Hunger

While reading Allegra Goodman's The Cookbook Collector, I posed the question to myself (and now to the rest of the class): How does Goodman explore the theme of hunger in The Cookbook Collector? I did not want to look at hunger in the traditional sense (the need or desire for food) but in the sense of hunger for success and hunger for love or acceptance. Orion and Molly’s insatiable desire for success ultimately drives them away from each other and from happiness, whereas George’s constant search for companionship is a painful process that eventually results in him finding love with Jess.

In some way or another, every single character in the novel hungers for success, however he or she may personally define success to be. While the desire for success is not an inherently bad or immoral goal, the problem arises when success becomes the only driving factor in one’s life, and especially when success is equated with financial gains. For Orion and Molly, their hunger for success becomes a serious problem. Following a big fight, they conclude that “They didn’t have the money yet, but they would in six months. They could solve almost all their problems soon” (149). However, once Orion makes his millions, he is still unsatisfied with his life and his position at ISIS: “Heading a new group, he would step up. He had a chance to justify his wealth, to prove that his success was more than accidental, to become a self-made man” (253). Orion continues to hunger for something bigger and better than what he already has. Essentially his drive for success is really the search for his purpose. In the end he leaves both ISIS and Molly when he realizes what it is that he truly is looking for—a relationship with Sorel.

Hunger is also portrayed through the oft-misunderstood bibliophile, George. Of the over 40 major and minor characters in The Cookbook Collector, George is the only one who knows how to cook and takes pleasure in gastronomy. As the years pass by and he remains unmarried, his desire grows to find a woman that he may share his life with: “Endlessly he had searched for his love, and when he couldn’t find her, he looked for signs, traces of her beauty in books and maps…The one he couldn’t find became the one he couldn’t have” (186). This hunger is whetted when he falls hard for Jess, longing for her companionship from afar. It takes several years before she realizes that she too loves him, and at last George no longer feels starved. 

Connection and Collection

Continuing with my focus on the significance of titles of books, I decided to take a closer look at the significance of collections in The Cookbook Collector. In a book about appetite and consumption, many characters have collections of one kind or another; the eponymous cookbook collector, George with his books and maps and old houses, Jess with her people, Emily with her mother’s letters. Even Rabbi Helfgott, a side character, had a collection of sorts of computer languages.

For these characters, the collections seem to be “proxies” for other desires that they see as impossible to reach [321]. George collects books to satisfy his “hunger for companionship,” reading them in a search for “the beautiful, and the authentic” [27]. Jess “tended to collect people,” picking up “little fascinations” in a facsimile of the love that she wants for herself, while Emily carefully collects her mother’s letters because she longs for a closer familial connection [6]. Rabbi Helfgott collected computer languages to compensate for his desire to have the “power to change the world” and “memory” [41]. All of these desires are interpersonal – a desire to have a certain kind of relationship in their lives. However, the collections are at a cross-purpose with the respective collector’s goals. To collect is to consume, a “selfish” goal [315]. They are trying to use objects to make up for what they lack in people, which will never work, so they keep collecting more and more of the same in the to fight the “longing” with “no end” (27).

The true solution is to go out and interact with people, to forge those bonds that they find themselves longing for. This can be demonstrated by Rabbi Helfgott, an older man who has already gone through his collector phase. He loved computers, but his superior sent him to Berkely instead. Although Rabbi Helfgott did not get to work with computers as much as he wanted, he did earn the influence over people he craved, which satisfied the underlying need of his collection of computer languages. Objects can never replace a desire for love, or family, or influence. During the novel, the character realize this. It leads to Jess and George falling in love, satisfying their mutual desire for such a relationship, and to Emily beginning her Geno.type project to connect families across the world. 

Connections to other novels in the course

The goal of this course is to evaluate the connectedness within all of the novels we read. It is important to examine what this novel has in common with the others, and what elements it has that the other novels do not. It is definitely different from all the other novels we have read, the most “conventional novel”, but that does not mean it has no connections to the other novels. 

The technology and the businesses in the novel seem to be most connected to the use of technology in Super Sad True Love Story. In that novel, the society is always looking for the new, best thing out there. When a new apparat comes out, they have to have it, even if only the slightest thing has changed. The society is always striving to be “better” and newer. This is the same for Veritech and ISIS in The Cookbook Collector. During a conversation between Alex and Emily, he states, “We need a new idea every week” (45.) This points out that they need this new idea for the company to keep up with the ever advancing society and their constant need for the “next, best thing.” The difference between these two novels is the way they would deal with Alex’s idea of electronic fingerprinting. In this novel, they shoot it down because of the lack of privacy involved in such an idea. In Super Sad True Love Story, however, I believe that the companies would see no ethical problem with such an idea, and would go through with it.

