#evolution of man

Perelman cleverly weaves satire throughout his essay while addressing the issue of modern technology. Humor allows Perelman to critique society and its supposed “advancements” when it comes to technology without his essay coming off as one long complaint. Satire and humor are practical tools for style and allow the writer to convey their message discreetly and entertainingly.

While the argument may not be directly stated, there seems to be an underlying theme of man versus modern technological “advancements.” More specifically, Perelman looks at how man appears to “decline in evolution” when presented with what society would deem “modern advancements.” The narrator becomes useless when confronted with these “buyer assembly required” products—stapling his thumb and slicing his finger open. It is common nowadays to buy furniture and have it shipped in parts for the buyer to assemble. Society claims that this symbolizes progress, but it may only be considered progress due to the lessening cost of the product, not the effectiveness of it. A pre-made dresser costs significantly more than one the buyer needs to assemble themselves. In that, the buyer is put to the test, and like Perelman’s narrator, sometimes the buyer fails technology.

Perelman’s narrator does not advance as a human while he tries to build the two products; instead, he de-evolves. This attempt to overpower the technology can be seen when the narrator determines to, “…show them who was master…”, referring to his family and maybe even society (189). By attempting to master this “advanced” technology, the narrator strives to evolve. But after a battle with the products, the narrator fails the test of evolution in terms of ability and states, “‘There,’ I said with a gasp, ‘that’s close enough…’” (189). The narrator cannot rise to the challenge of progress and, therefore, declines into a creature of helplessness and incompetence.

Whether or not modern technology can be considered advanced or impractical is up for debate. Perhaps if one had the skill to handle these advancements, they would not have as much trouble as the narrator had. That begs the question, which person embodies de-evolution—the person who can adapt to modern ways or the person who cannot? Perelman seems to convey that technology is the thing that is moving backward in terms of progress, not humans. The attempt to assemble the impractical product renders the narrator animalistic, but progress would claim that the obsoleteness of man is technology’s core purpose.

Works Cited

Atwan, Robert, and Joyce Carol Oates. The Best

American Essays of the Century. Houghton