Abstract
The birthday cake as we know it today is only a recent innovation, dating back to the nineteenth century. It would seem to have evolved along with new attitudes towards birthdays, happiness, childhood, and the chronological self. As a gift it operates in an unusual symbolic economy: at once commodity, thing, object and token—terms that this essay takes pains to define—it is given to the child and to the child's guests in a ceremony that evokes the brevity of life even as it also celebrates a life's persistence. Examples are taken from cultural theory, sociological studies and creative literature, including Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party, to illustrate the logic of this gift for all the parties involved, as well as the dangers it involves.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
