Playing God

Edward: Water: 35 Liters, carbon: 20 kilograms, ammonia: 4 Liters, lime: 1.5 kilograms, phosphorus: 800 grams, salt: 250 grams, saltpeter: 100 grams, and various other trace elements...

Rose: Huh?!

Edward: That list represents the complete chemical makeup of a human body for the average adult. It's been calculated to the last microgram, but still there has never been one reported case of successfully creating a human life. And you're telling me something modern science can't do, you can do with prayer?

Rose: Lift thy voice to God! And the prayers of the faithful shall be answered!

Edward: Did I mention all those ingredients I read off? Down at the market, a kid could buy every one of them for the spare change in his pocket. As it turns out, humans are pretty cheap.

Rose: No, that's blasphemy...! People are- We're all children of God... created in his image!

Edward: Heh. You have to understand, alchemists are scientists... We don't believe in unprovable concepts like creators or gods... We observe the physical laws that govern this world to try to learn the truth. It's ironic, really. That through the application of science, we have in many ways been given the power to play gods ourselves...

Rose: So you're putting yourself on the same level as God? That's just... sheer arrogance!

Edward: You know, there's an old myth– about a hero who flew on wings made of wax... He thought he could touch the sun, but when he got too close, his wings melted, and he came crashing back down to earth... Right Al?

In class, we read about how science and religion can conflict and relate to one another. Haught described four different responses to the conflict between science and religion: 1) Conflict - where the two are seen as irreconcilable views, and so one has to be wrong while the other is right, 2) Contrast - where the two are said to be so different in their methods that they shouldn't compete with or be used to explain/compare with each other, 3) Contact - where theology has to engage in evolution, since evolution is a gift to theology since it allows us to deepen our views of God and creation, and 4) Confirmation - where science proves the existence of God through what we might at first think of as chance events, genetic mutation, or events too unfortunate for God to have caused or let them happen.

Whichever you might believe in, in FMA the lines seem to blur a bit, in that science seems to have a very big impact on what happens throughout the story, but there's the constant reminder that people with the power of alchemy and science need to be humble and not abuse their gifts and knowledge. If they do, they make themselves or others suffer. Ed, Al, and several others pay the price for thinking they could have the power over life and death. In the Christian point of view, the ultimate authority over life and death is God only, and humans don't have any right to that authority. That is why the deep conflict between pro-choice groups and pro-life groups continues to this day.
The main thing about punishment coming to people who play God is that while some people in the real world believe that people will get what's coming to them in the afterlife, in FMA the punishment comes to them immediately and while they still have a life to live. They suffer the consequences, and they are good and alive for all of it.

This blog is going to be about the other half of the overall meaning of humanity. The previous blog showed through the Homunculi that humans have flaws alongside their good qualities. It is part of what makes them human. The important thing is to acknowledge and conquer those flaws for the better of yourself and others around you, otherwise you might end up becoming the "monster" that causes suffering for everyone involved.

In this blog, we explore how science and religion clash and mesh, and how recklessly desiring for something beyond human capability, such as immortality and the power to play God, can have dire consequences in one way or another.
We see the effects of this through Ed and Al, Father, and various other alchemists.

Alphonse: Hey, Brother, have you figured out what Teacher meant by "One is All and All is One"? I've been thinking about it this whole time, but I still only have a few vague ideas.

Edward: Well, I'm not really sure about this, but... do you remember when I was weak from hunger, and I ate those ants?

Alphonse: You ate a LOT of ants.

Edward: Mm. I sure did, and boy, did they taste nasty. But then, that got me thinking. If I hadn't eaten them, I might've died. Then I would've been eaten by them. I'd go into the earth and become grass, then the rabbits would eat that.

Alphonse: You're talking about the food chain, right?

Edward: Yeah, but... not just that, either. Long time ago, this whole island was probably at the bottom of the sea. And tens of thousands of years from now, it could be the peak of a mountain for all we know.

Alphonse: All things are connected, is that what you're saying?

Edward: Everything we see, everyone we meet, is caught up in a great unseen flow. But it's bigger than that. It's the entire world, the entire universe even. And compared to something as big as that, Al, you and I are tiny, not even the size of ants. Only one small part within a much greater flow. Nothing more than a fraction of the whole. But by putting all those "ones" together, you get one great "All", just like Teacher said. The flow of this universe follows laws of such magnitude that you and I can't even imagine them."

