I'm a Disney nut! I love Disney movies and I LOVE Disneyland. One of my favorite Disney animated features is 101 Dalmations. This is the story of 2 dogs, Perdita and Pongo, their children (puppies), and their struggle against the evil Cruella DeVil. When the puppies are born the runt of the litter is thought to be dead, but with a little massage--and luck--the puppy survives and is named Lucky. Well. Lucky has a lot of catching up to do so he eats constantly and all through the movie repeats the line "I'm hungry mother, really I am."
Whenever I reread Rappoport’s introduction about the impact that food has on our lives I’m particularly struck by his images of starvation and the Holocaust. He writes that “[w]ithout an adequate diet, a person’s behavior deteriorates to a primal level, and basic dimensions of human dignity may be lost” (16). I’m not sure that I agree with him. I’ve read innumerable stories of people behaving nobly and even heroically in dire circumstances; stories of people who didn’t lose their dignity in the face of an absence of food. And I wonder “how would I react if I were starving, or if my children or grandchildren were starving? I really can’t say. I’ve never even been remotely hungry. I sometimes think that I’m hungry (especially about 5:00 p.m. on fast Sunday) but I’ve never known what it is like to be truly starved and to have no idea where my next meal is coming from.
There is such an abundance of food all around me. Today in class we talked about our favorite foods, and our favorite restaurants. I walk into the grocery store and find myself surrounded by so much food that I have a hard time deciding what to buy. I can’t even stop to fuel my car without being inundated by culinary choices. My refrigerator is full, my cupboards stocked. When I’m on top of things--and listening to the advice of my church leaders--my storage shelves are packed (I’d better go downstairs and check on that, I’d hate to be unprepared). Can I even understand what it means to be hungry? How would (or –Heaven forbid—will) I act when that day comes? Will I retain my dignity? Or will I deteriorate to a primal level? Will I?
2 comments:
That statement by Rappoport was one that really peaked my interest as well. When I read that statement I didn't whether or not to believe him. I think that he is partly correct and partly wrong. I think his point is invalid because humans are all so different so it would be a gross oversimplification to say that all people would degenerate into a primal state. I believe that humans are all very different, and when put into different situations I believe that they would react differently. I also asked my self the question of, "What would I do if I were in that situation," and I can honestly say that I couldn't answer is either. I believe that Rappoports theory is correct to some extent simply because it is true. The holocaust revealed that to us. It revealed that man can degenerate into their primal stage if treated inhumanely. Like I said from the start every human is different and a situation is handled differently by every person who encounters it. Regardless I love a good theory that makes me think, and Rappoport did that for me. I'm really looking forward to reading this book!
That is one of my favorite disney quotes...I used to say it to my mother whenever dinner was taking too long. She would alway tell me to wait and i'd say the quote 'i'm hungry mother, i really am'.
Going through my life now, most of the time i don't really think about what type of meal i'm going to eat next or when i'm going to eat it. Usually i forget altogether and have to make up for my missed meal later. I think that having food constantly available and around me i can do this so easily. I'm never really threatened that it won't be there when i do remember to eat. So, i think that if i had to suffer through what the people of the Holocaust did, food would be a little more important, and most likely a constant thought in my head. I would however still think about the last time i ate, because even now i don't really remember...which means i should probably go find something. my stomach is even growling a little bit..."i'm hungry mother, i really am"...lol
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