Chocolat

Chocolat is set in the fictional village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes in Southwest France. France is a secular nation but culturally remains predominantly Catholic. During the second half of the 20th century, there has been a decline both in the number of people identifying as Catholic and in active worship, even among nominal Catholics. Chocolat is set in the late 20th century, so Reynaud’s fear of the influence of outsiders on his parish ties into this decline.

Chocolat is set around Easter, a Christian celebration that, in popular practice, includes elements stemming from pre-Christian pagan festivals of rebirth (such as eggs). Easter practices in Catholicism relate to consumption and self-denial: Shrove Tuesday (commonly called Pancake Day in Britain and the US) involves feasting prior to the traditional fasting or sacrifice of Lent, which commemorates Jesus’s 40 days fasting in the wilderness. This is followed by Easter, celebrating Jesus’s death and resurrection.

Reynaud preaches an interpretation of Catholicism that centers around self-denial, though Catholic worship incorporates sensory experience—for example, incense, stained glass windows, and ornate statues. The church and the square are named after St. Jerome, who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries CE and was a foundational figure in early Christianity. He is known for his extreme asceticism; he lived in the desert, fasted, slept on the ground, and engaged in sparse human interaction. He was significant in establishing asceticism as a form of piety in Christianity. His life and values set a precedent for Reynaud’s spiritual approach and reflect his attempts to center the village around a culture of self-denial.

St. Francis, Reynaud’s namesake, is a prominent statue in the church. St. Francis is popularly seen as a lover of animals, preaching to a flock of pigeons who gathered around him and arguing that all animals are God’s creatures. This is in opposition to Reynaud’s attitude toward Charly. A key part of St. Francis’s story is also his struggle to forge his own spiritual path beyond the controlling influence of his father. This resonates with the novel’s theme of Intergenerational Influences.

As well as these Catholic figures, Harris explores Catholic practices and their complex moral ramifications, specifically the practice of confession and the doctrine of earned forgiveness. The practice of confession allows for even repeated wrong deeds to be forgiven if confessed to a priest, who may assign good deeds or certain significant rituals, like prayers, to cleanse the soul retrospectively.