Chocolat

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses xenophobia and harmful prejudices toward itinerant communities, fatphobia, and domestic violence.

Pleasure versus denial is a central theme in Chocolat, embodied in the title itself. The primary examples are Vianne’s chocolates versus Reynaud’s austere fasting. The confectionary in the chocolaterie is described in lavish detail, as is other food: the meals Vianne prepares at home and the many dishes at Roux’s and Armande’s parties. Harris’s elaborate descriptions create vivid impressions of the variety and intensity of the pleasure that food can offer and reflect Vianne’s love of food. Her ethos is that “everyone needs a little luxury” and that indulging in pleasure is an important part of life (62). Reynaud’s fasting represents the opposite approach. He lives off increasingly limited food as the book goes on, until eventually he eats little except dry bread. He becomes dizzy and feverish. The denial of his physical needs and of any pleasure in life is unsustainable—he becomes obsessed with chocolate, dreaming about it. He loses control, shouting at his parishioners and eventually gorging on Vianne’s beautiful window display. Reynaud’s fasting is partly for Lent, just as villagers like Caro have given up chocolate for Lent. However, Harris shows that, in reality, people have many reasons for self-denial.