Adolescence: What is the real meaning of Cheese Sandwich in the Netflix show? Meaning explained

The year has just started, but Netflix's Adolescence has already been declared the show of the year. Much of this has to do with the themes that the show tackles and how it does so. Adolescence's cinematography also has a big role to play in the much-received critical acclaim, mainly due to the use of a one-take shot to shoot the episodes.

However, there are many aspects of the cinematography of this gripping mini-series that make it an intense watch. One of those is the powerful symbolism hidden in the smallest of details in the show. Every single aspect of this show, from its camera movements to its dialogue, is deliberate. A deliberate detail in the show that the viewers might not have picked up on is the cheese sandwich that Briony offers Jamie. This detail might have a much deeper meaning involved in it than initially assumed.

Here's the possible meaning behind the sandwich offered to Jamie in Adolescence.

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The real meaning behind the sandwich in Netflix's Adolescence

Adolescence revolves around Jamie, a 13-year-old boy who has committed a heinous crime against his fellow schoolmate. Jamie is taken by the police at the crack of dawn while his mother Manda and father Eddie watch in horror, convinced that their 13-year-old child couldn't be guilty of this heinous crime, the murder of a girl, his classmate.

It isn't until episode three of Adolescence that the complexity of Jamie's thoughts and actions begins to unravel. This insight into Jamie's violent nature is made possible through his conversations with his court psychologist, Briony.

Briony offers Jamie half a cheese and pickle sandwich and a hot chocolate with marshmallows. From the outside, this might seem like a simple gesture of peace offering before she tries to unravel his trauma. However, in a conversation with Tyla, the psychologist Dannielle Haig explains that the offering might have been an attempt by Briony to better understand Jamie through his reaction to it.

When initially presented with the sandwich, Jamie seems grateful for it, but when he finds out that it has pickles in it, he rejects it and even tries to make his psychologist feel bad about getting it for him. But, after he loses his temper and says some, especially crude and violent things, he takes a bite of the sandwich.

Haig explains that in a psychological assessment, everything is deliberate, and small reactions can go a long way in understanding a person's character. Similarly, there's a possibility that in Adolescence, Briony offered Jamie the sandwich deliberately.

"The half-sandwich, particularly the fact that it contains something Jamie dislikes, could be a way of testing his response. Does he push it away? Does he eat it to be polite? Does he comment on it? These reactions provide insight into his personality. If he simply tolerates it without complaint, it may suggest a history of feeling powerless and being accustomed to having things done to him rather than for him. If he refuses it outright, it might indicate defiance or a need to exert control in a situation where he has very little power. It’s a clever way of gauging how Jamie sees himself in relation to authority figures and whether he feels able to assert his own needs."

When Jamie refuses the sandwich, it is an act of defiance, reflecting his chain of thought that he might be in prison, but he has the free will to refuse a sandwich. A desire for control in moments where he feels utter powerlessness. But, after his outbursts, he takes a bite of the sandwich, placing his hunger over his act of defiance.

The hot chocolate with marshmallows and a sandwich can also be a representation of the innocence that Jamie has lost. Adolescence might be attempting to remind its viewers that although Jamie is a killer, he is also just a child, acting on his childish impulses. The realistic presentation of the child's psyche forces the viewers to look beyond his actions and consider the bigger picture before forming their judgment.

The sandwich's introduction is meaningful to an understanding of Jamie's character, but its end is just as important. After her interview with Jamie, Briony goes to gather her things to leave. As soon as she picks up the sandwich, she shudders and vomits. This action might be an attempt by Adolescence to establish the sickening reality of the crime, that a mere 13-year-old boy committed the heinous crime and was present moments ago, taking a bite off the sandwich.

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Adolescence leaves its viewers with more questions than answers through its ambiguous ending. The final episode focused on Jamie's family trying to celebrate Eddie's birthday, depicts the parents facing up to their reality and questioning their responsibility as Jamie's parents for his actions. The show uses powerful symbolism and cinematography to depict equally powerful themes.

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