Final Paper - Created Human
“Human kind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.” The idea of equivalence is something that our world holds to be the solid truth. The foundations of mathematics rely on this idea of equivalency; in order for an equation to be true both sides must be balanced. The sciences depend on this concept as well. For example, it is well known that in physics the amount inputted must be greater than or equal to the amount outputted – one cannot produce something from nothing. Even in our daily lives we see examples of equivalence. A gallon of gas, for example, can be purchased for the exchange of a certain amount of cash; furthermore, a rare baseball card is worth several not so rare cards. Virtually everything can be exchanged for something else - our society relies on this concept. However, if it is truly true that everything can be exchanged for something, what exactly does it cost to obtain human life? Through an analysis of Seiji Mizushima’s anime series Full Metal Alchemist, one can discover not only what the value of a human is, but also what exactly it means to be a human.
Full Metal Alchemist takes place in an alternative fictional world where alchemy is the founding science. Through the use of symbols and chants, humans are able to use alchemy to manipulate the physical properties of the world and thus create things. Like our world, this magic thrives on the idea of equivalent exchange. A doll, for example, cannot be made from nothing; in order to create one all of the materials needed to create a doll must be present. This process of creation through alchemy is known as a transmutation. The series focuses on the story of the two brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric and their adventures in alchemy. Living with only their mother, the boys engage in studying alchemy for pure fun at a very young age. As a result of their training, the boys become quite adept in the art of transmutations. Sadly, their mother’s life is taken by a disease and the boys are left to live on their own. Engulfed in misery by their mother’s death, the two brothers were determined to bring her back.
Despite their efforts, the boys attempt to bring their mother back proves to be a complete failure. Ed loses his leg and his brother is devoured by the transmutation. In order to bring his brother back, Ed quickly sacrifices his arm in exchange for attaching his brother soul to an empty suit of armor. The brother’s failure to resurrect their mother shows how valuable a human is. A human is composed of two components - the body and the soul. The components to create a body are easy to obtain. As the Elrics show all you need are the few basic physical components to reproduce a body. A soul, however, is worth much more. Even with the addition of Al’s entire body and Ed’s leg, a drop of blood and few components are not the equivalent of a human soul. Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction shows why this exchange is not enough.
“To pry an object from its shell, to destroy its aura, is the mark of a perception whose ‘sense of the universal equality of things’ has increased to such a degree that it extracts it even from a unique object by means of reproduction” (Benjamin 5). Alchemy is a form of mechanical reproduction. Although there are no machines or gears involved, alchemy effectively allows the simple duplication of materials. However, despite its power, alchemy has its limitations. Bound by the laws of equivalence, alchemy cannot reproduce the “aura” of an object; it can only reproduce the physical representation of an object. Sadly Ed and Al’s failed transmutation reflects this. When born into the world, the Elrics’ mother was manually produced by the forces of nature. Although she has limbs and a torso like all humans, the forces of nature endowed her with a soul. Her body served as her shell while her soul served as her aura. No other human shared this same soul that the Elrics’ mother had. Thus, her soul is what made their mother a unique being, and thus a human being. Although the boys hoped to resurrect both their mom’s body and soul they could only resurrect her body.
The brothers’ attempt to resurrect their mother’s soul failed because they did not have enough to exchange for their mother’s soul. As Benjamin shows, the shell of a body can be reproduced again and again, yet you can never truly reproduce the aura. Although the shell can be reproduced, these duplicates lack the aura of the original and are thus virtually “worthless” in comparison to the original. Equivalence reflects Benjamin’s concept and thus protects against the reproduction of the aura. You can easily reproduce the physical elements of anything through equivalent exchange yet you can never reproduce what makes an object unique, for the uniqueness of an object cannot be obtained through a simple barter with common blood. As Benjamin shows, a soul is much more than the blood that the brother’s carry, the soul of their mother is composed of her emotions, her thoughts, her personality, and much more. The aura is beyond the physical realm and thus cannot be reproduced through the exchange of physical objects. Thus, Ed and Al’s transmutation failed because they simply cannot produce anything in exchange for their mother’s soul. The only thing that can be exchanged for a soul is the soul itself. Consequently, since their mother’s soul is gone, she can never truly be brought back. As Ed responds to Al when he asks if the transmutation was successful, “You shouldn’t look…it wasn’t human.”
