Throughout the book, Fowler ascribes chimp-ish traits to
quite a number of the characters. One in particular that I believe gives us
greater insight into the meaning of the “human animal” is Harlow. Fowler uses
imagery and symbolism to prove that the distinguishing characteristics between
“humans” and “animals” are not nearly as significant as we would like to think
they are.
Fowler
uses imagery in the first scene to draw comparisons between Harlow and a chimp.
In this scene, not only is Harlow breaking dishes, flipping over chairs, and
making noise, but Rosemary also describes an appearance that calls to mind a
chimp, “Long dark hair that fell in a messy braid…beautiful biceps” (7). Even
in the next chapter, Rosemary is amazed at how flexible and long Harlow’s arms
are that she can maneuver her hands around to her front side, even while in
handcuffs (11-12). The connection between these descriptions of Harlow and a
chimp though, is certainly not one makes upon first reading, but I believe that
because it is not, it lends itself more towards Fowler’s point. Humans behave
like animals all the time. In keeping with the book’s theme of removing context,
imagine me describing a scene where a creature with messy brown hair and big
biceps terrorizes a local cafeteria, assaulting people with broken glass,
flipping over chairs, then is taken by security personnel to be locked in a
cage. You’d probably think I was talking about an animal, right? Many would
argue that because of chimps’ sometimes violent nature they are inferior to
humans, but in this scene Fowler proves that the only reason some are able to
count this as a distinguishing characteristics is because they justify this own
nature within themselves as temporary emotions, not their basic nature.
The next
example I will discuss is Lowell’s relationship with both Fern and Harlow. When
Fern is taken away, the person immediately most negatively affected is Lowell.
Whatever connection he had formed with Fern was enough to cause him to discard
his very promising life and rededicate it to animals, in particular Fern.
Because of this, I believe that when Lowell begins flirting with Harlow, “He
held her hand for a minute, stroking over her palm with his thumb” (194), it is
because he is attracted to her chimp-nature. Lowell is fascinated by Harlow and
Madame Defarge. It appears to me, and I suspect to Lowell, that Harlow uses
Madame Defarge as a conduit for her human expressions, which is why Lowell
reaches past Defarge to touch Harlow, the animal. By temporarily separating her
human part from her animal part, Harlow shows that she is indeed a human
animal.
I believe
the term human animal is used to signify that one cannot logically separate the
two. She points out that humans do not possess enough significance to warrant
such individuality as to classify living beings as either human or animal.
I am certainly glad that I am not the only one who initially did not make the Harlow-chimp connection! But just as Fowler concealed Fern’s identity until page 77, I agree that she does not explicitly make this connection regarding Harlow for the reader. Harlow barges into Rosemary’s life similarly to how Fern existed in her sister’s childhood: “She was my twin, my fun-house mirror, my whirlwind other half” (78-79). Both Fern and Harlow are animals with wild amounts of energy, both defining Rosemary by association and setting her apart from the two of them. Rosemary is not quite as human as her new friend Harlow, but she’s also not a chimp like Fern; she floats somewhere between the civilized and primal extremes.
ReplyDeleteAnd although Rosemary is not as reckless as Harlow, she is fascinated by Harlow’s explosion and dramatic flipping of tables--perhaps Rosemary sees Harlow reflecting her own starvation for attention. “It’s always hard to come in second,” (59) Rosemary says wistfully, which is how she often felt in Fern’s shadow during the family’s study. When Rosemary throws her glass onto the floor in defiance of the cop, she is not only following Harlow’s lead but, in a way, Fern’s, if Fern had been present. Everyone who knows Rosemary recognizes her tendency to mimic others around her--Harlow, her brother Lowell, and especially Fern. This type of copycat behavior is quite commonplace in chimps, but not so much in young adults attending college. Indeed, Rosemary has always had difficulty relating to humans around her at UC Davis, subconsciously longing not only for her brother, but for Fern as well. I agree that Harlow is clearly a “human animal,” but Rosemary is even more so because of her exposure to and reliance on Fern.