63 pages • 2 hours read
Matt HaigThe Humans
Fiction | Novel | AdultA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Symbols & Motifs
Clothing
Clothing is a literal and metaphorical symbol in the novel. Andrew’s first lesson on human life is that, though humans seem to be obsessed with sex, they are easily shamed by their natural human bodies. Because Andrew runs around without clothes, he is arrested and institutionalized. The explicit message is that clothing is a sign of stability, acceptance of social norms, and healthy behavior. In other words, human beings crave coverage. They want to be physically hidden and emotionally hidden. Though clothing is literal, it is also symbolic because it represents the desperation people feel to keep their true selves to themselves. Because the novel develops into an uncovering of emotions, identity, and love, the emphasis on remaining clothed in the beginning of the novel helps to reinforce Haig’s criticism of society’s understanding of mental health. The more clothed and hidden a person is, the more stable they seem to others. However, this view is a farce—a coping mechanism that humans use to remain anonymous in the face of potential shame.
Music
Music is a crucial symbol of the power of the human spirit. Haig postulates that music uplifts the soul and makes humans feel in awe of their existence. He demonstrates this power through Andrew’s discovery of music. Debussy and the Beach Boys reflect Andrew’s thoughts and feelings about the world and people around him. Music even mimics the physics of the universe, according to Andrew. Music is what bridges the gap between Andrew’s rational understanding of emotions and his immersion in the richness of human emotion. Before he truly experiences music, Andrew is skeptical of irrational human feeling. When he discovers music, he transcends his physical body and learns what humans can do with art. Andrew uses music as a coping mechanism, as a way of exploring his self, and as a way of protecting himself against the interference of the hosts. In The Humans, music symbolizes a way to connect with other humans and with oneself in a world that is alienating and isolating. Music symbolizes human beauty, human potential, and transcendence.
Mathematics
Mathematics plays a central role in The Humans, representing not only a profession or a system of logic, but also a danger to humanity. Professor Andrew Martin is an intelligent man who is driven by the potential for mathematics to change the world. It is a system that the extraterrestrial narrator understands in ways that mere humans can barely imagine. Thus, it also serves to symbolize the vast difference between humans and other life forms in universes that have discovered all the mathematical secrets that enable them to gain immortality. In this novel, mathematics is both destructive and constructive. Mathematical discoveries can kill when used by the wrong people, but they are also a sacred step towards progress. The main conflict between the hosts and the humans is the hosts’ perception that humans are not rational enough to bear the responsibility of mathematics. Haig acknowledges the evil wrought by mathematical discoveries throughout human history, but he also advocates for the potential for mathematics to change the world for good. The question is whether mathematics represents a force more powerful than the greed of human beings.
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By Matt Haig