Defeated by their failed transmutation and the consequences of it, the Elric brothers accept the death of their mother and vow to never attempt to resurrect her again. However, despite the acceptance of the death of their mother, the brothers refuse to accept their punishment and seek a way to correct their wrongs. Ed and Al hope to find a way to regain Ed’s arm and leg and Al’s body. Consequently, the laws of equivalence prove that this mission is virtually impossible with laws that bind alchemy. Luckily, Ed hears of a legendary stone known as the philosopher’s stone. Forged by unknown forces, the stone is believed to allow an alchemist to use alchemy without regards to the laws of equivalent exchange. Hoping to correct their wrongs and regain Ed’s limbs and Al’s body, Edward and Alphonse set out to find it. Although the brothers have accepted the death of their mother, the concepts of humanity continue to haunt them. During their search for the stone, the Elrics encounter a set of guardians that are in the same state as Al: empty suits of armor with souls attached.
Until this point, Alphonse has never questioned his humanity; everyone around him simply accepts him as being human. Despite the fact that Al looks rather robotic, never takes his armor off, and is completely empty inside, no one has questioned as to whether he is human or not. Even after seeing that he is empty, people still consider him to be human. Ironically, Al does not question himself either until he meets someone of his own kind. As the above clip shows, the claims of the other empty suit, known as Barry the Butcher, causes Alphonse to ponder as to whether he is human or not. The failed attempt at reviving their mother showed that part of being a human is to have a soul. Barry, however, questions even this by proposing that even Al’s soul itself could have been artificially created. This conflict further supports the ideas of Benjamin and auras. Al worries that he’s not human for he fears he may have been artificially created through alchemy. His soul, the one thing that he believed to make him accepted by others is questioned. Al begins to fear that his soul isn’t an actual aura, and instead may just be another shell that any alchemist can easily reproduce. To further his fears, another alchemist known as Shaw Tucker claims that transmutations such as this are possible. Having killed his daughter for experimental purposes in the past, Tucker hopes to atone for his sins by recreating his daughter’s body and implanting her with his own memories of her. As Tucker states “My Nina’s in my indomitable spirit lives on in all my memories of her. I can implant these memories into a body giving birth to a Nina even more perfect than the real one that inspired her.” Despite the fact that memories can be implanted, the laws of equivalence still prevail. As Benjamin stated in his essay, the aura is something unique and it cannot be so easily reproduced (Benjamin 5). Thus, although memories seem to be something that uniquely defines an individual, in reality memories are not what make someone a true human being. Memories can be shared and duplicated amongst people; they are nothing more than bits and pieces of information that can be referenced like a cabinet of files. Several people can all share the same memory; thus, since the memory can be shared, its unique aura is shattered. Memories act on a somewhat physical level and can be duplicated and exchanged for something else of value – they are not necessarily unique. As a result, what causes a living being to be unique, and thus be a human, isn’t memories but rather something else.
Alphonse realizes that memories are not what cause him to be a human; instead it is his emotions that make him associated as a person. As Scar points out in the above clip, it is Al’s emotions that cause him to be identified as a human. Al’s emotions are so strong and prominent that it even causes Scar, an alchemist killer whom hates all products of alchemy, to identify Al as a human being and thus respect him. Unlike memories, emotions are something that cannot be reproduced as easily. “An ancient statue of Venus, for example, stood in a different traditional context with the Greeks, who made it an object of veneration, than with the clerics of the Middle Ages, who viewed it as an ominous idol. Both of them, however, were equally confronted with its uniqueness, that is, its aura” (Benjamin 5). Like the statue of Venus, Alphonse shares the same memories as his brother, yet their feelings regarding these memories differ. They each look at events in different ways. Al, for example, can look back on the fact that their father disappeared and miss him. Ed, on the other hand, looks back on his father’s departure and despises him. They both share the same memory, yet their feelings differ just like how the depictions of the Venus statue differed between the Greeks and Clerics of the Middle Ages. Thus the aura of something is not the object itself, but the ability to perceive things differently and thus feel differently about it. Emotions represent this function and thus represent uniqueness. As a result, emotions are an aspect of the human soul and therefore are a part of the overall aura of a human being as well. As an exhibitor of emotions, Alphonse realizes this and is able to truly believe that he is in fact human.
