Introduction
The major purpose of this study is to explore the struggles and scarcities that were witnessed by the peasants according to Terry (1992). Renard the fox is an interesting book that highlights the carnivorous behavior of Reynard who had made numerous attempts to consume other animals. Reynard the fox is an interesting source based n the fact that it attempts to conceptualize Reynard’s character by demonstrating his clever attitude toward the king noble’s court.
Reynard’s image in terry’s book played an important role in this study because it portrayed the struggles and scarcities peasants underwent in ancient times that is between the 13 and 14 century. The book has used peasants to represent the class of people in the society that are prone to struggles and scarcities. This class owns a small land or rent land for agricultural production only and thus why it is associated with struggles and scarcities when it comes to accessibility of the resources.
Discussion
Renard the fox according to Terry the writer of the book, used to cheat and play tricks on other animals and get food. Renard fed on meat, cheese, chickens, eggs, and milk. To the peasants, Renard’s diet was rear or even not available to them at all1. The peasants ate cereals, fruits, milk and vegetables as this were the only ones worthy their economic status. They could dream of eating the diet of Renard but they could not taste because the diet was only restricted to their wealth.
They could not afford meat, cheese, chickens and eggs because these were taken to be luxury and hence very expensive for the lower class. This was a scarcity that the peasants encountered then. The peasants selected food according to their cultural capital and economic status and therefore qualified only for the low quality of food. To the peasants they only ate for survival and not for the beauty of the body of which was not their desire but due to the prevailing conditions.
Reynard eats heavily and quantitatively knowing that he has food for tomorrow and the future. For instance, he eats five chickens in a day. He knows how he will get food and how he can store one for the future. To the peasants they eat large quantities of food. For instance, in ceremonies they end up having a lot of food. Like in marriage ceremonies one tries to demonstrate how rich and wealthy he is yet in doing this they do not mind about food for the future.
They eat and drink a lot of for short period of time and yet end up suffering for a wide range of period without food. The peasants are therefore extravagant in using there food, later they end up struggling to get food. They are faced with scarcity of food of which is as a result of their faults. This therefore is a severe problem which ends up forcing the peasants to struggle seriously to get food which at then becomes a scarcity and they cannot survive without it for it is a basic need for sustenance of life.
When the peasants have a lot of food, they are faced with another problem since they have very poor ways of storing food. They end up wasting a lot of their produce which could have been a good way of solving food shortages in the future. Therefore the peasants are faced with a struggle of keeping food for the future, they therefore end up having scarcity of food in the future2.
Renard does sex just the way he does with food. He mates with her wife any time he feels like more so after meals. He does not mind whether she is ready or not. Just like Renard, the peasants had a lot of sexual activity mostly for pleasure or the natural sexual desires of human. The peasants tried conceptualization but it bore no fruits and the females ended up conceiving.
This resulted to big families, which acted as a cause of struggles and scarcity of food. They were not able to feed the large families and therefore had to struggle to get food. The peasants cleared bushes to get more land for agricultural activities. Food became scarce due to these large families since the rate of consumption was higher with the rapidly growing population.
Conclusion
Renard goes contrary to the peasants to portray the struggles and scarcities the peasants face during the 11-13 century. The peasants struggle to get food. They are not in condition to get foods like meat, cheese, chickens, and eggs because of their economic status. In addition, they are not able to have enough food due to the rapidly increasing population.
The cause of increase in population is too much sex. The peasants also munch a lot of foods when it is available not minding of tomorrow and this costs them to struggle later to get food. This shows how the topic of struggle and scarcities experienced by peasants is interesting and useful in the study.
Bibliography
Terry, Patricia. Renard the fox. California: University of California Press, 1992.Print.
Footnotes
1 Patricia, Terry. Renard the fox. California: University of California Press, 1992.
2 Terry, Patricia. Renard the fox. California: University of California Press, 1992.