The Hundred-Foot Journey Coming of Age

Learning is the essence of life in The Hundred-Foot Journey. One of Hassan's main traits is that he's open to the world around him, and he takes each experience as an opportunity to better understand both the world around him and the part he plays—or wants to play—in it. The story is speckled with epiphanies, both big and small, and as our narrator, Hassan constantly foregrounds these moments that change him and help him become who he is by the end of the book. In other words, he isn't just open to change—he places a premium value on coming into his own.

Questions About Coming of Age

1. Which is more the focus of the story: Hassan becoming an adult or becoming a chef? 
2. Does Hassan continue to come of age after he moves to Paris?
3. Compare Hassan's coming of age story to others that you have read. How is it similar and how is it different? 
4. Out of his life experiences, which events help Hassan grow the most?

Chew on This

Hassan's stages of development correspond to the four different parts of the book, and each of the places he lives brings him closer to his maturation as an artist.

At its core, this book isn't about food half as much as it's about learning to carve your own path through life.