Lauren Fisher
Dr. Adam Johns
ENGCMP 0200 – Seminar in Composition
October 30, 2008
Basic Human Wants and Fears
Human nature is defined as the concept that there are a set of logical characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting that all “normal” human beings have in common. This means that humans all share the same basic wants and needs, as well as fears. Humans crave social interaction and view solitary confinement as a type of torture. Human beings are also curious creatures and yearn for knowledge because it enhances their intelligence. However, humans share the same fear of the unknown and will act wary and cautious if they are unfamiliar with something. In Octavia E. Butler’s novel, “Lilith’s Brood,” the author explores the very core of human nature and describes the wants and fears of the Awoken people as they interact with the Oankali.
Humans are naturally social creatures, and require real life, personable interactions with others to be happy. After Lilith is Awoken, she is placed in a white windowless, doorless cubicle with just a bed and bathroom. The only interaction she has is from her captors who only speak when they are ready. After Lilith meets Jdahya she tells him, “You shouldn’t have isolated any of us unless your purpose was to drive us insane. You almost succeeded with me more than once. Humans need one another” (Butler 19). Lilith confirms that humans are not just biological creatures. We are the most social creatures on earth. The ways we deal with each other, from personal to international relationships, can have as much an influence on our behavior as our instinctive reactions.
In my Intro to Psychology class, we are learning about this same concept: humans being social creatures. My textbook says, “People have a motive for affiliation which is the need to be with other people and to have personal relationships. Some believe that affiliation motivation is an inborn need that is based on natural selection. Others believe that each human learns the motive to affiliate through his or her learning experiences” (Lahey 368). Lilith considered the child that they put in her room, Sharad, a blessing because she “could not remember when she had last touched someone. She had not realized how much she had missed it” (Butler 10). Also, “The motive for affiliation may be related in some way to the greater chance that humans who affiliate – flock together – will survive receives some support from the fact that affiliation motivation appears to be stronger when we are frightened about our well-being” (Lahey 369). This is especially true when the group of Awoken people meet the Oankali for the first time. Everyone was frightened of the presence of the Oankali and Butler writes, “Victor Dominic and Hilary Ballard were awake and together, holding one another, though they had shown no interest in one another until now. […] Elsewhere in the room, small groups of people, supporting one another, confronted the ooloi without panic” (184). A further example of humans craving interaction with each other is after Lilith Awakens the first ten people or so. She has a talk with Leah and Gabriel and Leah says, “These people don’t know each other. What do they care if they have to start again?” Gabriel answers, “They care. They’ve made personal ties here. Think what they had before: War, chaos, family and friends dead. Then solitary. A jail cell and shit to eat. They care very much. So do you” (Butler 166). All of these examples show that humans need one another for their own personal sanity and as a means of survival.
After Lilith explains to Jdahya about humans need for one another, Jdahya tells her that humans’ bodies are fatally flawed. The first incompatible characteristic is the fact that we are intelligent. Jdahya explains, “That’s the newer of the two characteristics, and the one you might have put to work to save yourselves. You are potentially one of the most intelligent species we’ve found, though your focus is different from ours” (Butler 39). The Oankali believe that no matter where humans are, they will eventually destroy themselves with their intelligence. Jdahya tells Lilith that, “Yes, intelligence does enable you to deny facts you dislike. But your denial doesn’t matter” (Butler 39). The fact that we are intelligent people and the fact that humans are innately curious are very much related. Psychologists believe that we are curious because we are intelligent. Some believe that curiosity is a compass of knowledge. An example of this was when Peter Van Weerden and six followers seized Lilith and held her while a seventh follower, Derrick Wolski, swept some food from one of the food cabinets and climbed into it before it could close (Butler 171). This shows human beings’ innate curiosity. Curt tells Lilith that Derrick is “finding out what’s really going on. There are people refilling those cabinets and we intend to find out who they are. We want to get a look at them before they’re ready to be seen – before they’re ready to convince us they’re Martians” (Butler 171). Derrick’s curiosity costs him because he was not sent back. This is further evidence to Jdahya’s prediction that the human race has the means to destroy itself because of its intelligence.