Consequently, truly earning the right to be called human depends on more than just the ability to portray emotions. Ed discovers this after defeating a pair of brothers in the same state as Al. As the clip shows, in their former life the two brothers were mass murders. Although human, their inhumane actions caused them to be identified as monsters rather than humans. We are told that being human means to be unique and to exhibit emotions. In reality, however, one is only human if they are in line with society’s laws and ideas of acceptance. Al is accepted not just because he has emotions, but because his emotions are acceptable by society’s standards. Alphonse exhibits kindness, compassion, and care; thus he is welcomed into society. Al’s counterparts, however, are seen as monsters rather than as humans. Although they also exhibit emotions they portray vengeance, violence, and fear. Thus, unlike Alphonse, they are rejected from being defined as human. It is not until the mass murdering brothers are destroyed and defenseless that they are considered human again. Even then, it is only Ed that accepts them as human. As the murdering brothers show whether you have a body and emotions or not does not matter, all that matters is whether or not you have the “appropriate” feelings that are welcomed in society. Even if brought back to human form, the brothers would be sentenced to death due to their inhumane crimes in the past. Regardless of whether they’re an empty suit or not, they can never be seen as human beings.
This same concept of humanity being defined by society is portrayed in Verhoeven’s 1987 film Robocop. Much like Al, Murphy is an artificial life form that houses memories and can exhibit emotions and make decisions. However, unlike Al, Murphy is not as welcomed by society. Despite the fact that he can feel pain and has unique attributes and feelings, Robocop’s creators, the Omni Consumer Product (OCP) executives, see Murphy as nothing more than a product and a tool for their purposes. While Al struggles with himself over being defined as a human, Robocop struggles with society to earn the right to be identified a human. Robocop asserts himself and associates with his human identity. He removes his robotic face plate and even begins to start calling himself Murphy. Robocop challenges society and its definition and consistently pushes for society to recognize him as a human being. The film goes on to not only show Robocop’s struggles to become human, but the citizens of Detroit’s struggle to be identified as humans as well. Owning the majority of the city, OCP seeks to create Delta City. However, in order to do so, OCP must wipe the slate clean and rid the city of all the inhabitants of Old Detroit City. To OCP, the inhabitants of Old Detroit are nothing more than vermin that need to be chased out. We see this in OCP’s treatment of the Detroit City police department. Despite their hard work and devotion to serving the public, the department is treated with little respect. Its officers are used for experiments, its facilities are taken over by OCP, and the police are hardly paid anything. It does not matter that the officers have emotions and other human characteristics; to OCP they are nothing more than tools. Like Robocop, OCP rejects the officers as human beings and instead uses them as tools in their master plan. Thus, we can see Verhoeven’s film, like Full Metal Alchemist, shows that regardless of whether one can think, exhibit emotions, and appear human, the true definition of being a human depends on the definition defined by those is in control. Thus, since the definition of being human depends on society and not the individual, humanity is not a given right, it is a privilege that is bestowed upon those few that are worthy enough to earn it.
Mizushima’s series expands on this idea even more with the series antagonists – the Homunculi. The results of failed human transmutations, these homunculi represent the physical form of the human they were meant to be the resurrection of. At first, they appear hideous and deformed; however, after given fragments of the philosopher’s stone, these artificial copies are able to take the form of their original copy and act as functional human beings. Although almost identical to their original counterpart in every way, the homunculi exhibit some differences. Offspring of alchemy, homunculi are virtually indestructible and can bend their physical characteristics to do things such as chew through metal, shape-shift, and stretch their bodies. However, despite their advantages, the homunculi lack the ability to feel for the memories they have; thus they are believed to have no soul. Because of these differences, the world rejects them. Society sees them as evil beings that threaten the balance of society and want to nothing more other than destroy all of mankind with the philosopher’s stone. The series cleverly convinces the audience to see these beings as evil monsters that must be destroyed. In the beginning Ed is convinced by this definition of humanity imposed by society. Yet, as the series progresses Ed and the viewer discover that not all homunculi are as evil as they may seem. Homunculi seek the stone not for destruction but rather to become human. The homunculi want nothing more than to be accepted by the humans. This acceptance means so much to them that they are willing to trade their superior powers and accept a life with death in order to obtain it. Like Robocop, the Homunculi are fighting against society in order to obtain the right to be truly human.
