An Introduction to my Blog

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Hello and Welcome to my Blog!


My name is Laura Deacon, I'm 21 and am currently in the midst of completing my English Literature/Drama, Theatre and Performance degree at The University of Roehampton.


I'm undertaking a exciting module called The Literature of Food and as part of our assessment we are required to write a food blog.


I'll start by introducing the premise of my blog, that being the glorious concept of food.
Food consumes our lives from the day we are born. From the moment we open our eyes to wake up to the moment we go to sleep - food is part of a routine that many people enjoy. Food in the form of literature also journeys with us throughout our life's. From reading Children's texts at a young age from authors such as Roald Dahl and Lewis Carroll, to the special recipes passed down through generations of family members, to the discussion of food on television and elsewhere in the media, food is without a doubt important to the lives of many that surround us, and I can openly and rather proudly say food is important to me (good thing I'm taking a module that concerns food then!).
Roald Dahl's Matilda which I grew up frequently reading and equally loving- The texts
depiction of food is persistent throughout
But what happens when food does not, ironically, consume our life's? When it is not part of a routine we often take for granted? When food is NOT enjoyed and/or is not important to someone? These are the questions I will aim to explore, that "The Absence of Appetite" and the lack of food deserves just as much recognition as the celebration of it.


Over the next few weeks I ask you to join me in these various discussions of "The Absence of Appetite", absent food and ultimately how not eating and its various manifestations are represented in life, literature and everywhere else!


I will explore...


1) "The Absence of Appetite" in Religion (Fasting, Lent, Prohibited Foods, etc).
2) "The Absence of Appetite" in Anorexia and eating disorders (Denial and rejections of food, etc).
3) "The Absence of Appetite" in the Grieving process (Not being able to, quite literally, stomach any food, Is this true for all people however?)
4) Absent food in Poverty (Not even being able to even afford and experience food to miss it, Unappealing and unsafe foods which disgust the privileged reader, Adulteration of Foods, etc)
5) Absent food in Dieting (in no way to be confused with Anorexia) and its many advertisements.


Most importantly I will argue...


1) That "The Absence of Appetite", absent food and the overall principle of not eating is an entirely negative thing, it is difficult, almost impossible to enjoy the sacrifice of food, that ultimately food is a necessity that should be enjoyed by all.


I really hope you will enjoy reading more from me over these next few weeks and I encourage you to join in with my discussions, so feel free to leave comments below my blog posts which may interest you and provoke thought.














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"The Absence of Appetite" in Anorexia

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