The second characteristic is that we are hierarchical. Jdahya again elaborates, “That’s the older and more entrenched characteristic. We saw it in your closest animal relatives and in your most distance ones. It’s a terrestrial characteristic” (Butler 39). The Oankali believe that humans were doomed from the start, because of their aggressions and hierarchical behavior. Lilith however argues against this and doesn’t think that it could be that simple. Again in my psychology class, we’ve been learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. “It should be obvious that we are creatures of many and varied needs. Abraham Maslow put forward an interesting theory about our many motives” (Lahey 373). The lowest level of needs is physiological which include: breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, and homeostasis. The Awoken people depend on Lilith for food and water and she realizes that they are entirely dependent on her because they cannot open the food cabinets on their own. A higher up level is love/belonging which includes: friendship, family, and sexual intimacy. Lilith realizes that the Awoken people will pair off and mate with another. An example of this is “a man named Wray Ordway and a few days after his Awakening, he was sleeping with Leah with her full consent” (Butler 171). One of the highest levels on Maslow’s pyramid of needs is esteem which includes: self-esteem, confidence, achievement, respect of others, and respect by others. Lilith knows that to insure her survival and the survival of the others, they are going to have to learn to see her as a trustee and a leader and learn to respect her because she is very valuable to them. Only through this mutual respect will they be able to get to the training floor.
A dominant fear that most humans share is fear of the unknown. This fear can be used to explain why people are so afraid of aliens, in our society today and in Lilith’s society in the future. Humans have never met an alien race before. Therefore, aliens fall into the unknown category and the unknown has always been something that inspires fear in humans. Lilith has a very hard time with Jdahya the first time she meets him. “She did not want to be any closer to him. She had not known what held her back before. Now she was certain it was his alienness, his difference, his literal unearthliness” (Butler 13). Lilith tries to express her fear in words and says, “I don’t understand why I’m so…afraid of you. Of the way you look, I mean. You’re not that different. There are – or were – life forms on Earth that looked a little like you” (Butler 17). This demonstrates that the unknown scares many people.
We as humans like to know things about the past, present and future. Once we know things, we are no longer afraid of them. Consequently once Lilith interacts with Jdahya and his family, she starts to not be so afraid of his grotesque sea-slug appearance and no longer runs away from him in panic and revulsion (Butler 26). After Lilith begins to Awaken people, they find it very hard to believe that they are on a living ship, that they’re orbiting around the moon, and that their captors are aliens. In addition, after Joseph meets Nikanj for the first time he admits to Lilith, “I didn’t believe. I couldn’t, even though you said it” (Butler 152). Once an unknown thing arrives, humans tend to get defensive and behave ignorantly. Perhaps it is a survival technique, survival of the fittest mentality. As I stated earlier, people grouped together during their first interaction with the unknown Oankali. The ones who had somebody with them remained awake while the others who panicked and fought collapsed and were unconscious. Being provided with concrete evidence and having others with us, makes it easier for humans to need be so afraid of the unknown.
Octavia Butler effortlessly weaves the very essence of human nature into her science fiction novel about a race of aliens who save these human beings and wish to help them restore the earth. The Oankali learn from the humans and the humans, in turn, learn a great deal about the Oankali. Butler shows us how human tendencies can sometimes help or inhibit our chance of survival. In order to survive on the training floor, Lilith’s group of humans must be able to cooperate with another and work hard to reach a common goal. Butler invites the reader to question her grim view of human nature and wonder if humanity’s fate is a continuation of the wars that have plagued civilization since recorded history. Through studying basic human wants and fears, we are better able to understand the human race and visibly see our many strengths and weaknesses.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
4 comments:
I apologize in advance for this being a little bit late. Can I blame it on the Phillies winning the World Series? :)
To make your argument and paper stronger as a whole, instead of just telling how Butler shows humanity's characteristics in her book, you should show how the characteristics are strengths or weaknesses. Or if our strengths are actually becoming our weaknesses. For example, why has humanity destroy the world in the book? What characteristics is Butler showing that cause her to believe that this could happen in our future?
Also, you should have the characteristics brought together more cohesively to represent a broader argument of what these characteristics mean for us and what Butler thinks they mean for us. You can make your argument stronger by showing the effects of the characteristics.
The characteristic of intelligence is a very important one and I think you could have elaborated more on it. For example, you could even relate this to other texts we've read such as McKibben, and that maybe it was our intelligence that caused us to destroy the world in Butler's book.
I thought there was a little too much plot summarizing and examples. The example from the psychology text was good, especially how you related the fact that people need each other more when they are in fear to when they first meet the Oankali. But, the Maslow's hierarchy did not seem to fit as well in your paper. But hierarchy is a good characteristic to include, maybe just give some stronger examples of it in the book. The one you have about Lillith doesn't really work because she was forced to be in charge by the Oankali.
You talk about the fear of the unknown, but what value does this characteristic of humans have? Why is it important?
