The Divine Spark and What It Means to Be Human - Book Report/Review Example

What is "The Divine Spark" The most likely explanation for this, I believe, would be that sudden spark of life. It is that sudden gift of life from the divine creator. In the context of the novel though, I believe that the divine spark is the dawning of a realization for a person. That sudden understanding that whatever it was that he was questioning in the past has, when he least expected it, finally found an answer. The novel posed a serious question before me. After reading the passage in the book where the professor from the University of Virginia discussed his view of a Negro as a man with Chamberlain, I knew that I had a question to ask myself.

Chamberlain said:I tried to point out that a man is not a horse, and he replied, very patiently, that that was the thing I did not understand, that a Negro was not a man.A Negro was not a man Why wasn't he to be considered as such Regardless of race and color, he lived, breathed, and existed in the same space as his landlord. I am of the opinion that this was said because at the time a Negro was not human because he was unlearned. That was not entirely his fault as it was illegal to teach your slaves to read in some states during that time.

There were still some whites during this period that could not read or write yet nobody ever thought that he was less of a man because of his illiteracy. Is being a man based on skin color No. That is shallow and totally unacceptable. To illustrate my point, these days, the Latin Americans living in the USA have taken the place of the Negroes. The majority of them come to this country illegally from across the border of Mexico. They work the lowest of the lowly jobs, act as modern-day slaves to the modern-day landlords, and, just as in "The Killer Angels", the majority of them are unlearned.

Yet, they are treated with dignity and respect. Given the same care and consideration as the next man. Why Simply put, it is because, regardless of the differences in race, color, and language, the Latinos are human beings. As Kilrain explained in the book after asking Chamberlain what he thought of Negroes:But the thing is, you cannot judge a race. Anywho judges by the group is a peewit. You take men one at a time, and I've seen a few blacks that earned my respect.Respect. Human being. The two go hand in hand in my understanding.

One cannot be considered a human if he has no sense of respect for himself and, most importantly, for his fellow man. I firmly believe that it is much easier to be a man rather than a human. Being a man simply means that you live your life. Being human requires a number of factors though. Being human means respecting life and treating your fellow man fairly. Even though man shall never be created equally just as no nation shall be of the same caliber as the next, yet the nations must learn to live in peace with each other and treat each other with the respect he would accord his fellow countryman.

In other words, respect is what makes a human a being. Being human means knowing how to respect a person's life, liberty and freedom, religion, beliefs, and opinions, and also knowing how to treat his fellow man equally. Let us never forget that back in 1863 the lack of these led to civil war. Never forget the meaning and understanding of what it means to be human. It's a character-building tool that is too valuable to lose.