The Joy of Cooking

"The Joy of Cooking"
Elaine Magarrell

Throughout the extended metaphor of "The Joy of Cooking," Elaine Magarrell compares the organs of her siblings to gourmet meals. It is slightly humorous, but it also serves as a prime example of the effectiveness of an extended metaphor.

Magarrell expresses somewhat negative, yet nowhere near hateful, feelings towards the least favorite characteristics of her siblings. For her sister, it was the constant talking of some sort. Her brother, his unloving, and small heart. Both of the body parts are common cuisine in many areas of the world which adds to the effectiveness of the cooking analogy.

Her sister's tongue is described as being filled with "roots, small bones, and gristle," none of which sound appealing to the appetite. However, she suggests that she might serve it with a horseradish sauce, a very spicy dressing that shows the "spicy" nature of her sister's speech. Also, Magarrell says that the tongue will probably grow back, implying that even the most conventional methods of silencing her sister never seemed to work.

As far as her brother's heart goes, the author reflects upon its lack of care, and refers to it as simply something necessary for life. By referring to it as a "muscle more than organ meat," she strips the heart of any emotional implications that it traditionally holds. Again, Magarrell uses a sauce to complete the description of her sibling by suggesting the "sour" nature of her brother's affections.