Case Study

Running head: ANIMALS AS EQUALS IN SCIENCE FICTION 1

Animals as Equals in Science Fiction

Student Name

Columbia Southern University

SAMPLE CASE STUDY

This is the running head. The words “Running head:” should only appear on the title page. On all subsequent

pages, the header should consist of the title in all capital letters. Be sure that the title within the running

head is 50 characters or less including spaces.

This case study is modelled after some of the most common case study assignments here at CSU.

Keep in mind that while some case study assignments will look like this, not all of them will.

In those circumstances, pay particular attention to the questions that your assignment is asking you

to answer or the issues it wants you to address: These will become your level headings. This is the

assignment that this sample paper is responding to:

Use the resource below:

Clements, J. How science fiction helps us reimagine our moral relations with animals.

Journal of Animal Ethics, 5(2) 181. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

Then, write a case study that answers the following questions:

-What types of characters are defined as “animal” in literature?

-What real-world societal problems do such characters address?

ANIMALS AS EQUALS IN SCIENCE FICTION 2

Animals as Equals in Science Fiction

In her article “How Science Fiction Helps Us Reimagine Our Moral Relations with

Animals,” Jennifer Clements (2015) details several science fiction writers who bring animals and

animalistic characters to the forefront of their works. While it is an oft-ignored genre, science

fiction tends to be filled with satires and metaphors that act as calls to action for the more

attentive reader. Of these metaphors, one of the most popular is the animalistic character. The

trope of the animal appears in such classics as Frankenstein, The Island of Doctor Moreau, and

Planet of the Apes (Clements, 2015). These novels all utilize their respective animal characters to

cast a new light on some aspect of humanity. Science fiction very rarely focuses on true animals.

More often, these animals are some sort of hybrid between the natural creature and man, giving

them the higher thinking necessary to comment upon a multitude of societal issues, especially

those of discrimination and segregation.

The Animal as a Character

One of the most legendary stories not only of the genre, but of literature as a whole, is

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Or the Modern Prometheus. While many of the adaptations of

Frankenstein have badly skewed the original store, the central theme of the creature as an

innocent and largely peaceful being has, for the most part, endured. This is true for the creature’s

many counterparts in the genre; they are feared, physically abused, or shunned for either their

appearance or origins, and yet, they are kind, thoughtful, and intelligent. Essentially, the

animalistic character is meant to represent the best of what humanity could be. This is

particularly ironic since, in an overwhelming majority of such tales, humans created these

creatures through their own scientific prowess (Clements, 2015). These origin stories cause a

dilemma for readers: Siding with the animal character feels like a betrayal to mankind, but

This is the running head.

Center the full title of the document. It should not be

in bold, italics, or underlined.

The thesis acknowledges

both of the issues

prompted in the

assignment, and provides

brief answers to them.

Notice that both of the body paragraphs’ level headings respond to questions

from the prompt. Refer back to the assignment:

What type of creatures are referred to as “animal” in literature?

Since this passage answers that question, it receives a heading. These headings

can either be a reworded version of your assignment’s original question, like this

one, or indicate your response to the question or issue.

ANIMALS AS EQUALS IN SCIENCE FICTION 3

challenges the reader to consider the viewpoints of those who are fundamentally different from

themselves.

The Animal as a Representative of Societal Problems

In Frankenstein, the creature acts as an example of “the moral wrongs that newly

expanding scientific frontiers made possible” (Clements, 2015, para.2); while this topic remains

especially relevant with the advent of artificial intelligence on the horizon, it is not necessarily at

the forefront of human thought in the twenty-first century. For much of the lesser known writer

Cordwainer Smith’s body of work, however, the issues at hand are much more similar to those of

modern America. Smith centers many of his short stories on the conflicts between the

Underpeople (an animal-derived human) and the True Men, who, true to genre stereotypes,

created the Underpeople in their own image. The conflicts between the Underpeople and the

True Men are blatant analogies for racism and religious persecution, and are especially effective

in their execution (Clements, 2015). Smith’s stories (and those of similar writers) encourage

“continual… negotiation (not denial) of difference” (Clements, 2015, para.9).

Conclusion

Animal characters serve to represent not what humanity is, but what it has the potential to

become. The origin of these characters is typically man, representing the fact that hate and evil

are uniquely human attributes. These problems, originating with man, must end with man to

create a more enlightened and caring being. The animal is used as a representative of these

problems because of their relative goodness compared to humans; they have no wars and no

hatred with which they are born. The lessons illustrated by these skilled authors, centering upon

these idealistic beings, are critically important in learning to overcome such major issues as

racism and homophobia, uniquely caused and perpetuated by humanity alone.

This level heading answers this question:

What real-world societal problems do such characters address?

Conclusions are critical in all academic

papers. This is where you will tie

together all of your thoughts and main

points made about your subheadings.

ANIMALS AS EQUALS IN SCIENCE FICTION 4

References

Clements, J. How science fiction helps us reimagine our moral relations with animals. Journal of

Animal Ethics, 5(2) 181. Retrieved from Academic OneFile.

The word “References” should be centered at the top of the page

and is not boldface.

If you have any questions

about your references page, refer to

the APA Citation Guide.