The Symbolism of Food and Food Consumption in Middle English Romances

The Symbolism of Food and Food Consumption in Middle English Romances traces depictions of food as a marker of identity in multiple sub-genres of Middle English romance, from the penitential romance Sir Gowther to the humorous Sir Perceval of Galles. In these romances, eating practices frequently contribute to major plot points, and character development is often achieved at the table. The specifics of diet, manners, and hospitality serve as markers of a character’s status and the terms of their relationships. Identity formation is a core concern of medieval romances of every type; typical quests require protagonists to overcome multifaceted challenges, and the manner of their success or failure determines their reputation and fosters self-knowledge. In this study, I make use of Caroline Walker Bynum’s conceptual framework for understanding identity. In this framework, a character’s “identity” is constituted of both the “personal identity,” the combinations of qualities and experiences that make a person a distinct, unique individual, and the “identity position,” which signals membership in group(s) based on biological or social factors such as class, race, religion, sex, or occupation. The formation and performance of identity in these romances is intertwined with the mundane bodily act of obtaining and eating food.To establish the function of food in defining social, political and religious status, I examine nine Middle English romances in which the protagonists’ eating practices and decisions are integral to the plot: Sir Gowther, Sir Isumbras, Robert of Cisyle, Havelok the Dane, Ywain and Gawain, Sir Cleges, The Sultan of Babylon, Perceval of Galles, and King Edward and the Shepherd. In these romances, food appears as an inseparable component of both pride and penitence, a status marker in political games, a paradoxical center for violence and miracle, and a source of humor when conflicting table manners stand in for real social conflict. When romance characters undergo significant personal changes, food frequently becomes an important symbolic marker of identity in flux. Depictions of food can portend, reflect and effect shifts in status. Often, food becomes the vehicle by which the protagonist is transformed and restored. When the identity of a character is in question, the presence of food in the text can both facilitate changes in status and signal when characters have reached a stable position. The following chapters establish how food symbolism builds identity by revealing character qualities and social status in these texts: Chapter 1: Setting the Table, Chapter 2: Penitential Food Practices, Chapter 3: Protagonist, Feed Thyself, Chapter 4: Miracle or Death? Negotiating with Food, Chapter 5: Laughter at the Table, Chapter 6: Conclusion. Together, they add a necessary new dimension to existing scholarship on the representation and development of identity in romances.Medieval literatureMedieval historychivalry, eating practices, food, identity, Medieval romance, penanceEnglish Language and LiteratureDegree Awarded: Ph.D. English Language and Literature. The Catholic University of Americ