Babette's Feast

Much of Simone Weil’s writing dealt with the ways in which G-d touches our lives, and the ways we can open ourselves to him. If Simone Weil could draw you a picture map on the way to finding G-d it would start at the basin of a pyramid. Finding the path to the direct love of G-d begins with one of three indirect forms of love: love of beauty of nature, love of neighbor, and love of religious practices. The soul can find the path to the love of G-d by going through any one of these indirect forms. The three indirect forms introduced by Weil were more clearly established within the short story film, “Babette’s Feast.” Through the characters of the movie it is better understood how people can use love to establish a more direct connection with G-d.

Simone Weil’s writings are complex. In referring to nature’s beauty she says all things which make up matter are not beautiful when they simply obey man, but only when matter obeys G-d. For example she wrote, “The Sea is not less beautiful in

The characters of “Babette’s Feast” sadly never really thought for themselves. They grew up with such an instilled fear of G-d that they felt if they ever broke from their traditions they would go straight to Hell. Babette and the villagers came from two completely different worlds. Differentiation and non-traditional acts were common in Babette’s eyes. However, the villagers had been doing to same exact things over and over for years and years. Babette’s feast helped the villagers understand and overcome their differences. During dinner the General commented frequently about the wonderful food. His comments assured the villagers that food would not kill them and send them to Hell. The introduction of strange upper class French food was indeed foreign to the villagers. Before the feast the two sisters sneaked in the kitchen to view the foods being prepared for them. Each were equally afraid of what they saw. The two sisters had never before eaten a pig’s head, small birds, turtle soup, or wine. To kill a living thing for food was very shocking to the villagers. In a hast the sisters made a pact with the villagers to not speak a word about the food. The introduction of such food scared the sisters and they believed Babette was a witch who was going to send them to Hell. Fortunately for the sisters they were wrong. Babette was not a witch but an artist. She felt that it was an artist’s heart that is filled with the miracle of making people happy. Babette used the food she created as material to make people happy again, but before the feast the villagers only thought of food as a tool to live. That night the feast showed that it is possible that being too faithful to one’s religion can make our horizons narrow and even make us unhappy. But even those people who do not believe in the same religion or religious practices can still make us truly happy, if they love us.

Art seemed almost scarce in the movie Babette’s Feast. Any art shown from within the village was that of spiritual guides or other religious figures. Following behind in Weil’s beliefs the people in the village did not seem to be too motivated or into the creation of art. Babette was an artist in the film. As one of the head culinary chefs from France Babette was exiled from the country. Babette traveled to the coast where the two sisters resided. Upon her arrival she requested the chance to become a paid servant for them. Since they could not afford her services she decided to do the exchange for free. Babette served them well for a

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