What does it mean to be human? A question that has plagued both scientists and philosophers for thousands of years, it has no definitive answer. While humans can be defined as members of the homosapien species, they can also be interpreted as an elite group of self-aware, rational animals. Another frame of reference can be attached to the definition of humans, such as social mammals that possess the capability to reason, use technology, and speak. The quality of a human life is established based on the way one uses their ability to make decisions and judgments as people are intended to make relationships and connections with one another. This can be seen in Meg Rosoff’s novel How I Live Now, and the short stories “The Scarlet Ibis” and “My …show more content…
His hand, trembling, reached out, and when he touched the casket, he screamed” (Hurst 2, 3). Doodle, having been treated as such by his older brother for the majority of his life, did not discern anything was out of the ordinary, as he had become accustomed to such treatment. Regardless, the sight of a coffin makes the average person uncomfortable, but the fact that Doodle had to see the one picked out for him specifically makes the situation much more obscene. Additionally, abandonment for a disabled child such as Doodle is the greatest harm that could be afflicted on him. Doodle’s brother would deliberately harm him, as he thought his younger was below him. Had he thought of Doodle as his equal and not only seen his weaknesses, the brother would almost certainly show it through his actions, such as taking care of Doodle and compensating for his disabilities. Considering Doodle as less than human allowed his older brother to deliberately belittle him, as his narcissistic thoughts blinded his sensibility. Another literary example of cruelty can be seen in Meg Rosoff’s How I Live Now, in which Daisy is a 15-year-old living in England in the middle of a war, facing its consequences. One consequence would be observing the extent of