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Essay / Healing humanity and other recipes
Pope Francis said: “He – Jesus – does not stand at a safe distance and does not act by delegating, but puts himself in direct contact with our contagion”. In this quote, Pope Francis notes how Jesus directly and selflessly involves himself in earthly turmoil. Many literary figures are an example of this, for example Babette from Babette's Feast by Karen Blixen. In this story, Babette demonstrates a selfless act of healing by sacrificing all of her money, ten thousand francs, to prepare a dinner for the community. However, it provides more than just a meal; it restores harmony to the community. The town of Berlevaag feels that “discord and dissension are surfacing” since the death of its dean. Members of this religious sect only remember and focus on the wrongdoings of others. Babette brings the community together through her dinner in many ways. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayFirst, the idea of a French dinner brings the townspeople together in a state of panic. Second, the dinner itself was an opportunity for conversation and forgiveness for a city that had become “somewhat quarrelsome and quarrelsome.” As the evening progresses, the participants realize that it is an evening they will never forget. Therefore, Babette's Dinner healed the community by uniting them in fear, opening a dialogue, and creating a lasting memory. The sisters and Babette have very different ideas of what a French dinner is. In fact, “the idea of luxury and French extravagance then alarmed and dismayed the daughters of the deans”. The sisters assume the dinner will be a modest occasion, as their lifestyle suggests. However, Babette intends for it to be a “love story”. This scares the sisters because they are incredibly resistant to change. For example, when everyone was younger, they had the option to leave their lives and start a completely different one. The entire city shares this trait of resistance; they almost let Babette live with them because she is a foreigner. Yet once they did, the benefits were immediate. “The old brothers and sisters, who had initially looked askance at the strange woman among them, sensed a happy change in the lives of their little sisters, rejoiced and benefited from it. » The sisters are shocked and confused when they realize Babette will be bringing goods from outside their town, wondering "But what goods Babette?". Meanwhile, wine barrels, a turtle and other foreign objects enter the kitchen. Martine shares her fears about these ingredients with her brothers and sisters. The group vows not to talk about the food they will be served. Even though there is much discord within the community, they manage to come together to find a common solution. Therefore, Babette's ornate French dinner unties the frightened townspeople. The dinner sparks conversation among the townspeople, allowing them to be open and speak freely about their qualms. “Usually in Berlevaag people didn't talk much while they ate. But somehow, tonight, tongues were loosened. The conversation around the table is light, cheerful and focused on something other than the meal they are eating. The guests disrupt their relationships with each other; Conflicts are resolved, debts canceled and love renewed. For example, two women who were arguing talk about their childhoods in the city, brothers admit to being wrong and then forgive each other, and old lovers forgive each other.