The Food of the Gods · Chapter
II: The Brat Gigantic explained
The chapter describes the growth and life of young Caddles, the giant child, in the village of Cheasing Eyebright.
What happens
The chapter describes the growth and life of young Caddles, the giant child, in the village of Cheasing Eyebright. It details his appearance, his insatiable appetite, the trouble he causes, and the gradual adaptation of the village to his presence. The Vicar reflects on the changes brought by the Food, and we see Caddles' isolation and burgeoning curiosity about human life, culminating in an incident where he interrupts a pair of lovers.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Social Hierarchy
Caddles is treated as a lower-class laborer, exploited by Lady Wondershoot and Kinkle, and denied the social and educational opportunities of normal villagers, highlighting class divisions.
Fear of the Other and Monstrosity
The villagers and authorities view Caddles as a monstrous nuisance, ugly and dangerous, reflecting fear of the different and the unknown.
Inevitability of Change and the New Order
The Vicar's reflections on the altered landscape and the spread of giant weeds and insects illustrate the unstoppable transformation wrought by the Food, despite conservative resistance.
Characters to notice
- Caddles
The giant child, now growing into adolescence, is described as ugly yet almost pretty in early years, with a friendly smile. He is troublesome due to his immense size and appetite, and is isolated from normal village life.
- The Vicar
The Vicar provides a conservative perspective, lamenting the changes brought by the Food and reflecting on the past. He observes Caddles' growth and isolation, but fails to understand the giant's inner thoughts.
- Lady Wondershoot
Lady Wondershoot is the local landowner who provides Caddles with food and shelter, though begrudgingly. She is conservative and disturbed by the giant's presence, eventually leaving for Monte Carlo.
- Kinkle
Kinkle is the quarry manager who exploits Caddles' labor, making a good profit for Lady Wondershoot by having the giant work single-handedly in the chalk pit.
- Mrs. Greenfield
Mrs. Greenfield is mentioned as noting the 'excessively generous' allowance of food from Lady Wondershoot to Caddles.
- The Podbourne Doctor
The parish doctor observes Caddles' growth and attributes his 'rank' appearance and 'Criminal Appetite' to a degenerate strain.
Key passages
“The giant child was ugly—the Vicar would insist. “He always had been ugly—as all excessive things must be.””
The Vicar claimed the giant child was inherently ugly, as he believed all things that exceed normal limits are.
This sets up the theme of monstrosity and the Vicar's conservative bias.
“He could not go to school; he could not go to church by virtue of the obvious limitations of its cubical content.”
Caddles was unable to attend school or church because his size made it physically impossible to fit inside the buildings.
Illustrates his exclusion from normal community life.
“It was a disturbance, I admit, and things are different—different in many ways.”
The Vicar acknowledges that the Food has caused disruption and change, but he accepts it as a new normal.
Reflects the theme of inevitability of change.
“Why do you like doing that?”
Caddles, curious about human intimacy, asks a pair of lovers why they kiss.
Shows his growing curiosity and isolation from normal human experiences.
