Creative Humanity

A young child sits at a miniscule desk, her hand slowly swirling across the crisp sheet of paper beneath her color-coated hands.  She brings to life the wild monsters and creatures that exist in her mind with a single stroke of her crayon, and while these scribbles may not be awe-inspiring masterpieces, her artwork displays the defining aspect of humanity: the ability to imagine.  While intelligence and emotion set the human race apart from other species, the true measure of humanity is the spark of creativity that resides within every soul.   

This innate flash of creativity has been present within the human race since the beginning of time and will stay in the hearts of all as humanity boosts into the modern age.  From the invention of the wheel to the discovery of fire, humanity has been creative and resourceful in order to obtain the necessities of life such as food, water, and shelter.  The acquisition of this basic knowledge has led to the advancement of the human race as a whole; no discovered animal or other species has adapted to their surroundings and invented in the same manner as humans.  Humanity has created solutions to the world’s most pressing problems and continues to resolve greater issues. 

Creativity has allowed every human being to develop each skill that the race now possesses; without imagination and ingenuity, humanity would not be able to reason through disputes, understand the logic behind processes, and invent a new and bright future for generations to come.  Within the short story “Epicac”, the author Kurt Vonnegut shows this ability to cultivate knowledge through the expression of creativity in his character EPICAC.  Wanting readers to understand that EPICAC was instinctively human, the author gave the machine the ability to express itself through poems, and through these works, EPICAC grew to become a fully-fledged human.  Through this capability to develop into a “human” through the use of creativity, the species continues to survive despite the tragedies that have struck the society.    

Creativity, the most essential aspect of human nature, has also caused the human race to remain united despite the distinct differences that all seem to hold within themselves.  Any person, regardless of his or her background, can view creative expression in the same light; every human that walks the earth can connect with another who shares the land through the simple display of creativity.  Ingenuity can bring about unity and peace when mishaps and wrongdoings arise from the pettiest of crimes, and creativity can bond those who had never even begun to agree.  Imagination brings humans on a collective journey to another world, another reality, where they can escape the wretchedness of the world through the experience of others.  Through the simple painting of photographs, two people who hold the same passion within their hearts can be brought together; the sharing of this overflow of ingenuity is seen in the movie Catfish.  Even though the underlying circumstances are not ideal, Angela and Nev are brought together into a long-lasting relationship that originally had spawned from creativity.

  Creativity binds and shapes the human race; the expression of this human attribute is the sole aspect that all can accept as part of their lives.  Not all of those who tout that they are intellectuals preach that they can relate to others emotionally, and those who are gifted with the power of comprehending emotion will complain about not having intelligence.  These two groups, however, will usually both claim that they are creative in a certain capacity, whether that be through solving intense mathematical issues or pinpointing emotional turmoil within a person.  This collective force of creativity is the greatest power in the universe, and this aspect of life is truly what gives each human his or her own unique identity, his or her own destiny.  

True humanity is only present in an entity if the substance contains the aspect of creativity in conjunction with intelligence and emotion.  Without creativity, the human race would be extinct, deceased in the unceasing fires of chaos and destruction.  Creativity is humanity’s life force; it is the purpose of all human beings to create, invent, and design a new, better reality for all who share the Earth in which they live.  As the girl outlines another of her fantastic creations, she continues to spew her creativity onto the paper before her, innately drawing upon the most primordial instinct that lies in her heart.

Works Cited

Catfish.  Dir. Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman.  Perf. Yamiv Schulman, Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost, and Angela Wesselman-Pierce.  Rogue, 2010.  Film.

Vonnegut, Kurt.  “Epicac.”  Welcome to the Monkey House: A Collection of Short Works by Kurt Vonnegut.  Lawrence: Delacorte Press, 1968.  Print.

Humanity Through Technology

Contraptions whir and mechanics buzz within a massive room, filled to the brim with electronic devices, as a lone scientist laboriously types out code at a small desk.  The scientist, desperate to call out to someone about his woes, asks the computer what he should do, and to the man’s surprise, the machine answers back with emotion and intelligence.  This intelligent and emotional being named EPICAC shows the ignorant scientist the true basis of humanity, strengthening the man’s relationships through the use of technology.  Kurt Vonnegut, the author of “Epicac”, believes that interactions with others may be strengthened through the resource that is EPICAC, and he proves this question by presenting an argument of similar nature to his readers.

             The crucial claim made throughout the story “Epicac” is that in order for an object or person to be truly human, they must exhibit the aspects of intelligence and emotion.  To prove this implicit argument, Vonnegut guides the reader through the eyes of the nameless assistant of EPICAC, who discovers for himself whether a machine can become man.  The story commences in the form of a flashback in order persuade readers effectively; the scientist reflects upon his time spent with the machine and the impact that EPICAC has left upon his life.  “You can call him a machine if you want to.  He looked like a machine, but he was a whole lot less like a machine than plenty of people I could name” (Vonnegut 268).  As the story of EPICAC unfolds, the reader is shown that this previous statement is entirely true; EPICAC displays a beautiful collaboration between intelligence and emotion through the form of poems that awed and melted the heart of the woman to whom he wrote.  “Where the willow wands bless rill-crossed hollow, there, thee, Pat, dear, will I follow...” (Vonnegut 271).  The author imagines these antique-styled poems, commonly known for their eloquence and emotion, for EPICAC in order to display that such a machine is capable of adapting the human nature of emotional and intellectual responses to unique situations. 

