JUST DO EAT
IN literature, as in life, the relationship of women to food is complicated.
In many books, women are not shown to enjoy food. Beautiful women are supposed to be ethereal. The idea goes back to the 19th century, and classic Victorian fiction is full of such examples. In Charlotte Bronte's Villette, Ginevra's good appetite is considered a flaw of character. Idealized (and extremely annoying) Pauline is slim and is never shown to eat. The same goes for a list of classic heroines: Dorothea Brooke and Rosamond Vincy, Estella, Esther Summerson and Ada -- the list goes on.
Popular literature is equally bad. From chick lit to fantasy fiction, all the heroines are slim. Ana Steele from 50 Shades of Grey (my favorite book) is obsessed with controlling her weight, though Christian insists that she looks better with a few extra pounds.
To make matters worse, popular fiction is also full of diet advice, and heroines who become successful after they diet. Pages and pages of denial and food-related guilt.
Most, if not all the advertisements on weight loss, feature women. We are bombarded with unwanted advice on "how not to eat a lot in" just about everywhere, from the restaurant to Easter, to holiday to happy (or unhappy) ever after!
I don't agree with any of this. Food is beautiful, and we have a right to enjoy it. We have a right to enjoy our food, without being harassed or bullied by anyone!
The beauty of food is obvious in any book which deals with hunger. The girls in Little House on the Prairie always enjoy eating, because starvation is a real danger. In A Little Princess, food is almost magical in its ability to revive and make people happy. The same magic is given to food in Jane Eyre. As for Villette, chubby Ginevra is the most beautiful girl in the book and a much better character than the idealized Pauline!
A popular heroine who loves food is Rebecca Bloomwood in the first Shopaholic book. Also Eva Tramell from the Crossfire trilogy. Though I think the Crossfire trilogy is inferior to 50 Shades, I enjoy Eva's eating extravaganzas!
How wonderful! I've just discovered your Web log and I'm delighted that you have such a positive view of Ginevra Fanshawe! I agree completely that she is by far the most appealing character in Villette (possibly in Bronte's whole oeuvre), and I've always loved the fact that her uninhibited self-indulgence, which causes her figure to blossom, doesn't make her less attractive but *more* attractive. Even Lucy, who criticizes her on moral grounds, cannot deny her physical beauty, and her attempts to assert that Paulina is prettier fail utterly; one still perceives that the more opulent Ginevra is more gorgeous (and indeed the livelier, more convincing, more exciting character all around).
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see you write more about Ginevra, and about this character type in general.
Just out of curiosity, what do you think about Georgiana Reed, in Jane Eyre? She doesn't get enough book space devoted to her to make her portrait complete, but I've always sensed a kinship between these two characters (and both are much more appealing than the author likely intended, even though Georgiana's portrayal is, on the surface, meant to be more negative).
And incidentally, I don't know if you're inclined to write so-called fan fiction (as you may prefer authoring works with original characters), but I've always hoped to read fan fiction that might expand Ginevra's storyline, or Georgiana's, or both.