Sixty-five years ago, in Norway, in a small town called Berlevaag, nested at the foot of tall mountains overlooking a fjord, two elderly ladies lived in one small house. They were called Martine and Philippa, christened after Martin Luther and his friend Philip Melanchton. Their old father was a Dean, who was the leader of a small Lutheran religious sect. Dean brought up his two daughters in a puritanical lifestyle, who had never possessed anything fashionable, and dressed themselves in demure garments. They were also expected not to marry, as they would have to lead the religious sect with avid followers in the small town, after the demise of their father. Since the death of their father, Martine and Phillipa have been continuing the legacy by running the church services duly. Thus, several years have passed, and now the aged churchgoers of the community are bickering over past wrongs.
Both the sisters were extremely beautiful in their youth, despite dressing demurely, and Martine had an admirer when she was eighteen – a young lieutenant Lorens Loewenhielm. He would often visit the Dean so that he could see Martine, but he could never express his feelings to his ladylove. Also, Loewenhielm would feel insignificant whenever he was in front of Martine. On his last visit, he boldly kissed her goodbye, vowing never to return, looking forward to be a military leader to overcome his lack of self-esteem.
Next year, as Philippa turned eighteen, a French singer Achille Papin wanted her to take her to Paris, being confident that she would make an excellent soprano singer. The Dean permitted Papin to teach Philippa about opera music. One day, during the musical lessons, Papin kissed Philippa, thus losing her, who did not want to have further contacts with Papin.
Fifteen years later, a haggard-looking woman called Babette Hersant, “a friendless fugitive”, carried a letter of Papin. Babette had left Paris forever, which was at that time raged with Civil War and Communards were either fleeing the country or being imprisoned or executed. Accordingly, Babette was looking for a new life somewhere else, hoping that the two sisters would appoint her as the maid-of-all-work. At first, the two sisters had distrusted Monsieur Papin’s assertion that Babette was a good cook, owing to their misconception that in France “people ate frogs”. Nevertheless, Babette cooked a split cod and an ale-and-bread-soup as good as anyone in Norway. The idea of French extravagance and luxury alarmed the Puritanical daughters of the Dean, and they were also dismayed at Babette being a Catholic and speaking only French. However, things gradually got better, and “the world outside the yellow house also came to acknowledge Babette’s excellence”. Despite her broken Norwegian, she would beat down the prices of the flintiest tradesperson of the town. However, as the sisters’ affection for Babette kept growing, they also discovered that there is much about their maid that they do not know, and the French lady has some sad secrets from the past.
Babette was fond of playing the French lottery by mail. It was the hundredth anniversary of the Dean, and the sisters were planning for a celebration – meanwhile, Babette won a ten-thousand-franc prize. Babette proposed that she would offer the two sisters as well as the distinguished guests a gala meal – a real French dinner – on occasion of the hundredth birthday of the Dean. At first, Martine and Philippa felt nervous, unsure about what foods were going to be served to the guests. Nevertheless, as Babette generously wanted to host the feast, the two sisters agreed.
The Frenchwoman takes leave for ten days to make arrangements for the feast, and upon returning, brings strange and unique items and ingredients, including a large turtle. Martine and Philippa are quite anxious, not only because the foreign dishes may not suit the taste of their guests, but also for the reason that indulging in such delicacies would mean the sin of sensuous luxury. The sisters and the guests agree to dine, because refusing the meal would be unkind to Babette, but they also plan not to seek any pleasure from the food.
Meanwhile, Martine’s former lover Mr. Loewenhielm is now a noted general, who comes to the party as a guest of his aunt. Unaware of the plan made by the congregation regarding foregoing pleasures, and being a man of the world who has been in Paris for a long time, he praises highly about the extraordinary meal, comparing it to something he has tasted long before at Café Anglais in Paris. Babette’s feast thus frees the community from old wrongs and superstitions – old lovers are united, and the spirit of humanity is redeemed.
Martine and Philippa assume that Babette will now return to Paris, who discloses that she will not go anywhere because she has spent all her money. She also reveals that she has been the prime chef at Café Anglais, and the dinner she has served would have cost ten thousand francs there. The sisters are in tears, as Martine says that Babette is going to be poor for the rest of her life. However, Babette replies that an artist is never poor. To this, Martine blesses her saying that in paradise she would be a great artist, and would enchant the angels.
