35 pages 1 hour read

Karen Blixen

Babette's Feast

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1958

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Essay Topics

1.

How does the contrast between Norway and Paris translate into the contrast between the sisters and Babette?

2.

Both Martine and Philippa have entanglements with men from outside Berlevaag, yet they do not discuss them with one another. What does their silence signify? Do they acknowledge and move past these matters by the end of the story? Use examples from the text to support your response.

3.

How does Karen Blixen’s religious upbringing inform the religious beliefs of her characters? Does the story criticize or praise the sisters’ way of life? Use examples from the text to support your response.