Lauren Fisher
Dr. Adam Johns
ENGCMP 0200 – Seminar in Composition
November 2, 2008
Basic Human Wants and Fears
Human nature is defined as the concept that there are a set of logical characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting that all “normal” human beings have in common. This means that humans all share the same basic wants and needs, as well as fears. Humans crave social interaction and view solitary confinement as a type of torture. Human beings are also curious creatures and yearn for knowledge because it enhances their intelligence. However, humans share the same fear of the unknown and will act wary and cautious if they are unfamiliar with something. In Octavia E. Butler’s novel, “Lilith’s Brood,” the human race has nearly destroyed itself by nuclear war, or “humanicide.” Butler explores the very core of human nature and describes the wants and fears of the Awoken people as they interact with the Oankali. It is important to understand these characteristics of humankind because the fate of humanity being destroyed by a nuclear war is still a distinct possibility if the effects of humanity on our environment are not reversed.
Humans are naturally social creatures, and require real life, personable interactions with others to be happy. After Lilith is Awoken, she is placed in a white windowless, doorless cubicle with just a bed and bathroom. The only interaction she has is from her captors who only speak when they are ready. After Lilith meets Jdahya she tells him, “You shouldn’t have isolated any of us unless your purpose was to drive us insane. You almost succeeded with me more than once. Humans need one another” (Butler 19). Lilith confirms that humans are not just biological creatures. We are the most social creatures on earth. The ways we deal with each other, from personal to international relationships, can have as much an influence on our behavior as our instinctive reactions.
In my Intro to Psychology class, we are learning about this same concept: humans as social creatures. My textbook says, “People have a motive for affiliation which is the need to be with other people and to have personal relationships. The motive for affiliation may be related in some way to the greater chance that humans who affiliate – flock together – will survive receives some support from the fact that affiliation motivation appears to be stronger when we are frightened about our well-being” (Lahey 369). This is especially true when the group of Awoken people meet the Oankali for the first time. Everyone was frightened of the presence of the Oankali and Butler writes, “Victor Dominic and Hilary Ballard were awake and together, holding one another, though they had shown no interest in one another until now. […] Elsewhere in the room, small groups of people, supporting one another, confronted the ooloi without panic” (184). According to my textbook, “Some believe that affiliation motivation is an inborn need that is based on natural selection. Others believe that each human learns the motive to affiliate through his or her learning experiences” (Lahey 368). This claim supports Butler’s view that in order for the human race to survive, we are going to need to depend on each other and not focus on our differences. People feel safer in pairs than when they are alone and if the world were to suddenly come to an end, people would want their loved ones with them. Butler is trying to show us that by communicating and understanding one another, we can reduce hatred and try to avoid a nuclear war because deep down, we’re all human.
After Lilith explains to Jdahya about humans need for one another, Jdahya tells her that humans’ bodies are fatally flawed. The first incompatible characteristic is the fact that we are intelligent. Jdahya explains, “That’s the newer of the two characteristics, and the one you might have put to work to save yourselves. You are potentially one of the most intelligent species we’ve found, though your focus is different from ours” (Butler 39). The Oankali believe that no matter where humans are, they will eventually destroy themselves with their intelligence. Bill McKibben shares a similar view about human intelligence in the future. In his novel “Enough,” McKibben quotes a man named Vernor Vinge. According to Vinge, who is a mathematician and computer scientist, sometime between 2005 and 2030 we will possess “super-human intelligence.” Vinge notes, “‘Humans can already progress faster than animals because our minds allow us to internalize the world and conduct ‘what-ifs’ in our heads, outpacing natural selection’” (McKibben 102). It may have been our human intellect that caused us to destroy the world in “Lilith’s Brood.” If we believe McKibben and Butler, our future at avoiding another catastrophe similar to this is not looking too optimistic. In an interview, Octavia Butler once said, “No, I think the future of humanity will be like the past, we’ll do what we’ve always done and there will still be human beings. Granted, there will always be people doing something different and there are a lot of possibilities.” But if our intelligence is advanced by simple programming, connecting humans and computers, or genetic manipulation, we might become the feared “super-humans” and would possess the power and knowledge to destroy ourselves.