The other novel The Cookbook Collector is similar to is Freedom. Although The Cookbook Collector is more optimistic and has more believable characters, both novels have a core focus on the development of the characters and why they do what they do. The reader becomes invested in the characters of both novels because both authors portray them as such real people the reader has no choice but to feel as though they are part of the lives of these characters. The difference between the two novels, however, is the tone and overall feeling of the novels. Freedom, when I read it, left the feeling that the world is a place where no one is every truly happy, and that people have to live in a semi-happy mostly sad state of life. The Cookbook Collector, however, left me with the feeling that the world really isn’t all that bad. The endings, in particular, left me with very different feelings. The ending of The Cookbook Collector shows two people who are truly in love with each other, while Freedom, although they end up together, they do no seem to posses the same love as Jess and George. The Cookbook Collector is a novel that could be read in a lighthearted, older women’s book club, where they discuss the themes of love and cooking in the novel. Freedom does not fall into that same category because it would simply frighten the women in the book club too much. 

Impulsive Emotional Situations, Cautious Business Circumstances

In Allegra Goodman’s The Cookbook Collector, caution and impulsivity as ways to make decisions are compared. This is primarily through the actions of the two sisters, Emily, who is cautious and plans ahead, and Jess, who carries out actions as soon as she thinks of them. In general, the novel states that a person should strive to be both cautious and impulsive, because neither form of decision making is always the best. Additionally, I believe the novel is more specifically saying that one should be cautious when making decisions based on financials and business, but impulsive when making emotional decisions.

Emily is the sister that most clearly exemplifies all things business related. She is described as “an MBA, not a programmer” whose “hazel eyes were clever, guarded” (5). Her company, Veritech, does very well for the majority of the novel. Therefore, her cautious and guarded approach to her business is primarily successful. However, Emily is also primarily cautious in her relationship with Jonathon. When they are trying to pick out an engagement ring, she is described as having “looked and looked” (66) without finding a ring she liked. Then, near the end of the novel in one of Emily’s chapters, the narrator states “Love was all very well, but in the world outside, survival mattered most,” (298). This clearly refers to the idea that Emily’s natural cautious and concerned approach when it came to her business carried over into a cautious approach emotionally. Because of this, her relationship with Jonathon was often postponed, which ultimately hindered it significantly.

Jess’s impulsivity usually works for her when it came to decisions that were primarily emotional, such as when she and George first start their relationship (274). However, when financial decisions arise, her impulsivity gets her into trouble. This is particularly clear when she donates her stock to the trees and does not have enough after the market plummets to repay the money she owes the Rabbi (172). Additionally, the narrator states that when it comes to financial matters “She [Jess] did think like a student. That’s what she was,” (29). Because the reader knows that Jess is a grad student in philosophy, it is clear that she is not focused on making copious amounts of money in the future. She appears to be without a future plan, which lends to the idea that she is nearly always impulsive.

Near the end of The Cookbook Collector, each sister undergoes a change in their behavior the best method in decision making. Emily advises Jess to return to George, stating “If you keep deferring, everything gets old. Even love, eventually,” (377). It is clear that her opinion now is that it is better to make impulsive decisions in emotional circumstances, such as leaving immediately to return to a loved one. Jess’s change is more obscure. When she shows up to take care of Emily, she is wearing the suit that was her present in the beginning of the novel. This suit is a symbol for success in business, and the way she cares for Emily identifies that she is now planning ahead. These small changes in Jess and Emily are significant because they highlight the theme that impulsivity is ideal in emotional situations, and caution is preferred in business circumstances.

Holding Onto the Past, Looking to the Future

Time, as in all things, drives the events in The Cookbook Collector. Goodman has made time a focus in the novel, noting the time period which each part of the book unfolds. It is interesting how so much of the novel is fixated on pushing toward the future and making it a reality today, while other parts cannot move on from the past. The characters in the novel simultaneously latch onto the past and pine for the future, creating a stark contrast between those who choose opposite lifestyles.

The most obvious push toward the future is the era which the entire novel is centered around: the turn of the millennium. This was a time where the internet was booming and technology was a valuable commodity, which is why dot com startups could find so much success, and cutting edge companies like Veritech and ISIS could become so profitable overnight. Jonathan and Emily's companies were pushing the envelope technologically and designing products for the new century. They were creating the future and were wholly focused on making that future as advanced and secure as they possibly could. 

The other half of the story's main characters, however, look to the past with wistful affection. Jess and George are nothing if not nostalgic. George is especially old-fashioned, giving up his life at technology powerhouse Microsoft to own a rare and antique book store in a college town. He collects typewriters and finds joy in the simple pleasures of life despite his technology background: cooking, wine, literature, love. Jess shares his love of ancient books, literature, and poetry and does not buy into the fast paced business lifestyle her sister has invested so much into. She finds her joy in religion and philosophy and love, not money, which is rare for a college student.

