Mark Twain’s essay, The Lowest Animal, explores the natural behavior of man compared to “higher animals”. He challenges Darwin’s theory, stating that rather than descending from “low”, primitive animals, humans are in fact the lowest animals. Twain uses satire as well as exaggeration and irony to illustrate humanity’s faults. His dense tone highlights humankind’s lack of morality. Twain believes that humans wear a mask made of integrity and ethics, but the mask only hides their capability to turn evil. Twain writes, “Man is the animal that blushes . . . He is alone in that distinction.” (Twain). Man is the only animal who blushes because he is the only one who has something to be ashamed of. When he sets up guidelines for himself, then