Babette's Feast By Isak Dinesen

Art has a tremendous impact upon everyone’s lives. Whether that art is literary, visual, or of any other medium, art finds its way into the hearts and minds of all humans. Many not only are impacted by art but also have a strong desire to create art. This desire leads to the music, television, and other art forms that permeate cultures around the world. Isak Dinesen writes about these artists in her collection of short stories called Anecdotes of Destiny. These fairytale-esque stories are saturated with themes of artists, but perhaps not in the most conventional sense. The artists that Dinesen illustrate grave mistakes that people make when trying to fill their lives with art. Ultimately, these tales teach readers about control, respect, and focus in regard to the calling of the artist. At first glance, however, the messages contained in these stories may not be evident. One such …show more content…
Babette is a servant from France in a rich family’s household, but when she comes into some money, she chooses to spend it on a feast for her employers. This is her art form. She spends months preparing a beautiful, decadent meal. When asked why she does not prepare meals like this in Paris, she replies that she can no longer please the people of her home. They do not carry with them the respect for her art form that the previous generation had. They no longer value the care and effort it takes to create her masterpieces. She explains, “It is terrible and unbearable to an artist to be encouraged to do, to be applauded for doing, his second best. Through all the world there goes one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me leave to do my utmost.” (Dinesen 59) Through Babette, Dinesen instructs readers of the importance of respect not only for all forms of art, but also for the highest quality