Food as Cultural Narrative in Almayer’s Folly

Abstract

This chapter will argue that food acts as a narrative which challenges the perceived authority of western culture and undermines European eating habits. In Almayer’s Folly, food symbolizes the strength of the Malayan culture through the production, preparation and consumption of valuable commodities such as rice , coffee, mangos and fish. Production of food upholds the Malay economy and its trade agreements—both at home and abroad—while preparation establishes gender divisions. How food is consumed highlights the cultural differences and the tensions that exist between the East and West in a struggle to assert the dominant identity. Combined, all three serve as a metaphorical and geographical backdrop to Almayer’s Folly, creating a narrative map through which the reader can navigate the text.