Human nature has been said to be the set of psychological characteristics, including ways of thinking and acting, which all normal human beings have in common. This may be true, yet it is this same human nature that sets one person apart from another; this common tie makes everyone different and unique. The selections from this reading group have made this very obvious, sometimes painstakingly so yet almost always in an endearing manner.
From the very beginning, Evelyn Waugh highlighted the essence of human nature by examining the impact that a “loved one” leaves when they have passed. A posh funeral home outside of Hollywood, Whispering Glades, sets a scene that tweaks the aspects of human nature expected by the reader. Mr. Joyboy, a strong, passionate, and gentle mortician loses this persona outside the funeral home becoming sad, apathetic, and powerless to woo Aimee, the object of his desire. Dennis also desires Aimee, pulling famous poems from books to hide the fact that he works at Happy Hunting Grounds, a pet cemetery. The ties between love and death in this book are interesting, from the couples burial plots to the ferry that takes living couples to a lover’s lane in the cemetery. These connections do not correlate to the characters, however, as Aimee’s vow to love Dennis eventually drives her to kill herself, yet Dennis appears nonchalant, almost relieved as he cremates her body, leaving the remains to Mr. Joyboy.
Few writers address the issues of human nature more aptly, or subtly than Kurt Vonnegut. The first short story read was Harrison Bergeron, in which human nature was essentially eliminated as everyone was handicapped. Beautiful people wore hideous masks and strong men and women wore bags of lead shot around their shoulders to keep them down. This story emphasizes the importance of human natures individuality, and predicts the impending doom if they are prohibited. Welcome to the Monkey House addresses the very important aspect of human nature that is sexuality. Sexuality is one of the most prevalent methods of self-expression in today’s materialistic world. So much so that Vonnegut takes this expression to the opposite end of the spectrum, fashioning a world where sex is an illegal, underground movement attempting to liberate the minds of death parlor attendants by raping them.
The other notable Vonnegut short stories pertaining to human nature are Who am I This Time? and EPICAC. Who am I This Time poses interesting questions about identity as it is expressed by human nature. The idea that Harry Nash, a quiet and lonely man, comes to life when he is on stage is pivotal to today’s world, a world with a million and one outside influences all trying to leave their mark, brand their impression on a person’s outward expression. EPICAC poses the most piercing insight to human nature yet; what keeps a machine from being ourselves better than we can? In this story, the main character capitalizes on the chance finding that a multi-million dollar department of defense computer has a proverbial soul, longing for the love of a woman and spouting forth poetry to win her over. When the machine finds out that this scientist has been passing the poems off as his own, he cannot cope with his loss, self destructing entirely. The question of whether the computer would have been a more passionate lover that the lack-luster scientist is one that strikes the core of human nature.
Salman Rushdie’s “The Satanic Verses” is an unparalleled view of the aspects that compose human nature, offering its largest input from the religious viewpoint. A highly controversial novel, The Satanic Verses traces the lives of Gibreel Farishta and Saladin Chamcha, who fall to earth from a hijacked plane and find themselves as an angel and a devil. Although this book has many unfamiliar aspects to many readers, the essential message that Rushdie is trying to convey is completely clear. Throughout the course of this piece of literature, it becomes evident that Rushdie believes that no man or woman is completely good or evil; aspects of both are entwined in the hearts of human nature.
The final novel discussed in this group was Isabel Allende’s take on Zorro. The story of the masked man fixed on vigilante justice in the formidable southwest desert is one of the best known and most told action stories of our time. Allende’s version isn’t all slice-and-dice, mark-the-Z-in-the-dead-man’s-chest though. Her story begins with the true beginning: Diego de la Vega’s childhood. While the action and redemption of this book are what keeps the reader turning the pages, the aspects of human nature so evident in the humanized Zorro are what keeps the reader coming back for more. As has previously been said, “Zorro is not a magical character. He is not like Superman, Spiderman… he is a human being, a man who loves life, who is willing to take risks to defend the underdog.” These characteristics remove the superhero aura from this incredible man, making him all the more interesting and endearing.
While the unifying theme from this semester’s reading group may have been delicious, literature-inspired food, it is easy to see the thread of human nature meticulously woven through each novel. Furthermore, each work presents different aspects of humanity. From love to pain to apathy to empathy, many angles of this wonder called life were covered.
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