Humanity In Mark Twain's Essay 'The Lowest Animal'

Mrs. Erickson
English III
March 18, 2014
Humanity: Kind or Cruel?
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it—always.” Gandhi’s words are true. There will always be murders and war, but in the end kindness will always win. In Mark Twain’s essay “The Lowest Animal,” he explains why he thinks humans are the lowest animals. He believes that “man is incurably foolish.” (650.) Humans are capable of being foolish and evil, but they are also capable of being kind and unselfish. People such as Oskar Schindler and Harriett Tubman show human’s best
qualities. Kind people will always overpower evil ones. Kindness will always win in the end.
Two examples of unselfish people are Oskar Schindler and Harriet Tubman. Schindler was a WWII hero that saved the lives of over 1,200 Jewish people by hiring them to work in his factories. He was not forced to hire these people; he chose to do so. Schindler gave everything he had to save the lives of people he barely knew. That is unselfish. Another unselfish hero is Harriet Tubman. Harriet Tubman was an Underground Railroad “conductor” during the Civil War. She is credited with escorting over 300 slaves to freedom. At one point during the Civil War, Southerners were offering a $40,000 reward for her capture! Harriet knew that what she was doing could get her killed or arrested, but she refused to stop. She returned to the South nineteen times to lead slaves to freedom. Oskar Schindler and Harriet Tubman show that humans can be unselfish and put other’s safety and well-being before their own.
Most of the stories that make big headlines, such as school shootings and bombings, speak of human evilness.
Less often do we hear of stories of giving and kindness. Each day thousands of people carry out random acts of kindness. Late in 2013, Make-a-Wish granted the wish of a five year old cancer survivor named Miles Scott. He wished that for one day he could be Batman. Aided by social media, Make-a-Wish was able to gather 12,000 volunteers to make Miles’ dream come true (Miles’ Wish to Be Batkid). That’s 12,000 people that took time out of their lives to make a little boy’s wish very special. Another show of kindness was displayed on December 2, 2012, when Spanish athlete Ivan Fernandez Anaya gave up a victory in a race to do the right thing. Anaya was in second place behind Abel Mutai, a Kenyan athlete who won the bronze medal in the London Olympics. Mutai stopped about ten meters short of the finish line thinking he had won the race. Instead of surging past him for the victory, Anaya guided Mutai across the real finish line in front of him. Anaya was later quoted saying, “He was the rightful winner. He created a gap that I couldn’t have closed if he hadn’t made a mistake” (Hudson). Anaya’s actions show that humans are honest and are willing to give up their glory to do what it is
right.
On April 15, 2013, an act of terrorism shocked not only the United States but also the entire world. On that day two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing three people and injuring an estimated 264 others (Marathon Bombing Victims.) After the explosion many people lied injured on the streets and sidewalks. Throughout all the commotion hundreds of people decided to run back towards the bomb to help out the injured runners and bystanders. From retired veterans to doctors, many people ran toward danger to assist the wounded in any way they could. In the short hours following the tragedy area police officers and first responders urged citizens to donate blood to help save lives of the victims. The people responded. According to American Red Cross, 173 lifesaving units of blood were collected (Boston Donors are ‘Boston Strong’.) These acts of kindness and bravery during such a dire time show how willing people are to help others no matter what the cost. These acts show human kindness, but humans are also capable of being evil.
Evil is a word that is often times used to describe the human race. Since the beginning of time there have been acts of evilness in the world. One of the most recent acts of human evilness occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Adam Lanza shot and killed twenty children, six staff members, his mother, and himself. There is no motive for his actions, but that isn’t relevant. He took twenty-seven innocent lives for no apparent reason and broke their family’s hearts. Adam Lanza was a cruel man who did a very evil thing. There will always be cruel people in this world, but there will always be kind people too. After the shooting the whole country rallied around the small community of Newtown. One man did a horrible thing, but a whole country reacted in an amazing way after the tragedy. Thousands of people offered donations and condolences to the victim’s families. These acts show that the evil in the world will always be destroyed by the kindness.
The acts of Oskar Schindler, Harriett Tubman, Ivan Anaya, and ordinary people show that humans are kind, unselfish, and giving. Bad people have done evil things throughout time, but there are always more people fighting the evil than doing the evil. In times of tragedy, such as the Boston Marathon bombing, there are always people running towards the danger to give a helping hand. Mark Twain believes that humans are the lowest animal because he chooses to see human flaws and imperfections. Humans really are the highest animals. Throughout all the acts of terror, the wars, and hopeless times, humans have always risen above by coming together as one. There will always be evil, that will never change, but there will always be kindness too. The acts of kindness will always outweigh the acts of evil.