Humanimal analysis

Kaitlin Dixon

Prof. Cooper

CRWR 212

4/22/2014

“Humanimal”

Honestly, this book was by far the most interesting to me in this semester. The fact that it is a true story, and that it shows both the inhumane and humane aspects in human society is interesting. In many parts, I found myself sympathizing for the two young girls as they were treated brutally in order to make them more human. Disturbing measures were taken in order to correct their form and behavior from that which they had grown to be accustomed to. While reading this, I discovered many disturbing things that caught my eye.

            The major point that really made me cringe was when the doctor broke the girl’s thumbs and then wrapped them in gauze. This disturbed me because the thought of a doctor, who is supposed to heal afflictions instead causes this innocent girl pain. A related moment in the text that bothered me was the breaking of the girl’s legs in order to set them straight. In these moments, the tone is so intense that the bones breaking became an almost palpable sensation. It brought me a sense of physical pain to read about how these girls were treated, and how they reacted to this treatment.

The theme of ‘human-animal’ mash ups is interesting and slightly awe-inspiring although the truth of these relationships can be disturbing and dangerous. This theme also introduces an interesting symbol for humanity, one that represents the darker side of human nature. I read this book and interpret it as a cry for help and reason in a world that humans have been known to destroy and conquer. I feel that this book was written to signal recognition within society about how judgmental and harmful the human race can be, especially to those different from ourselves. We seek approval from other humans, even if approval is gained through tearing down or harming other human beings, no matter how strange those may be. We as people have been known to gain social status by taking away from others. This book was written to express a theme of non-existent humanity.

The imagery in this book expresses emotion as well as natural elements. The author displays images of brutality through not only flashback images of different events, but through colors and photos. An example of a particular event in which imagery is used to depict brutality is when the Reverend is taking a picture with the orphans, and kicks the wolf-girl when she howls in pain like a dog (p 32). In this book there are many different images of pain and other images are used to contrast the caring personality of nature to that of the controlling personality of humanity. In this book, the author not only brings to light what was done to these girls, but also that in order to get them away from the family they had grown to know, the wolves had been killed. Not only was this inhumane to both the girls and their wolf family, but it was also unfair and forced upon those who didn’t want to become ‘human’ again. These girls never wanted to be taken from what they had known, and didn’t deserve to have someone else’s choice thrust upon them.

In many ways this book gave me a moment of recognition about how humanity raises its young. It symbolized to me that although humanity over all can be a powerful force, it does no always use its strength for good purposes. Humans over all have the most potential for good works, but drown out that potential because we want power. As the human race, we strive for power to control others. This is the reason that the human race will eventually fail where other species will strive on. Our most common desires are the worst things possible for us.