Elizabeth McCracken’s “Toward a Unified Theory of the Doughnut” describes her experiences with doughnuts. She chose to write this essay in a strange way, each paragraph is numbered and its not written in true essay form. It is filled with comedy but also a realness that makes you think and go… oh wow.
The chuckles start from the first paragraph.
I grew up down the street from a doughnut shop, by which I mean: I’m an American. “
This line produced a small laugh as well as an “oh wow this is true” thought. Most of us probably lived down the block from one or knew someone who did and it was funny how that isn’t really something we think of as pretty unique to America until you actively think about it.
I prefer my doughnuts the old way, packed in tunnel formation in a rectangular container, wax paper clinging to the frosting. Dirty, in a way; by dirty I mean low-down and sexy.”
This line was way more funny to me than it probably should have been. Something about calling using the old fashioned way to store donuts dirty and sexy really made me laugh.
Doughnuts, like life, will leave their mark, your mustache flocked with powdered sugar, your fingertips sticky with glaze.”
This line was one of the many deep lines in the essay and that isn’t something I could have imagined happening in a personal essay about doughnuts. Comparing doughnuts with life was comedic genius on her part and I reread that lines multiple times to really let it hit me. Doughnuts are like life.
Like most works of art, doughnuts are defined by an absence. “
One of the last sentences in the essay and wow was it powerful. Most don’t really think of it but doughnuts are completely defined by the absence of space in the middle of it. To compare a doughnut to a work of art was entirely called for because of the dedication of bakers today. As she mentioned before doughnuts are now being made with everything from plan frosting and sprinkles to cereal and other cool things. What once was simple is now a huge business and competition of who can make the most creative doughnut.
It was interesting how McCraken was able to balance jokes alongside serious yet slightly ridiculous statements and still have her essay resonate with the reader. This was definitely an essay I could relate to and I believe that is what made it so enjoyable to read. I also enjoyed the format she chose to write it in, I have never encountered a personal essay written in this manner and I really liked that.