Food in the Novels of Joseph Conrad : Eating As Narrative

This book is about the role of food in the works of Joseph Conrad, analysing the social, political and anthropological context of references to meals, eating, food production and cannibalism. It offers a new perspective on the works of Joseph Conrad and provides an accessible medium through which readers can engage with the complex theories and philosophical dilemmas that Conrad presents in his fiction. This is the only major study of food in Conrad’s works; it is unique in its interdisciplinary approach to food in that it engages with sociological, political, historical, personal and literary perspectives, thus providing a multi-dimensional approach to cultural, revolutionary, periodical and fictional representations of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This in turn, allows an interrogation of modern anxieties, embedded in cultural norms and values that can be interpreted through the way that food is prepared and eaten. Foreword 6 Preface 8 Contents 10 Abbreviations 11 Chapter 1 Introduction 12 Abstract 12 I 12 II 16 III 19 IV 24 References 27 Chapter 2 Historical Context 1890 to 1920 29 Abstract 29 Meat 33 Food in the Merchant and Royal Navies 35 Sugar 38 Fruit and Vegetables 39 Rice 40 Cereals 43 Fish and Chips 44 Vegetarianism 45 Restaurants 46 Food and Revolution 49 References 53 Chapter 3 Food as Cultural Narrative in Almayer’s Folly 56 Abstract 56 References 75 Chapter 4 Cannibalism and ‘Falk: A Reminiscence’ 76 Abstract 76 Cannibalism and the Savage Other 77 ‘Falk’ and Cannibalism at Sea 80 Falk and the Greely Arctic Expedition 83 References 89 Chapter 5 Anarchy, Vegetarianism and The Secret Agent 91 Abstract 91 References 103 Chapter 6 Bread and Liberty in Under Western Eyes 105 Abstract 105 Conrad’s Epigraph 108 Bread in Russian Culture and Religion 110 Food and Russian Politics 111 Rousseau’s ‘Tiny Crumb of Earth’ 115 A Hungry Mother Russia 118 References 123 Chapter 7 Conclusion 125 Abstract 125 References 128 Index 129 Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Introduction....Pages 1-17 Historical Context 1890 to 1920....Pages 19-45 Food as Cultural Narrative in Almayer’s Folly ....Pages 47-66 Cannibalism and ‘Falk: A Reminiscence’....Pages 67-81 Anarchy, Vegetarianism and The Secret Agent ....Pages 83-96 Bread and Liberty in Under Western Eyes ....Pages 97-116 Conclusion....Pages 117-120 Back Matter....Pages 121-127 Kim Salmons. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.