As shown in the first quote, Ed knows the power and potential ambition and arrogance that can come with being able to use alchemy. He's very cynical when it comes to religion, especially when people think religion will bestow miracles that cannot realistically happen. However, even he acknowledges that using alchemy, this remarkable power still a bit beyond their full comprehension, in ways they should never attempt, can only lead to disaster.

Alchemy is a natural science, and so it can't work miracles, and can't make things out of nothing. It follows the natural law of equivalent exchange. You have to give to get, and alchemy uses the world around it that already exists.

That is why Ed and Al failed to bring back their mother. You can't create something/life from nothing/death. "Some things in life can't be measured on a simple scale." Trying to do so is going beyond your capabilities and playing God, and the consequences aren't good.

Ed and Al had to learn this the hard way when they tried to bring back their mother.

The link is from a bit of FMA instead of FMA Brotherhood, but the same thing happened in both. (It is a bit gruesome, as a warning)

https://youtu.be/uaXytc7vgik

Equivalent exchange, the law of alchemy: To create, something of equal value must be lost. The toll they had to pay for something they couldn't even accomplish, because creating life is beyond the capabilities of alchemy, was Al's life and Ed's leg. Then, to retrieve just Al's soul, Ed had to give up his arm and bind his soul temporarily to the first and best thing he could find, a suit of armor.

They paid the price for trying Human Transmutation, something they were told to never do. Now, they have to suffer the consequences and spend the entire storyline trying to amend what they've done and preventing others from making the same mistake.

This part of what Ed was getting at when he was talking to Rose in the chapel, and why he mentioned the story of Icarus.

Even so, he continues to rely on alchemy as his source of power and maintains a bit of arrogance with his skill and abilities. He is also steadily exposed to the corruption and destruction alchemy can bring upon the world when humans use it wrongly.

-Shou Tucker sacrificed his daughter and dog to create a chimera and save his job, after already having sacrificed his wife to save his job before this.

-The war on Ishval was won by using alchemists to slaughter everyone in sight.

-Even the Philosopher's stone, the very stone Ed and Al took for a miracle, a way to cheat equivalent exchange, was made with its own form of equivalent exchange. It could grant alchemists greater power in exchange for human souls. People had to be sacrificed to make and power it. This is what Marcoh, as the creator of the Philosopher's stone, was guilty of in his earlier years, and it still haunts him to this day.

There are several other examples through the series, but these are three of the most memorable examples.

All of this exposes Ed more to the reality of the world, humanity, and humanity's capabilities and limits (and the limits of alchemy as well).
Something considered a natural science with natural laws and limits gave alchemists a sense of power and arrogance that they did not deserve, and some ended up abusing this power in some of the worst ways possible. Some, in a sense, as Ed hints at, "played God" - bringing death upon others (some casting judgement on others and claiming it their right to kill, others simply seeing others as below them), trying to create life, and striving for immortality.

Many of the higher-ups in Central's military were willing to sacrifice everyone else in Amestris just so they could be granted immortality alongside Father and the Homunculi, and so they could join the Mannequin Soldiers in taking over the world. Their desire to preserve their own lives overcame any previous desire to save the lives of the innocent. Many people ended up being sacrificed for their cause. Of course, none of them won - they were all either killed or arrested.

Father is the most prominent example. The whole reason he created the Homunculi, caused the death of many, many lives, and subtly created a giant Transmutation Circle around Amestris was so he could achieve godly power and immortality.

https://youtu.be/9PRSchbUMW4
The link above shows how Truth condemned what Father believed and tried to do.
Although his desire for knowledge was a little admirable, he pushed it beyond what he should have, Father desired to be God, a being more perfect than humans, to know everything and be able to do everything. He found humanity and mortality disgusting and was willing to kill off all of the people of Xerxes and Amestris in order to gain enough souls for his goal. He strived to go beyond what he was and couldn't understand where he went wrong.

https://youtu.be/ul2qOfUsIDo?t=153
Ed, however, learned where Father did not. He and Al learned early on that, in the grand scheme of things, humans and every other being on Earth are minuscule and simply part of an ongoing cycle. The life and death of everything is part of the cycle. Humans are made from this universal cycle and tiny parts of this cycle even after they die. One is all and all is one.
He lost battles and failed to save people like Tucker's daughter. Even with alchemy and the military behind him, he still wasn't able to save everyone.
They then saw what humans could do, with and without alchemy, the good and the bad.
In the end, Ed was able to drop his arrogance as an alchemist, believing that it solved all his human limitations and problems, to save his brother's life. Truth told him he finally understood when he acknowledged the limits and capabilities of humans alone. When Truth asked if he was really okay with losing his alchemy since that'll lower himself to a simple human, he just grinned and replied:

"What do you mean lower myself? That's the only thing I've ever been, just a simple human that couldn't save a little girl, not even with alchemy."

