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Bettina Alexandra Veloso

Alona U. Guevarra

Literature: Global Voices and Encounters

Questions on the Existential Paradox of Human Nature

An Analysis on Nesting in the Crevice of a Human Ribcage by Teo Hi Yan

What lies beyond our limited plane of knowledge? There are questions of the

universe that we have the capability to ask but are too limited to answer. Abraham

Maslow, an American psychologist writes in his book​ A Theory of Human Motivation ​on

how man is a perpetually desiring being that will always crave for more despite what he

has been given. Although this is often interpreted and dissected with context to

materialism, it can apply to our thirst for ideas, knowledge and understanding despite

the limitations of the human self. Truly, the complexity of the human mind is often

viewed to be paradoxical as we attempt to understand our existence and behavior by

putting ourselves in the context of the greater scheme of the universe. This is what the

short story ​Nesting in the Crevice of a Human Ribcage​ by Singaporean author Teo Hi

Yan seeks to explore.

Firstly, what does existential paradox of the human mind entail? A paradox in

itself is defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary as ​“one (such that a person, situation or

action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phrases.” ​ Altheia Luna in her article
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​ xplains that the inherent nature

“5 Strange Examples of Paradox in Human Behavior” e

of paradox interwoven into human nature is alluded to the inconsistency and

unpredictability of the innermost emotions we like to repress subconsciously. Therefore,

we often create caricatures as coping mechanisms as a means of projecting our

uncertainty, insecurity and vulnerability. In the story,​ Nesting in the Crevice of a Human

Ribcage,​ the uncertainty, insecurity and vulnerability that Yan wants to make known is

the fear that humans feel towards our inevitable demise. In simpler terms, we are aware

of our lack of permanence. With every beginning, comes its respective ending and this

type of awareness is a prominent theme throughout the course of this story. ​“Humans

have such fleeting, physical lives, humans are so myopic and blind to the beyond.” ​ This

is stated by Ne, the personified celestial body protagonist in the beginning of the story

when he first takes an interest to human-watching. However, as he begins to explore

the concept of the ephemeral existence of human beings, Ne shifts his stance on the

​ his character realizes this

issue based from the line: ​“Ne grows to envy humans.” T

when it begins to explore the notion of the new star that often joins him for

human-watching.​ “...the new star insinuates it wishes it were human. The new star

brings up humans burning hard, burning bright; no regrets, no consequences. Being

free.” ​ This is where the first paradox concept begins its slow unravelling. Teo Yi Yan

projects the fear of humans and seeks to present a contrast of two points of view in the

creation of his two characters: Ne and The Other Star. Ne makes it clear that it would

never want to be human as their life spans decrease so rapidly in perspective to his

own. This reflects the human desire for longevity and conquering death. This is seen
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constantly in our obsession with preserving our lives and avoiding dangerous situations

that could lead to major risks and consequences. As Philip Ball states in his article ​“The

God Quest: Why Humans Long for Immortality”: “We can’t stop craving eternity. The

strange thing about our dreams of immortality is that they persist even while so many of

the stories we tell about them end badly.” ​ Take the famous series of fantasy novels

Harry Potter​ as an example. The main antagonist Voldemort creates horcruxes in an

attempt to preserve his soul despite the morbidity of their process of creation in order to

conquer death. In the final installment, Harry Potter destroys all 7 horcruxes, including

the one contained within himself, and Voldemort is brought to retribution for his actions

through his own physical demise. Voldemort in this instance mirrors the stance of Ne.

There is an unpredictability in the manner of our death that pressures us with the need

to constantly extend our lifespans. This is mirrored in the importance of The Deathly

Hallows in the wizarding world where it is made clear that the wizard or witch that

possesses all three hallows: the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of

Invisibility becomes master of death. However, Harry Potter retaliates against

Voldemort’s obsession with conquering death despite any means necessary by

exhibiting a parallelism with the third Peverell brother in the short story included in the

The Deathly Hallows entitled ​The Tale of the Three Brothers. ​This is seen when Harry

meets Voldemort in the Forbidden Forest as he musters the strength to face death

head-on in a selfless sacrifice.Thereby, greeting death as an old friend and departing

his life as its equal. Although we often crave for the permanence of youth and

constantly fear of the unknowing event of our inevitable passing, the very thing that
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makes life so precious and valuable is the fact that it will eventually conclude in total

finality. Our friendships, ambitions and opportunities are all given meaning because of

the awareness we possess of their eventual end. It is this projected meaning that makes

human beings vulnerable, insecure, but in turn makes us unique,complex and dynamic

creatures. This is what the other star seeks to make known to Ne: ​ “...burning hard,

burning bright;... being free.” ​ The very thing humans fear is what makes them so

enviable. Our longing for immortality and longevity devalues the nature of the journey of

living. The complexity of our souls relies on the inevitability of a single, unified

conclusion. These contradictions present a paradox in and of itself.

