming around the table pouring us a glass of ice water and a glass of sweet iced tea. Then the servers came around placing butter on a side dish for the rolls that were yet to come. Once they brought us rolls in a basket, then proceeded to bring us a very well prepared garden salad. After they saw we were done with the salad, they picked up our plates, and then refilled our drinks. Then the servers brought out our main course which consisted of small roasted potatoes, a piece of grilled chicken with a breadcrumb coat which was very tasty, also served with a side of asparagus. After we were eating our main course, they served us a huge piece of cake and a hot cup of coffee. Our whole meal lasted throughout the whole banquet whereas the others who weren’t in the high income class meal only lasted them 5 minutes at most.
There was a huge difference between the high income class meal and the middle and low income meals. The high income class had a 3 course meal whereas middle and low class only had a one course meal. The middle class had plastic bowls filled with rice and beans. The meal also was served with a spoon to eat the food with. For the low class, the meal consisted of just rice served in a Styrofoam bowl and no utensil to eat the rice with. People had to break off part of their bowl to use as a spoon to eat the rice or they just used their hands.
I was very satisfied with my meal. One reason is because I was served the whole time and didn’t have to get up to get my food. Everything was perfect about the food. The rolls were hot and soft. The salad was very fresh with tons of vegetables and the perfect amount of dressing. The chicken had great flavor, the potatoes were cooked to perfection, and the asparagus had great taste as well. The cake had fruit around it making all the flavors come together in a great way.
This experience remained with me for a couple of days. I felt kind of bad for being one of the five people to be in high class and have such a great meal. After leaving the banquet, I felt like I was above everyone else. Like I have more power over the individuals who were in the middle and lower class. After thinking about the experience for a while, I realized this is how it is for people in the real world and the people who have that great meal everyday like I did never think about it twice. They probably never feel bad or awkward eating a lot better food than those who are less fortunate.
If I was to eat like I did in the banquet every day, I probably would be very healthy. The food wasn’t horrible for you unless you ate more of one thing than the other, like more rolls, potatoes, and eat all of the cake every time. But overall, the meal I received was more on the healthy side. The only bad thing that could catch up with you is the cake. The meal had everything you need in one, carbs, vegetables, protein, and more.
The way I felt about the other people in the other classes was very different than what I was expecting to feel. After seeing what I was eating compared to everyone else made me feel horrible. I felt sad for the others, embarrassed I was eating so well, and disgusted I was eating so much. All I could think to my self was why do I deserve to eat this great meal and everyone else gets to have pretty much nothing. I would feel the same as if this was a real life situation. There is no reason people have to suffer, eating the bare minimum every day when I could have shared a majority of my meal and still feel satisfied with what I ate. If I was making that much money to have butlers and servers in my own house, I would be sure to donate something to help out those in need. Anything would make a difference, especially to those who are trying to get through the day with just a spoon full of rice.
Before the Hunger Banquet, I thought my feelings towards those less fortunate than me would be so strong but once I attended the banquet I realized I was very wrong. I felt so sad that people didn’t get to eat like I did during the banquet. These feelings especially go towards the people in the low income class that were sitting on the floor, eating rice with their hands. I wish we were ask to share or the choice or sharing was up to us five in the high class group. I would have given out my whole meal or traded places with someone. These feelings I had were both for the participants of the banquet and people in real life that go through that on a daily basis. Knowing that people eat like the middle and low income class do every day opened up my eyes a lot. It made me want to help any way I could to just see someone eat more and have things they never thought they would have.
A few things could have been done by the Hunger Banquet participants to help those in less fortunate groups. One major thing that could have been done is giving people the choice of sharing. Like I said before, if I was given the choice to share, I would have spilt my meal up and handed out to as many people as I could in the lower classes. Another thing they could of done is asking if anyone wanted to trade places with someone in the less fortunate groups. Again, I would have been the one to give someone who was less fortunate than me and opportunity to experience what I would have been able to experience.
There are two things that I think I could do the help out the hungry in the United States and in the world at large. The first thing I believe I could do is go volunteer at a food bank a few times a year to help out those in need within the United States. Another thing I could do is donate any spare change I have to different organizations that help out with people in the country and people all over the world.
After experiences this banquet, my feelings and emotions towards those who are less fortunate have changed a lot. I have such a better understanding about what people go through every day. It sad and sickening to know that people have to suffer when there is others out there with more than they know what to do with and aren’t even willing to help by simply donating a dollar or a canned good. The Hunger banquet has also changed my mind about donating. Whenever I would see organizations asking for any type of donate to help those in need, I would always just walk right by them and would never think twice about it. I would continue walking even if I had spare change in my pocket that I would never use. I could have just donated that because it would help. Now when I see that, or get asked to donate, I always figure out a way to provide something so I know I at least helped out. Because now I know that something so small could go a long way for people who are in need.
Other than realizing how lucky I am from experiencing the Hunger banquet, I have seen what donating can do to people that are in the less fortunate. Providing food, or even a dollar can buy an abundance of food that could help many of individuals. Doing whatever you can to help out can go a long way. I always have heard that saying but now I know it’s true.