Candytown and the Land of Cockaigne: Gastronomic Utopia in The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and Other Children’s Literature

Faraway lands characterized by an abundance of food are often found in children’s literature, following the Cockaigne folklore tradition, yet opportunities for excessive consumption are often brought into tension with the fear of being deceived or consumed. In The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, E. T. A. Hoffmann complicates visions of gastronomic excess. This essay explores questions raised by Hoffmann’s representation of food, the ongoing prevalence and significance of Hoffmannesque cornucopian imagery in children’s literature, and the relationship between deliciousness and deception in texts such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, A Wrinkle in Time, The Hunger Games, and Furthermore.