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Food, Power, and Identity: Exploring Culinary Politics in Grazia Deledda’s Sardinian Narratives
Simonetta Milli Konewko
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DOI:10.17265/2159-5836/2025.06.001
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA
Grazia Deledda’s literary works explore the deep ties between Sardinian culture, community traditions, and the politics of food. Through vivid food imagery, she sheds light on how meals and eating habits reflect social hierarchies, cultural identity, and power dynamics. By carefully incorporating culinary elements into narrative contexts, she shed light on the fundamental role that food plays in constructing both individual and collective identities. Her portrayals of shared meals, ceremonial feasts, and periods of scarcity function as pointed critiques of the socio-political circumstances of her era, demonstrating the intricate connections between food distribution, consumption patterns, and prevailing power structures (Heyer-Caput, 2008, pp. 142-47; King, 1999, pp. xv-xxii). These narratives simultaneously preserve cultural heritage while exposing deep-seated social inequities, positioning food as both an instrument of cultural continuity and social criticism. Furthermore, Deledda addresses the inherent tensions between established food traditions and emerging regulatory systems, particularly highlighting how agricultural policies profoundly affect local communities (Kozma, 2002, pp. 87-93; Parasecoli, 2019, p. 120). This investigation reveals how Deledda’s literary contributions engage meaningfully with contemporary debates surrounding food sovereignty and the broader socio-political implications of food policy implementation. Through careful analysis of these thematic elements, her works provide essential insights into the ways culinary practices reflect wider cultural and political tensions, compelling readers to reassess food’s persistent influence in constructing social realities and collective identity.
Grazia Deledda Food Politics, cultural identity, Sardinian society, social critique
Journal of Literature and Art Studies, June 2025, Vol. 15, No. 6, 439-452
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