Secondly, through the personification of the two main characters: Ne and The

Other Star does Teo Hi Yan seek to give clarity on the stance of the issue on the fear of

death. He takes a liking to parallelisms as the stars in his story go human-gazing similar

to how humans often go stargazing. This mirroring shows the longing for humans to

understand the beyond as with the stars in the story that seek to understand what lies

beyond the “life” of their celestial bodies. Moreover, he seeks to parallel the ​“burning

hard,burning bright” ​ to describe humans with a clear connection to the likeness of

celestial bodies. He seeks to extend the idea that we are ourselves are the humanized

versions of stars. We may wish to exist as the stars do, burnin for hundreds of years,

floating in the expanse of space with no worries, no hardships, no inconsistencies, and

no heartbreak. However, Yan seeks to expand on the fact that this pain and uncertainty

that are often seen as the trials and tribulations of being human are the primary factors
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that allows us to feel elation, triumph and fulfillment in the first place. There can never

be success without failure. There can never be relief without pain. We may never hope

to experience happiness without the prior emotional turmoil of the dreaded stings of

sadness. Thus, we can never experience life without knowing and understanding the

concept of death. This is the paradox that Yan seeks to paint in the creation of two of

his main characters who so vividly contrast in ideals. One who despises the vulnerability

of human death and one who embraces it as a whole. These concepts are supported

greatly by the lines “​Their ability to inscribe meaning and significance to everything they

touch, even when the waves and tides of the universe and time and space will erase

everything they have touched...But what if, what if they have just a good a spell to burn

bright and fast?...What if, of all unspeakables, They have an even better existence?”

This is the second paradox that Yan longs to emulate through his piece. Despite the

destruction that will wreak havoc upon the creations of our permanence in structuralized

systems, infrastructures and generations, we still create, we still explore, we still love

and yearn to do more. Ne realizes this and establishes this idea in the following lines

when he ponders on the loss of companionship of The New Star: ​“Ne knows that once

the star no longer remains a new star, it will depart at some point, and ne will be

reacquainted with loneliness, that loneliness will weave itself back into nir’s

existence...For now the new star is here. Providing attention, grabbing luminosity,

rotating at the same velocity. … That Ne will burn singularly and wholly without

reservation for this new star.” ​ In this display, the nature of this star emulates the nature
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of being human: knowing the end will come, but seeking to find refuge in the present

anyway as human beings always do.

In conclusion,​ Nesting in the Crevice of a Human Ribcage​ is a story that puts

forth the projected insecurities and vulnerabilities of man on the stances of death and

makes known the paradoxes of human nature that construct our decisions, choices and

ambitions. It is a story that requires more than one read to fully understand, dissect and

interpret as​ ​Yan combines layer upon layer of existential concepts and questions

regarding philosophical and social topics. Despite its tendency to be slightly confusing

and vague including the often twisting and turning nature of the story with lack of proper

transitioning, it is all-in all a reflective story that brings to light substantial concepts in a

unique manner. Although the inclusion of proper transitioning, structure and flow could

be necessary for future works, the vague instances and unclear messages may be

intentionally done in order for the work to remain open to interpretation and easy for

dissection- a feat that makes this work notable in the first place. Through the paradoxes

he illustrates of the value that humans construct from the fact of their inevitable demise,

Yan uses the metaphor of human-gazing to concretize his point. We are amazing feats

meant to be looked upon in awe, burning brightly, burning freely, loving deeply, living

rapidly until we all meet our inevitable passing. Through this passing, does the journey

of our years have value, and this in turn makes us far brighter than any existing stars.
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Sources:

1. Ball, Philip. "The God quest: why humans long for immortality".

Newstatesman.com,​ 2015,

https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2015/07/god-quest-why-humans-long-im

mortality​.

2. Luna, Alatheia. “5 Strange Example of Paradox In Human Behaviour.”

​ ttps://lonerwolf.com/examples-of-paradox/
lonerwolf.com. h

3. Paradox.” Merriam-webster.com,

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox

4. Yan, Teo Hi. “Nesting in the Crevice of a Human Ribcage.” The First Five.

Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2018, pp. 104-118.