In the end, we're all humans, with human limits, flaws, good qualities, and potential, and we don't need or maybe even truly deserve alchemy or the ambition/arrogance that comes with it. We should not use the natural science of alchemy to try to achieve things beyond natural science and human capabilities (such as immortality and creating life), especially at the expense of others.

Homunculi (Sins) and Humanity

Homunculi (Sins) and Humanity

"I never feel more human than when I'm fighting real monsters." - Roy Mustang

This quote from Roy Mustang while they were in the middle of battling the Homunculi stuck with me. I found it even more interesting when I took the time to evaluate the portrayals, importance, actions, and beliefs of the seven symbolic Homunculi. Their meaning seemed to come to fruition when Hohenheim was talking to Father about sins and humans near the end.

I will dig into the other half of the overall meaning of the true nature of humanity (attempting to seek immortality and rise above what you are) in a later blog. For now, I will reflect on the part the Homunculi (the sins) played in conveying the overall truth of what it means to be human, good and bad. I'll also tie in biblical concepts we've learned in class to help evaluate their meaning.

I'll review the Homunculi, their importance, and the symbolic destruction they bring upon humanity.

Lust

"You killed me. I hate losing...but there are worse ways to die than at the hands of a man like you. I love how cold and focused your eyes are. I look forward...to the day when those eyes will be wide with agony...It's coming...It's coming..."

"Such a sad and weak creature...another typical human."

Lust is the first to be killed, although she is also one of the three main manipulators alongside Envy and Wrath. She tricks Jean Havoc into dating her to get closer to the military, keeps Gluttony wrapped around her thumb, and helps the other Homunculi to keep Ed and the others off their trail for as long as possible. She nearly succeeds in killing Mustang, Havoc, Hawkeye, and Al. Although she personally isn't given too much screen time, she's developed as a pretty, flirtatious, and manipulative character, as befitting her name. She holds the same cold contempt for humans that most of the other Homunculi do. She and Envy were behind Father Cornello's temporary control of Reole.

Gluttony

"Can I eat him now?"

Gluttony was one of the Homunculi that I found impossible to hate, mostly because he was all stomach and almost no brain, kinda like the pet dog of the group. He was actually kinda cute, aside from the the fact that he tried to eat everyone. He wasn't particularly malicious, nor was he in any way the brains behind the operation; all he ever thought about was eating to satiate his endless hunger and loyally following the orders of the other Homunculi like Lust and Envy. He embodied the phrase, "thinking only with your stomach". He ate anyone that the Homunculi needed to dispose of (such as Father Cornello), like their own personal garbage disposal. Without anyone to give him direction, he's shown to get frustrated and confused about what to do. His last moments were spent getting the crap beat out of him, and then Pride, in desperate need for more power, killed and ate him. Gluttony himself eaten alive in the end. Irony at its finest, isn't it?

Envy

"Are you a moron? Some nice, flowery words and feigned empathy?! You make me sick to my stomach! Are you humans always such pathetic worms?! Why can't you just listen to your gut and do what you want to? Colonel Mustang, have you forgotten? Your pal, Scar, here was going to kill you! And what's more, wasn't he the one who killed the parents of the pipsqueak's girly friend? Oh, yeah! And what about that little girl who became a chimera? Scar was responsible for her death, too! And as for you! Have you completely forgotten your hatred for they did to your Ishvalan countrymen? And then, this woman! She has the arrogance to claim the sight of a hawk; she shot your buddies left and right! You'll never get another chance! This is the perfect time! The ultimate opportunity! Hate them and weep! Kill and be killed! Fight each other! Grovel in the dirt! How could you four hope to team up? You're way beyond the point of kissing and making up! Right, pipsqueak? Right, Hawkeye? Mustang? Scar? There's no way. No. No, you can't! Never! NEVER! It's impossible! How could you? How could you do it? HOW!?"

(After) - "Damn! Dammit! Dammit! I've been humiliated! HUMILIATED! Me, Envy, Jealous of you? A human?! I'm a homunculus! How could this pipsqueak kid see through me? It's the ultimate humiliation!"