The second characteristic is that we are hierarchical. Jdahya again elaborates, “That’s the older and more entrenched characteristic. We saw it in your closest animal relatives and in your most distance ones. It’s a terrestrial characteristic” (Butler 39). The Oankali believe that humans were doomed from the start, because of their aggressions and hierarchical behavior. Lilith however argues against this and doesn’t think that it could be that simple. The Oankali lecture Lilith about the superiority of their egalitarian, nonviolent lifestyle, as opposed to the hierarchical, violent tendencies of humans. As we’ve already learned, humans are social animals, and our history of seeking and defining social pecking orders reinforces hierarchical thinking. I believe what Butler is trying to say is that our hierarchical tendencies drive our intelligence, which is our other flaw. These tendencies drive us to use our intelligence to try to dominate one another. The only way to try and avoid this is to resist acting on our nastier hierarchical tendencies. According to Butler, this hasn’t worked so far because unfortunately, people find satisfaction in feeling superior to other people. Some examples of hierarchical thinking are: ignorance, fear, disease, hunger, suspicion, greed, vengeance, hatred, and war. We must avoid turning these hierarchical thoughts into hierarchical behavior if we ever wish to achieve tolerance. If we’re as intelligent as we like to think we are, hopefully we will manage to achieve this aspect of peace and avoid destroying one another because of our hierarchical thoughts.
A dominant fear that most humans share is fear of the unknown. This fear can be used to explain why people are so afraid of aliens, in our society today and in Lilith’s society in the future. Humans have never met an alien race before. Therefore, aliens fall into the unknown category and the unknown has always been something that inspires fear in humans. Lilith has a very hard time with Jdahya the first time she meets him. “She did not want to be any closer to him. She had not known what held her back before. Now she was certain it was his alienness, his difference, his literal unearthliness” (Butler 13). Lilith tries to express her fear in words and says, “I don’t understand why I’m so…afraid of you. Of the way you look, I mean. You’re not that different. There are – or were – life forms on Earth that looked a little like you” (Butler 17). This demonstrates that the unknown scares many people.
We as humans like to know things about the past, present and future. Once we know things, we are no longer afraid of them. Consequently once Lilith interacts with Jdahya and his family, she starts to not be so afraid of his grotesque sea-slug appearance and no longer runs away from him in panic and revulsion (Butler 26). Once an unknown thing arrives, humans tend to get defensive and behave ignorantly. Many human beings feel better somehow if they believe they can describe something with words. It’s like a perceived extension of power. To sense you put something or someone in a place is a way to convince yourself you know it, master it and dissolve any surrounding fear. This presumes you are not deluding yourself about reasons for fear. Now imagine a world where fear did not exist. There would be no reason to seek to control situations or people. There would be no doubt, frustration, anger, jealousy, envy, or revenge. If we were to create a world from scratch, such as what the Oankali are doing on Earth, and eliminate the things that disrupt our peace of mind, life would be perceived very differently. Perhaps eliminating humans’ fear of the unknown, if possible, would be a crucial step in helping us all to live in peace and harmony.
Octavia Butler effortlessly weaves the very essence of human nature into her science fiction novel about a race of aliens who save these human beings and wish to help them restore the earth. The Oankali learn from the humans and the humans, in turn, learn a great deal about the Oankali. Butler shows us how human tendencies can sometimes help or inhibit our chance of survival. Humans possess many strengths and weaknesses, but sometimes our strengths, such as our intelligence, can become our weakness. Butler invites the reader to question her grim view of human nature and wonder if humanity’s fate is a continuation of the wars that have plagued civilization since recorded history. Butler has encouraged intellectual curiosity in her readers to broaden our current horizons and open up new ones. We must stop and reflect on what caused the world to be destroyed in Lilith’s society, in order to make sure that this does not happen in our own future. Through studying basic human wants and fears, we are better able to understand the human race and are now more knowledgeable in trying to prevent a nuclear war from occurring, in order to save humanity.
There's a lot of great material here; as a consequence, there's also a lot to be picky about. But first, let me say a few words about structure here.
Your paragraphs, taken individually, are pretty strong. Your use of your psychology textbook (despite some clumsy language here and there) is pretty compelling. Your separate discussions of hierarchy and intelligence are also both more than ok.
Where you do less well is weaving it all together. I know you get it, but somehow the full complexity of the relationship between intelligence and hierarchical behavior doesn't get on the page - it almost comes across like they doom us separately instead of together.
Similar difficulties at making connections abound. Your (uncited) use of an interview is a great idea, but you don't really clarify how it changes your reading of the book (or doesn't it?) -- it's too free-standing.
I could nitpick more, but here's the fundamental difficulty. You have a wide array of good thoughts and insights. The reason you fail to connect them is that - strong as your material is - you don't yourself seem to have a strong view (either following or resisting Butler) about what human nature is.
I think this is great raw material to use in a final project. The key will be to find your voice, or your purpose, or whatever you want to call it.
Post a Comment