The Invention of Peanut Butter by Matt Haig

Tags: king solomon utopia character environment innovation war capitalism sacrifice oil judgement wisdom art world literature

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As its title indicates, “The Invention of Peanut Butter” by British author of speculative fiction Matt Haig is intended to be read as a fable, or myth of origins. Despite the fact that peanut butter may seem to be a very prosaic, modern food, the reader is immediately transported into a world which is a kind of primitive utopia. Villagers merely survive on pineapple and peanuts. Everyone lives in a state of collective harmony. To further give a primitive and mythic tone to the utopia of the first few paragraphs, Haig elects not to name the inhabitants of the village. This communicates their sense of solidarity to one another as well. The fact that people do not make food at all gives a kind of communal quality to the environment that is enviable and idyllic, even though the reader presumably is glad that he or she has greater variety in his or her own diet.

The first character to be named in the novel is a young boy named Solomon who dislikes pineapples and only eats peanuts. His name is Sol, a name which suggests both the sun but also King Solomon, a king famed for his wisdom and judgement. The fact that the character has a name, in stark contrast to the others, and also has a distinct dietary preference, alerts to the reader that this individual is special. His presence disturbs the idyllic sameness of this original utopia.

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Unlike the others, Sol wishes to change things. His desire for change merely begins with himself. He creates peanut butter, crushing his beloved peanuts into a paste, mixed with some oil, to create a far more delicious, fatty unctuous substance.

At first, people are delighted. Sol’s ingenuity brings variety to their diet. But he begins to become paranoid that people will steal his secret, mystery recipe for his beloved peanut butter. He also begins to use his status to gain political power within the village. The village, which used to be democratic, agrees to make Sol its head, with the promise that they can someday have more peanut butter festivals. Because of his mastery of the art of making peanut butter and his ability to create a distinct product and to distinguish himself, Sol gains greater power. The metaphorical implications of this are sobering. True, Sol shows a certain degree of initiative that other members of the community lack. He does something special that should be commended. But as soon as someone does something special, they become covetous of it and use their special talents to separate themselves from others. The community benefits from having a more varied diet and enjoy peanut butter, but must sacrifice something very valuable and honorable about their society to Sol in the process.

As soon as there is something worthy having beyond what satisfies their personal….....

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