The novel ends with both the old-fashioned and the modern characters finding contentment. Goodman recognizes the validity of both choices and acknowledges that either can garner positive results, but it is staying true to oneself that is most important. Jess is old in spirit, and it is not until she finds an older, like-minded man in George that she finds what she wants. Along the same line, Emily begins her recovery process by clinging to the past like her sister and finding out about her mother's life, but it is not until she pours herself into her new startup that she seems healed. The nostalgic long for the past. The innovative want to create the future. Either is a viable lifestyle, but will only bring happiness when pursued genuinely.

    

Duality in The Cookbook Collector

This novel begins with the introduction of two sisters. These two sisters are presented as different creatures despite their same origins. "The sisters' voices were almost identical, laughing mezzos tuned in childhood to the same pitch and timbre. To the ear, they were twins; to the eye, nothing alike" (5). They are similar but not the same, something like the two sides of the same coin.

We discussed the similarities and differences between Jess and Emily in class. Their largest similarity is their ethical nature. Jess and Emily care more about people than anything else. Jess uses her empathy and ability to convince Sandra to sell the cookbook collection. It sets her apart from George or Colm, who immediately begin assessing the books in an attempt to find a monetary figure that would make Sandra sell. Jess' ability to listen and understand is a strength, and in this example, it gets results.

Emily cares about her employees, she treats them all with respect. Despite disagreeing with Alex's idea, she doesn't lash out at him, she attempts to work with him. She eventually shares the electronic fingerprinting idea with her Jonathan, and he steals it. His theft is beside the point, Emily cares more about being open and honest with her long-term partner than the fact that he is a leader in a rival tech company. That's admirable and are similar to her sister's actions with Sandra. Both sisters find human relationships more important than money or business relationships.

The way each sister lives her life is where they contrast. It is apparent from their introduction to the book. It is raining and Emily says to her umbrella-less sister: "You're getting soaked" and her sister responds with "I'm hydrating" (3). Emily, the logical one, the business woman, sees her sister in the rain and finds it odd because it doesn't make sense to get wet in the rain when umbrellas exist. While Jess, the dreamer, sees the rain as an opportunity to "hydrate" instead. Emily is calculating, as her net worth sky rockets and slumps, she stays working for the long run. She doesn't jump into marrying Jonathan either. While Jess sells her stocks when it's high, seemingly to be rid of it all, and moves in with Leon after one month of dating. Emily thinks and works for the future, while Jess values experiences over everything. Despite this philosophical difference, they treat each other well and they treat others exceptionally well. At their core, they are the very same: caring. How they live is where they differ.

Same Differences

     While Jess and Emily seem very different at first, they really are more alike than they appear.  Both the girls are very passionate about what they believe in, even if the other does not agree it is important.  Emily has her company and Jess has her education and wanting to save the trees.  Their values and interests may be different, but their attitudes towards them are very similar.  

     The sisters have different views of success, but they both still believe they are successful.  Emily feels successful because her company is doing well and she has a lot of money.  Jess feels successful because she makes herself happy by doing the things she enjoys, going to school, leafletting, and learning more about her Jewish heritage.  Jess seems more successful even because she enjoys her life most of the time and does not let things bother her whereas Emily constantly is having issues with Jonathan and what the future will hold.

     Emily may think that Jess does not have her life together and is worried for her, but Jess proves that she can handle her own life and help Emily as well.  She shows Emily that she does listen to her and take what she says into consideration and is trying to improve herself when she goes to Emily's apartment after Jonathan has been killed in the plane crash.  Jess is wearing the suit that her sister had bought her and says, "I got dressed up so that you'd see... so you'd know I've come to take care of you" (335).  That is Jess's way of showing her sister how responsible she can be and how far she has come in her stages of growing up.  

Jess also shows her maturity when she stops dating Leon and ends up marrying George.  He is the type of person that Emily always wanted Jess to be with.  Both of the girls come a long way through the book, towards the end even switching personality roles.  Jess gets married while Emily donates her ring for money for research in honor of her mother, a very Jess thing to do.  The sisters seem very happy in their endings and form a closer bond with each other, something even differences cannot change.  

How to Mend Corporate America

I am not surprised by the fact that corporate America is a theme that continuously emerges in the  the novels in a 21^st Century American Fiction class. Corporatism is a major component of the modern US, and everyone seems to have an opinion about the ethics of such an extremely business/consumer-driven society. Most are critical, including the authors we have read, but one of the complaints that we have had is of authors who do not provide an ideal solution for the myriad flaws they find in such a society (Jonathan Franzen, for example). Providing a solution is something that I believe Allegra Goodman certainly does, and does very well.

