The Consumption of Food in Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary
The Consumption of Food in
Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary
Since food is an essential part of one’s life, it is not surprising that we find frequent references to its consumption in novels of social realism, such as Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. Food in literature can be used to symbolise all sorts of things, but in particular it can represent the personality of a character. This is because certain aspects of a character reveal themselves in the personal choice of eating a particular kind of food, as well as in the milieu in which the meals take place. Since eating is often seen as a social event, the ambience of a meal and the manners of the diners contribute much to character revelation. More abstractly, in addition to giving insights into character, both Tolstoy and Flaubert use food to symbolise significant events or developments in the plot. Therefore, by analysing the representations of food we can gain insights into many of the ideas that the writers are trying to convey. This paper will compare the ways in which food is used for the above purposes in both novels.
Early in Anna Karenina we are shown the contrast in food tastes of Oblonsky and Levin. Oblonsky is portrayed as a cavalier character through his eating habits: we see that for the bon vivant Oblonsky nothing, not even serious discord with his wife at the time, would interfere with his enjoyment of food:
Having finished the paper, a second cup of coffee, and a roll and butter, he rose, shook a crumb or two from his waistcoat, and, expanding his broad chest, smiled happily, not because he felt particularly light-hearted—his happy smile was simply the result of a good digestion.
Furthermore, being a Russian aristocrat from the city, Oblonsky has a particularly refined taste for food and always seems able to make eating an enjoyable and a luxurious social experience. He likes eating exotic food merely for the titillating effect that it has on him:
Oblonsky was happy, too,
Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary
Since food is an essential part of one’s life, it is not surprising that we find frequent references to its consumption in novels of social realism, such as Anna Karenina and Madame Bovary. Food in literature can be used to symbolise all sorts of things, but in particular it can represent the personality of a character. This is because certain aspects of a character reveal themselves in the personal choice of eating a particular kind of food, as well as in the milieu in which the meals take place. Since eating is often seen as a social event, the ambience of a meal and the manners of the diners contribute much to character revelation. More abstractly, in addition to giving insights into character, both Tolstoy and Flaubert use food to symbolise significant events or developments in the plot. Therefore, by analysing the representations of food we can gain insights into many of the ideas that the writers are trying to convey. This paper will compare the ways in which food is used for the above purposes in both novels.
Early in Anna Karenina we are shown the contrast in food tastes of Oblonsky and Levin. Oblonsky is portrayed as a cavalier character through his eating habits: we see that for the bon vivant Oblonsky nothing, not even serious discord with his wife at the time, would interfere with his enjoyment of food:
Having finished the paper, a second cup of coffee, and a roll and butter, he rose, shook a crumb or two from his waistcoat, and, expanding his broad chest, smiled happily, not because he felt particularly light-hearted—his happy smile was simply the result of a good digestion.
Furthermore, being a Russian aristocrat from the city, Oblonsky has a particularly refined taste for food and always seems able to make eating an enjoyable and a luxurious social experience. He likes eating exotic food merely for the titillating effect that it has on him:
Oblonsky was happy, too,