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‘Nourished by that Abstinence’: Consumption and Control in The Corsair

‘Nourished by that Abstinence’: Consumption and Control in The Corsair Tom Mole Critics and anthologists have often turned to Conrad in The Corsair for an example of the quintessential Byronic hero.1 But they have not drawn attention to the one characteristic that sets him apart from other Byronic heroes: his decidedly abstemious diet. This is all the more surprising given how insistent Byron is about Conrad’s limited and unappetising food: Ne’er for his lip the purpling cup they fill, That goblet passes him untasted still – And for his fare – the rudest of his crew Would that, in turn, have passed untasted too; Earth’s coarsest bread, the garden’s homeliest roots, And scarce the summer luxury of fruits, His short repast in humbleness supply With all a hermit’s board would scarce deny. (I, 67–74)2 While no one has asked about Conrad’s eating habits, a variety of biographical commentators have asked about Byron’s.3 There is now consensus about the chronology of his efforts to eat less, but little agreement about how, if at all, those efforts relate to the culture of celebrity, the critique of luxury, and the relationship of embodiment to subjectivity.4 Why, then, does Conrad restrict his intake of food? This essay will answer that question by http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Romanticism Edinburgh University Press

‘Nourished by that Abstinence’: Consumption and Control in The Corsair

Mole, Tom
Romanticism , Volume 12 (1): 26 – Apr 1, 2006
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References (37)

Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Copyright
© Edinburgh University Press
ISSN
1354-991X
eISSN
1750-0192
DOI
10.3366/rom.2006.12.1.26
Publisher site
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Abstract

Tom Mole Critics and anthologists have often turned to Conrad in The Corsair for an example of the quintessential Byronic hero.1 But they have not drawn attention to the one characteristic that sets him apart from other Byronic heroes: his decidedly abstemious diet. This is all the more surprising given how insistent Byron is about Conrad’s limited and unappetising food: Ne’er for his lip the purpling cup they fill, That goblet passes him untasted still – And for his fare – the rudest of his crew Would that, in turn, have passed untasted too; Earth’s coarsest bread, the garden’s homeliest roots, And scarce the summer luxury of fruits, His short repast in humbleness supply With all a hermit’s board would scarce deny. (I, 67–74)2 While no one has asked about Conrad’s eating habits, a variety of biographical commentators have asked about Byron’s.3 There is now consensus about the chronology of his efforts to eat less, but little agreement about how, if at all, those efforts relate to the culture of celebrity, the critique of luxury, and the relationship of embodiment to subjectivity.4 Why, then, does Conrad restrict his intake of food? This essay will answer that question by

Journal

Romanticism – Edinburgh University Press

Published: Apr 1, 2006

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