Goodman distinctly situates herself in the field of those who are anti-corporate America as it exists today. She does this through her character Jonathan. Jonathan is led by his vicious, competitive drive throughout the novel, and ends up dead by the end. Goodman consistently uses a disapproving tone when discussing Jonathan’s business actions in the novel. He is referred to by other characters as “‘just another greedy, techno-freak gazillionaire’” who is clearly more interested in profit than people, as evidenced by his stealing of Veritech’s ideas despite risking his fiancée’s trust (205&351). Jonathan’s character represents the greedy, unethical, demented side of business that has become so common in the US recently. Through him, Goodman criticizes corporate America along with the rest of the authors we have read, such as Franzen. However, she does not dismiss corporatism entirely, but rather suggests a reform. She does this through Emily.

Emily’s character represents sensible, ethical, non-profit-crazed business. She is Goodman’s solution to the society created by the Jonathans of the world. Emily and Jonathan’s business tactics and views are often juxtaposed in the novel. For example, after Jonathan labels Emily’s coworker Alex a “shark,” Goodman writes “She was surprised because she was Emily, and she did not share Jonathan’s frank assessment of coworkers as losers, whiners, bozos, sharks” (215). Emily assumes rationality and ethics in everyone she works with, whereas Jonathan assumes the worst and acts equivalently. Emily also refuses to move forward with an unethical business proposition that involves stripping people of privacy in order to achieve security. She says “it’s not where we want to go,” and dismisses the opportunity, whereas Jonathan immediately snatches up the idea and develops it for his own company, sans regard to morals (212&251). Emily's company even has a respectable mission: to provide "math education" (203). Goodman’s stark comparison between the moral behavior of Emily with the corrupt behavior of Jonathan draws out a representation of Emily as the ideal businesswoman.

I think Goodman is arguing that corporatism does not need to disappear, but rather should morph into a less-competitive, more ethical version. If Emily’s path were followed, then leaders of corporate America would be working together sensibly rather than attempting to destroy each other at every turn. Goodman provides Emily as a role model for the modern businessperson by highlighting her rationality and contrasting it with Jonathan’s insane aggression.

Money

A key theme we discussed in class on Wednesday’s class was The Cookbook Collector’s obvious similarity to a Jane Austen novel. The obvious similarity is the character driven story and the long awaited evolution of the two main characters: Jess and Emily. Both of them experience important transformations by the end of the novel, and become more complete individuals as a result. The MacGuffin in this story is money, either the idealistic rejection of it, or the aggressive need to chase after it. The two sisters differ greatly in their perception of wealth and their actions toward it.

            The younger sister, Jess, is an idealistic graduate student. She lacks world experience, and her naïveté often creates problems for her. An obvious example is her relationship with Leon, an older man who has firm beliefs about environmental preservation. He is over-idealistic, but a strong and confident personality, which Jess is attracted to. However, she embraces ideals not entirely her own, and fails to see at first a more compatible partner in George. She rejects the accrual of wealth in several ways. She lives the life of a poor graduate student; she works only to meet her meager means, and looks for a partner who is similar to her in these aspects.

            “As for Jess-she was mixed up about George. She was at home with him. Calm and happy. She could think aloud. She never felt that way at the Tree House, and yet the people there shared her beliefs about the world. Philosophically, ideologically, she and Leon were a pair. She and George agreed on nothing politically. He had no interest in the environment. He recycled like everybody else, but he cared litter for other species, and maligned Tree Savers as eco terrorists.” (28)

            “Then there was his money.” (289)

Jess is conflicted about her feelings towards George and his obvious contrast as a person. The end of the novel allows us to see Jess transform as a person, cast away her strictures, and embrace George,” The hammock swayed under them, and George and Jess floated together, although nothing lasted. They held each other, although nothing stayed.”

            The older sister Emily is the complete opposite of Jess. To contrast, she is an accomplished, strong, and older woman. She has developed a company making her worth over 100-million dollars and has a strong relationship with Jonathan her boyfriend. Her relationship is appearing to be very strong, and tied closely to their appraisals of each other. Their love for each other is equaled by their view of the other’s success. “Oh she was proving his point. She was like him after all, competitive even now. No that wasn’t right. She only wanted parity a fair trade of information.” (112) Their relationship resists change, and by the end of the novel, with the tragic end of Jonathan (333) Emily is left alone. However, she manages to recover and move on as a person, “but she dreamed as George did once, that love was possible” (394).

            To conclude, both of the characters underwent dramatic transformations, which contributed to their happiness at the end of the novel. Jess gave up her stringent views and embraced her love for George, and Emily recovered from the loss of her lover and directed her energies to a new project that she could find meaning in. Although it is forgotten both characters were haunted/driven by money, this isn't important; it is that they have succeeded in moving forward.