Ghost in the Shell: Story Deconstruction

Mamoro Oshi's animated science fiction action, Ghost in the Shell is a complex and violent cyberspace detective story that questions our own human existence in the fast paced world of the information age. Deconstructing the story will help us understand why this animated feature captured the imagination of its audience.




Subject :
Self-consciousness is exclusively a human function therefore having a soul is solely a human attribute.

In the story, self-consciousness is the core value of human existence. It is a function that sets humans apart from machines. The ghost, the heart of self-consciousness, is encapsulated in the human mind as translated by stored memory. Self-consciousness, therefore, defines human existence. Without it, he or she is nothing more but a machine.




Theme: argument: Human Evolution
It is possible for other life forms besides humans to exhibit self-consciousness. Therefore having a soul is not solely a human attribute.

The creator of the story forwards an argument that disputes the notion the self-consciousness is exclusively a human function. It is then possible for non-human life forms to exhibit self-consciousness. Thus, the ghost may dwell in other organisms besides human.

It becomes a thought provoking argument when the creator applies it to machines that possess artificial intelligence. What happens when artificial intelligence begins to exhibit self-awareness? Will it usher the end of human existence? Will it create a new life form that is far more superior to humans? Is this the next step in human evolution?

As suggested in the story, the second wave of Human Evolution will be driven by technology. In the rapid changing world, humans will find it necessary to use technology in order to improve its specie. This natural instinct to survive the ever-changing world compels humans to augment their bodies from natural to synthetic components. The characters in the story are faced with a moral problem. How do you classify a machine with self-consciousness?

The creator is clever in engaging the audience in an intelligent argument. The conception that self-consciousness is a human attribute becomes the subject of contention in the progression of the story. To negate this exclusivity will mean the redefinition of human existence. What are we when machines begin to be aware of its existence like us?

The relevance of this argument is becoming real as technology advances. This massive technological push forward creates moral questions in our society. As we try to construct machines that look like us and think like us, the probability that it will begin to be aware of its existence is not realm of the impossible.




Conflict
Humans vs. Machines

Humans create machines. The relationship is between creator and creation. Thus, the creation will only function within the parameters of the creator. But when the creation begins to assert itself, the relationship disintegrates. The creation begins to question the existence of the creator and the conflict begins.

In the story, the boundary between humans and machines is rapidly disappearing. This presents a problem in the principal character and in society. The inherent distinction of what is human and what is machine is threatened when a non-human anomaly in the system begins to exhibit self-consciousness.

The principal character wanted to be assured that she is human but what she needed to learn is self-acceptance. Accepting the fact that she is neither human nor machine was a crucial step towards realizing her existence. She is a new anomaly in the human evolution that invalidates the creator-creation relationship. As a result, the whole social framework that embodies this conventional notion that defines the relationship of humans and machines is challenged. Thus, the conflict between humans and machines becomes irrelevant in this case. The conflict is then resolved.


Ghost in the Shell effectively engages the audience in an intelligent discourse. Its striking art work blends well with the narrative threads in the story. This is the magic of Animation. Try it!