Saturday, May 29, 2010
Reactions on research
My experience with the research paper was ok, not too frustrating as I have used the library resource center before. I refreshed my skills on how to look up articles and books for this class. The kind of research I did before was for a different class but overall it’s the same principle. I have to say the most useful link is the EBSCO, which helps you find journals, articles and has full text too. Another one that is very helpful is JSTOR; I found most of my articles there. After sharing information with my classmates I was able to look for articles better and what kind of material to look for. One of my classmates also reminded me of the Google book research, which helps you by letting you look into the book and be able to read the introduction.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Babette's Feast Short Friday
In Babette’s Feast by Isak Dinesen and Short Friday by Isaac Bashevis Singer we find more similarities than differences. In one the story of two sisters whose lives were highly attached to their father’s Lutheran religion and in Short Friday the story of a Jewish couple who despite being old hoped base on religion to conceive children. Both stories are connected to food, and although their perception of food is different, at the end both clearly give us a unique taste of the traditions behind them.
In Short Friday we find the story of Shmul-Leibele and his wife Shoshe. Shmul-Leibele was a half tailor and half furrier whose work was not the best in town, he barely could make a living out of his business but whose moral standards were so high that he used the best materials to fix clothes and shoes. He was so devoted to his religion that he will follow every conduct to the best of his abilities. He was always worshiping and adoring his wife. To him Shoshe was the best and he took pride in praising her for the meals and the care she had for him. Shoshe also loved her husband despite the fact that he couldn’t have children; she stayed by him because she knew how much he loved her. The whole story revolves around Sabbath and the meal she prepared for them as the short Friday came upon. On that day he didn’t work and went to the study house to pray. After coming home they both followed their prayers and ate the Sabbath’s meal. They both indulged in food and following dinner had an intense sex encounter, for which Shmul-Leibele thought he was committing a sin, he did not care and made love to his wife in terms on great passion, something forbidding by his religion. On that day after they have committed two sins, they woke up unable to move and realized they have both died, funny despite being worried about what just had happened they end up going straight to heaven.
In Babette’s Feast, we had the two sisters whose father decided to keep untouched and to his service until the end of his days. These two girls were beautiful in their youth and both have had the opportunity to have been marry and have a family of their own, but in both occasions her father put and ending to their encounters and made them almost as virgins in his church. Philippa and Martine grew to be the heads of their church long after her father had died and were very resilient to change until Madame Babette came to their lives. This lady whose job was to serve as a cook for them was a great chef from Paris but who had not told anyone who she was. It was until she won the lottery that she decided to ask the ladies for permission to cook a special dinner for them, and the congregation on her father’s name. She spent all her money on the feast, which she arranged to have all ingredients shipped from Paris. The food was fantastic and because General Loewenhielm was familiar with Paris and a great restaurant he had once dine at, he was able to tell the famous cook was present at the house. The famous women at Café Anglais. It came out to be Babette.
In this two stories we see how religion has a very profound interaction in the main characters lives and also how the notion of being in heaven was expressed. In Short Friday it was noted at the end, when despite their minor sins both husband and wife go to heaven and in Babette’s Feast, the quote when Philippa told Babette “ in paradise you will be the great artist that God meant you to be”.
In Short Friday we find the story of Shmul-Leibele and his wife Shoshe. Shmul-Leibele was a half tailor and half furrier whose work was not the best in town, he barely could make a living out of his business but whose moral standards were so high that he used the best materials to fix clothes and shoes. He was so devoted to his religion that he will follow every conduct to the best of his abilities. He was always worshiping and adoring his wife. To him Shoshe was the best and he took pride in praising her for the meals and the care she had for him. Shoshe also loved her husband despite the fact that he couldn’t have children; she stayed by him because she knew how much he loved her. The whole story revolves around Sabbath and the meal she prepared for them as the short Friday came upon. On that day he didn’t work and went to the study house to pray. After coming home they both followed their prayers and ate the Sabbath’s meal. They both indulged in food and following dinner had an intense sex encounter, for which Shmul-Leibele thought he was committing a sin, he did not care and made love to his wife in terms on great passion, something forbidding by his religion. On that day after they have committed two sins, they woke up unable to move and realized they have both died, funny despite being worried about what just had happened they end up going straight to heaven.
In Babette’s Feast, we had the two sisters whose father decided to keep untouched and to his service until the end of his days. These two girls were beautiful in their youth and both have had the opportunity to have been marry and have a family of their own, but in both occasions her father put and ending to their encounters and made them almost as virgins in his church. Philippa and Martine grew to be the heads of their church long after her father had died and were very resilient to change until Madame Babette came to their lives. This lady whose job was to serve as a cook for them was a great chef from Paris but who had not told anyone who she was. It was until she won the lottery that she decided to ask the ladies for permission to cook a special dinner for them, and the congregation on her father’s name. She spent all her money on the feast, which she arranged to have all ingredients shipped from Paris. The food was fantastic and because General Loewenhielm was familiar with Paris and a great restaurant he had once dine at, he was able to tell the famous cook was present at the house. The famous women at Café Anglais. It came out to be Babette.
In this two stories we see how religion has a very profound interaction in the main characters lives and also how the notion of being in heaven was expressed. In Short Friday it was noted at the end, when despite their minor sins both husband and wife go to heaven and in Babette’s Feast, the quote when Philippa told Babette “ in paradise you will be the great artist that God meant you to be”.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
