Essay Questions

Why does Babette decide to throw such a lavish, opulent feast for her hosts despite knowing how averse they are to extravagance?

Despite Babette’s past and vast knowledge of haute cuisine there was no pretense in her motives nor was there arrogance, her primary objective for organizing and preparing such a luxurious feast for her hosts was to express her gratitude for the geniality they showed her when she literally had nothing and knew no one. Being a chef of no mean skill it was only natural for her to make use of her experience and talents as it was, in a very literal sense, the only thing she really knew how to do. It also shows her knowledge of how food has the power to bring a community together.

What is the significance of the color yellow in the narrative?

The color yellow is a recurring motif in the novel. The sisters Martine and Filippa live in a house with a yellow roof and Babette is immediately drawn to it being such a bright color. Yellow is a color associated with warmth, cheer, and positivity, characteristics that the sisters—despite the austerity that their father espoused—practically radiated. Yellow is also a particularly bright color and it is often used primarily to draw attention to things, hence its use in warning signs. The color may be treated as a visual metaphor for the sisters as well as their great beauty draws many admirers to them.

How is the theme of religious piety tackled in the narrative?

Religious piety is presented in a sardonic light. It is not presented as a positive social force that brings unity and order but as a stifling, divisive element that keeps beauty suppressed and causes people to live highly insular lives. Case in point, the Dean and his children. He is the leader of their sect and even when he is gone his influence on his daughters remain and as such they eschew suitors and keep to themselves most of the time with the exception of the times when they attend to the poor of their community.