Self-Sacrifice and Gratitude

A theme of Babette's feast is self-sacrifice. Babette has a good job as a cook at the Cafe Anglais in Paris. Instead of maintaining this, she and her husband fight for the Communards in the revolution of 1871 in Paris. After her husband is killed, she flees to Norway and becomes a free servant for the daughters of the Dean. Babette must sacrifice cooking the fancy dishes to which she is accustomed, in order to cook the simple soup and fish dishes of her new household. She is quiet, yet somehow she is impressed by the simple life and good deeds of the sisters Martine and Phillippa.

When Babette wins the French Lottery she has an opportunity to return to Paris, France and live in a decent manner. If she chose to do this, the sisters would understand, though they would regret her leaving them. However, Babette...