Process Analysis Essay
On The Evolution of Man (as Recorded in a Sandwich)
Since humans came to exist upon this planet we call Earth, they have had to feed one main urge: hunger. The first humans ate fruits, insects, and plants, which was what their ape ancestors primarily ate. As humans evolved, so did their diets. Cooked meats came with fire, and farming allowed for an abundant supply of edible vegetation. Finally, when humans reached the pinnacle of their existence, they invented a dish which not only was the culmination of culinary achievement, but which also represents the evolution of man: the peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich (or PB&J as the beloved food has come to be known as) seems like a simple food. It has four basic parts: a slice of bread, some peanut butter smeared onto the bread, a layer of jelly, and another slice of bread to top it all off. However, this food is not as simplistic as it seems and holds a piece of the subconscious of every person who has ever prepared a PB&J. It is not the flavor or ease of preparation which has made the PB&J an icon of family for over sixty years. The sandwich is actually a representation of the history of mankind, which is wired into the instincts of men. This connection to the past of the human species is actually what makes fanatics of the peanut butter and jelly enjoy the food so much.
Firstly, the bread of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is not merely a way to eat utensil free. The bread represents the foundation of mankind. White bread is most often used in a PB&J, which contains ingredients which have been refined several times over. The refining process represents the several steps humans went through to become civilized. Inventing white bread took several tries before success was found. Humans also took much time to become cultured and encountered many obstacles through out the ages. White bread, like the growth of sophistication, provides a foundation, and this has endeared white bread to the subconscious of people today.
Once a person has white bread for the sandwich, it will be coated with peanut butter by using a knife to spread the gooey commodity over the surface of the bread. This step represents the necessity of family, friends, and acquaintances as well as the downfalls of being social. Peanut butter essentially binds the sandwich together, just as interacting with other people binds society together. The maker of a sandwich will almost invariably use a knife, not a spoon or other non-violent utensil, to spread the peanut butter. This indicates that the subconscious of PB&J chefs recognize the pains of being social. Heartbreak, anger, and depression can often come from interacting with other people. Peanut butter binds the sandwich like interactions bind society, but both are spread with a knife.
Knives also spread jelly onto the peanut butter. Jelly is a sugary substance derived from fruit but can cause cavities from its sweetness if eaten in excess. Luxuries in human life are akin the jelly and its knife. Possessions like TVs, computers, and cars can make life easier and more enjoyable, but overindulgence can cause greed and gluttony. PB&J chefs often recognize that a little jelly goes a long way and too much can cause damage, so they spread the substance sparingly over the peanut butter of the sandwich with a knife.
White bread is also the finishing touch on the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. As already discussed, the bread is the foundation of the sandwich and the representation of human’s path to becoming cultured. The bottom piece is the past of mankind, but the top piece of bread is the future. We will continue to become more and more cultured as we step forward into time. This process will happen through technology and inventions. Innovation will hold us together like the final piece of bread completing the sandwich.
Men connect to their evolution through a PB&J by not only the ingredients, like white bread, or the process of making it with a knife but also by the sheer form a sandwich takes: its layers. The layers of a sandwich are a distinct expression of the subconscious mind. A sandwich would taste the same if it was liquefied in a blender or the ingredients stirred together in a bowl. The layers are what humans connect to. The four layers represent the four stages almost every person takes in life: childhood, adulthood, parenthood, and grandparenthood. These stages are hardwired into the brains of humans, and are unconsciously yet deliberately represented by the form in which a peanut butter and jelly sandwich takes.
The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is essentially the greatest representation of the history of mankind yet devised. No history book can capture the poetry of this evolution of thought as well as the seemingly simple PB&J has. The symbolism appeals to nearly every person, and the process of creating a sandwich is shared by nearly all those old enough to wield a butter knife and tall enough to reach the cupboard. Very few experiences can cross all boundaries of race, religion, culture, finances, and location as well as making peanut butter and jelly sandwich has.
This stuff is so full of crap, it HAS to be art! I felt like a woo when I wrote it. I pulled the crap completely out of the air. I got a 100% on it, too.
