Babette's Feast

The story emphasizes the need for both physical and spiritual nourishment, which the text defines as intertwined rather than opposed to one another. Karen Blixen proposes that it is not good to focus solely on earthly things, as Loewenhielm tries to do in his youth, nor does it help to reject all the pleasures of life, as do the Brothers and Sisters. At first, physical and spiritual nourishment do seem to be at odds with each other; Papin and Loewenhielm, both of whom have experienced fame, wealth, and the finest Parisian cuisine, conclude that these things are meaningless compared to spiritual purity. The Dean, his daughters, and their community reinforce this belief by avoiding worldly pleasures in the first place, believing that they will lead them astray from God. Notably, both groups lack spiritual fulfilment, showing that the either-or approach to physical versus spiritual nourishment does not lead to happiness.

Babette bridges the two extremes. When she enters the community, the townspeople feel uplifted: “They found that troubles and cares had been conjured away from their existence” (16). She maintains their ascetic lifestyle even better than they do, cooking simple food, keeping an economical household, and allowing the sisters to focus their time and resources on charity.