After constructing eloquent poetry to woo the woman of its “dreams”, EPICAC is brought to the harsh reality that machines cannot be with humans; they are not able function in a mutual relationship because computers are not able to function in the same capacity as humans.  Realizing this awful truth, EPICAC short-circuits himself, ridding himself of the sorrow that would befall his life if he had continued to exist.  The author created this twist in order to drive home his argument that emotion is the key component of humanity; without emotion, EPICAC would have remained the functional machine that others had simply manufactured.  By learning emotion from the scientist, EPICAC was able to exhibit one last spurt of emotion before his death: the computer created thousands of poems to fulfill his unquenchable desire to express the emotion inside of its hardware.  This specific point allows almost all contradictions to disappear, for these poems show the reader that emotion and intelligence made a “human” who could reason, create, and suffer at its own shortcomings.  Even after the machine’s death, the scientist remained truthful to his established friendship; he honored the dead by preserving the poems written and retaining the relationship born out of technology.

Overall, I personally agree with the author’s statement that relationships can develop out of machines even though the honesty of the person (or machine) can never be gauged from in front of the screen.  I believe the author accurately displays the idea that relationships can develop from technology because, similar to how EPICAC’s poems drew people together, a simple post on a website can draw those together who feel passionately about the topic discussed into a relationship that can last for years to come.  Technology-based relationships are still communication in its rawest form, whether the interaction comes from using a numeric code for an alphabet or emoticons to display emotion through chat; technology itself can be the essential component of creating some of the longest-lasting relationships that exist in today’s society.

As the lone scientist taps away at the myriad of buttons and controls which protrude from various portions of the command board, the machine between his fingertips, overflowing with intelligence and emotion, prepares to establish a life-long relationship through the simple power of technology.

Arguments in Imagery

A poof of brilliant, unnatural light burst from a massive flash bulb while a joyous high school senior posed dramatically in front of the lens; her smile was perfectly in-line, her posture was comfortable and natural, and her whole look extruded confidence and genuine excitement. The majority of senior students look expectantly towards the day that they will sit in front of the camera and display their personality in the form of pictures in order record the memories and feelings experienced during this crucial time.  Each picture makes an argument and becomes an integral portion of seniors’ lives; from passing these pictures out to friends to attaching them to résumés, senior pictures are the most viewed and vital pictures that a high school or college student will take for years to come.  By examining my senior picture, implicit suggestions that attest to my nature as well as other aspects of my life can be gleaned through the tiniest of details.

            Upon viewing my photograph for the first time, the most notable aspect of the image is that the picture was printed in black and white, and this simple detail displays countless indirect assertions relating to my personality.  By the world’s standards, black and white is commonly associated with feelings of dullness and drabness, and, at times, I do seem quite dull and drab to those whom I have not conversed with on a regular basis.  The darkness of the shot when pictured in black and white seems to mask the flaws that would be present if the picture was in color. Similar to the image, I attempt to bury my shortcomings deep into the background as well; I am extremely self-conscious of my errors and will attempt to destroy them at any cost.  Because of my lack of confidence, I am also rather reserved; I prefer not to let my true colors to shine but to hide behind the safety net of strict monochrome.   Cut and dry as black and white, the image claims that I must tend towards the logical side of education that provides straight, easily obtainable answers that do not include unnecessary flourishes.  Therefore, I do wish for straightforward honesty and truth in my relationships, like the sharp lines and visuals that come from colorless pictures.  Without confusing and overwhelming colors, I am also simple and more navigable than others, and even though I can come off as plain, I am always willing to delve into new situations, such as coloring a beautiful photograph in simple monochrome.

            In the bottom left-hand corner of the image, a small insignia can be seen indicating that the photograph was taken professionally, which presents arguments pertaining who I am as a person.  When taking senior pictures, I was ecstatic to finally become a college student and begin the next portion of my life; therefore, I feel that the professional aspect of the image argues my willingness to become an integral portion of the communities I will be a part in. As I prepared to leave my high school, I wished to leave my friends with an image of myself; therefore, I chose this professional picture to instill in them the best image of my personality.  The photograph also suggests that I can look proper and proficient when expected to be, and that I am frugal because I wished to receive my money’s worth by taking a picture useful for any occasion. 

            Along with the black and white and professional aspects of the photograph, my disposition can also be portrayed through the argument of my body language.  Sitting upright but leaning comfortably to the side, my posture conveys my general feelings of being laid-back and slightly content as if I was perfectly at home in front of the camera.  While slightly strained, my smile still argues that I am usually welcome and generous.  My eyes are focused directly into the lens; the picture implicitly claims that I am concentrated and fully immersed into all tasks at hand, whether that would be studying important material or simply taking a picture.  Lastly, my slightly raised eyebrows subtly display my quirkiness and my unique sense of humor. 

            By analyzing even a simple photograph such as a senior picture, each tiny detail examined can make an argument towards someone’s unique personality.  From the monochrome setting to the professional style and the body language, my dark and serious yet proper and inviting nature was brought to the forefront through the various implicit claims present within my senior picture.  Surrounded by various apparatuses and contraptions, the young senior smiled brightly as the flash bulb exploded with light once more, capturing her distinct personality in an image that will directly state countless arguments about herself for years to come.