Ironically, coinciding with society’s definition of being human sometimes results in the destruction of what it commonly means to be human. During his adventures Ed encounters a young girl whom steals his artificial leg in hopes of attaching it to her one-legged father.
As we can see, the father was once a soldier whom was injured on the battlefield. As he states war converts you into something else; a cyborg. “The main trouble with cyborgs, of course, is that they are the illegitimate offspring of militarism and patriarchal capitalism, not to mention state socialism. But illegitimate offspring are often exceedingly unfaithful to their origins. Their fathers, after all, are inessential” (Haraway 151). On the battlefield you lose all sense of judgment and become nothing more than a machine that accepts orders and blindly executes them without thinking. In war, emotions mean nothing as to whether you are human or not. All that determines whether you’re human is whether or not you comply with orders and survive the fight – emotions mean nothing. In war society shifts the definition of human to that of a cyborg. Humans become nothing more than machines that follow orders. After the war, however, the militaristic atmosphere disappears and these once cyborgs return to their emotion. Society, however, wants these once cyborgs to purge their emotions from their minds and continue on with their lives as if nothing had happened. Society wants them replace their wounds and move on. As Haraway warns, however, cyborgs are often unfaithful to their origins. The father refuses to obtain an artificial replacement for his leg because the wound is a constant reminder of all that he has done. His lost leg constantly produces emotional responses that help him validate himself as a human being despite all the inhumane things he had done. Through these emotions he is able to constantly remind himself that he is in fact human.
Furthermore, not only does the father’s wound bring forth emotions but it also forces him to slow down. Like our world, the fictional world Ed and Al live in is rapidly evolving through advances in alchemy and technology. Metallic limbs, known as automail, serve as superior replacements for lost human limbs. Technological advances such as these, however, are so superior that some humans actually seek them over their natural arms and limbs.
By not replacing his lost limb the father takes a stand against the rapidly evolving society. The father steers clear of the possible power he can have and, as a result, is able to live a simple life free of the fast paced changes he would experience had he had an artificial limb. Although crippled he is able to solace in the things that he finds to be truly human. Rather than battling or serving in the army, he is able to relax and watch his children grow. Although he is defying what society wants him to do and thus fails to be recognized as a human in society’s eyes, the old man is able to live a happy and peaceful life and validate himself as a human. Thus, although society controls the definition of what it is to be human, the old man reveals that at the end of the day in order to be truly happy and be at peace all that really matters is to be able to accept yourself as a human being. As long as one has the strength to break out of society’s cycle and create one’s own definition of humanity and accept it, one can be satisfied.
Seiji Mizushima’s anime series Full Metal Alchemist, provides much insight not only as to what the value of a human is, but also as to what exactly it means to be a human. We are brought up to believe that the basic definition of a human being is defined as being a unique individual whom has not only a body but also a unique soul. Through emotions and their interaction with memories, we can see the evidence of a soul and thus the uniqueness that an individual possess. Because of this true sense of uniqueness there is nothing that can equate to a soul other than the soul itself. Sadly, however, as Full Metal Alchemist shows, the definition of humanity is not as concrete as we think. Society controls a large part of what it means to be a human. With the world rapidly changing, we humans blindly accept the definitions presented to us and move on with our lives. As a result, we are nothing more than slaves to society that comply with practically everything we are told. Society is like one massive machine that no questions and that everyone simply flows with. Yet, as individuals capable of thought and emotions we have the ability to break this cycle. As humans we have the ability to choose; we can either accept society’s definitions or we can create our own individual ideas and act as true individuals.
Donna Haraway, "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century," in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature (New York; Routledge, 1991), pp.149-181.
posted by Billiam at
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