Human BeingsIn her novel We Are All Completely Outside Ourselves, Karen Fowler compares and contrasts humans and chimpanzees to suggest that being human is more primarily about an internal state of being and less about being a homo sapien. Fowler describes the life of Rosemary Cooke, a girl who grew up with a chimpanzee named Fern as part of an experiment to test the ability of chimpanzees to communicate with humans. However, Rosemary suspects that the experiment did not just test "how well Fern could communicate" (Fowler, 99), but rather "can Rosemary learn to talk to chimpanzees" (Fowler, 99). By comparing and contrasting humans and chimpanzees, Fowler suggests that being human is not simply a matter of species, but rather a state of mental consciousness. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Fowler argues that the mental aspect of being human is more important than the physical aspect through Fern's belief that she is human. Having grown up around humans her entire life, “Fern believed she was human” (Fowler, 101). Rosemary states, “that the neural system of a young brain develops in part by mirroring the brain around it” (Fowler, 101). This mimicry leads Rosemary to believe that the Fern's most important traits are not its appearance, but rather its personality. Rosemary comments that, “very, very importantly, [she] wanted [the reader] to see how things really were” (Fowler, 75). Fern's mental similarities to Rosemary have led Rosemary to believe she is more human than chimpanzee. Although Fowler suggests that Fern is more human than chimpanzee, he does not ignore that common human behaviors differ from Fern's behavioral patterns. Although chimpanzees were capable of understanding deception, they “do not appear capable of understanding the state of false belief” (Fowler, 188). This knowledge was one of many that reminded the Cooke family that Fern was not fully human mentally. Regardless of the similarities observed between Fern and Rosemary, there were still quirks that served as a constant reminder of Fern's species. As a result of Rosemary and Fern's relationship, Rosemary comes to believe that being human is more than just being the same species. “In the phrase human being, the word being is much more important than the word human” (Fowler, 158). Rosemary developed a relationship with Fern so strong that Rosemary no longer saw her as a chimpanzee, but rather simply as her sister. Although Fern could not perform all human behaviors, she was able to communicate with Rosemary on a level that Rosemary could not achieve with other humans. This is evident when Rosemary is at university and comments: “I still didn't fit in. I didn't have any friends yet. Maybe I just didn't know how" (Fowler, 132). Keep in mind: This is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Through comparing and contrasting humans and chimpanzees, Fowler recognizes the difference between the two species, but suggests that the most important thing that makes a person human is internal. The bond she felt with Fern was closer stronger than any other and it is through this that Fowler suggests that "the word being is much more important than the word human" (Fowler, 158).