Hospitality in Elizabeth Teller´s Food for Thought and the movie Chocolat

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Recommended: The PERSPECTIVE OF GENEROSITY

What defines hospitableness? Google defines it as “having a disposition that welcomes guests and is fond of entertaining.” Author, Elizabeth Telfer shows how one can be hospitable when dealing with food. The movie, Chocolat is a clear exemplification of Elizabeth’s Telfer notion of hospitableness in her book Food for Thought. The main character of the movie, Vianne, shows her hospitality by serving others, and being able to a have special impacts on certain characters’ lives. This paper will relate certain characteristics and actions of Vianne that correspond with the claims of Telfer on hospitality how to be hospitable.
First of all, Elizabeth Telfer’s Food for Thought explains different topics on morality of food. Chapter five of her book is about hospitableness. Telfer defines hospitableness in the beginning of the chapter.
“Hospitableness is the name of the trait possessed by hospitable people. It is clearly something to do with hospitality, so I shall begin with that. We can define hospitality, in its basic meaning, as follows: it is the giving of food, drink and sometimes accommodation to people who are not regular members of a household. Typically givers, or hosts, provide these things in their own homes, and the point is that they are sharing their own sustenance with their guests. This notion may be stretched in various directions: for example, a firm is said to provide hospitality if it gives food and drink to visitors. But the central idea of the concept remains that of sharing one’s own home and provision with other” (Telfer 83).
I believe that hospitality is a good measure on your carefulness towards the happiness of others. Telfer helps us realize that. One way she exemplifies this is when she explains ...

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...out of an unstable relationship. These were not the only two either. Vianne showed her hospitality to many others that she encountered or that came into her shop. She was able to impact a lot of lives through her acts of love and kindness, just as Telfer explains we have to do in order to show good hospitality.
In conclusion, I believe that Telfer wants us to understand that true hospitality comes in accepting others as they are, no matter how bad they are, and allowing them the freedom to be all that God has created them to be. In order to be hospitable we cannot take away from anything or anyone, to make a situation better. However, the effort we include is what makes all the difference. Vianne is a good model for this. No matter the problem, if it came across her she wanted to help. She exemplifies greatly of what Telfer describes at hospitality.

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