Envy was an exceptionally cruel and tragic character, and in my point of view one of the most well-done characters. He was one of the Homunculi that caused the most sadness, anger, and pain, all because of his deep feelings of horrible envy over humans. He was the one to trick both Amestris and Ishval into war by disguising himself as the soldier who killed an Ishvalan child, causing many to die in a war, many survivors to suffer the loss of their loved ones, and Scar to lose his family and swear vengeance. He took obvious and endless joy in watching humans suffer and fight amongst themselves, even more so if he caused them to become like that. Almost everything that came out of his mouth was contempt and mockery for humans. He killed Maes Hughes and then joyfully bragged about it to Mustang when he thought Mustang had mercilessly killed Maria Ross, the innocent soldier that had been accused of killing Hughes. It turns out though, that all of this cruelty was born out of a deep-seeded envy of humans and their ability to persevere, forgive, love, and work together, something he has never been able to experience with the other Homunculi. It also makes sense why he's constantly changing forms and why he created his own human shell when you see that his true form is small and ugly. He despises his real form. Mustang later calls him ugly, "because envy is an ugly thing". So, in a sense, Envy hates himself, but he refuses to admit any of this and instead desires to drag the rest of the world down with him (sometimes, as shameful and unwilling as it might be, you feel a sort of dark glee from another's failure when you're envious of his/her accomplishments). This spurs him to make humans wallow in sorrow and hatred amongst themselves. He believes Homunculi deserve to be above humans, so it's the ultimate humiliation when Ed voices his hidden envy out loud and exposes him to the one thing that humans will always have above him. Brought to tears and unable to handle the truth and humiliation slapping him right in the face, and knowing he's defeated, he ends his life, and Mustang calls him a coward for it.

Sloth

"Hey... Am I dying now...? For real...? What is dying like...? Such a pain... to think about it... but such a pain... living too..."

He isn't given much screen time until the last set of episodes, but all in all, he pretty much lives up to his name. Doing anything is a pain to him, but because he's efficient and strong he's the one assigned the task of digging the transmutation circle. He's only given relief when he's defeated by the Armstrongs. When driven to, he can be surprisingly determined, but usually only because he wants to get his task over with as soon as possible so he can rest.

Wrath

"Let me get this straight, you think surrendering, and offering yourself will stop the war? How arrogant. The life of each human is worth one, that's it. Nothing more, nothing less."

"God you say? Now this is intriguing, how much longer do you think your 'God' plans to wait before unleashing his fury? Just how many more thousands of lives must I take before he decides to strike me down?...(Sometime after)...Open your eyes. 'God' is nothing more than a construct created by man to inspire fear and promote order. If you wish to see me struck down, for all these atrocities, use your own hands to do so, not 'God's'."

He was one of the Homunculi I loved to hate, for his cold, calculating cruelty. Bradley was the only human strong enough to survive Wrath being put inside him, since the force of Wrath is so strong that it destroys everyone else. He led the Amestrians in their mass murder of the Ishvalans, and used threats to keep Ed and the others in line when they discovered he was a Homunculus. He ruled Amestris with an iron fist and was the cause of many deaths and near-deaths of established characters, though he obviously did not think much of it. For the most part, he didn't find any particular joy in his manipulation or murder of other people. They were just impediments to the plan that needed to be disposed of to him. While he didn't tend to show much wrath, he showed a complete mercilessness and disregard for human life, proved himself to be a very fierce and strong fighter, and did on occasion show anger over certain human behaviors and sentiments.

Greed

(Greed before Father disposed of him)

(Greed after being reborn and put into Ling's body)

"I disagree. You want to bring back someone that you've lost. You might want money. Maybe you want women. Or, you might want to protect the world. These are all common things people want. Things that their hearts desire. Greed may not be good, but it's not so bad, either. You humans think greed is just for money and power! But everyone wants something they don't have."

Greed is quite probably my favorite Homunculus, purely because of his snarky and cocky attitude, development as a character, and comical side. He was the one Homunculus that wanted nothing to do with the other Homunculi or their plan. He had his OWN plans, all of which included obtaining anything and everything he wants in the world. As the second Greed, he turns on Wrath out of anger after remembering that Wrath killed the first Greed's friends, people he considered "his". He then ends up joining Ed and the others when Ed and Ling reach out to him as allies. He decides his new goal is to defeat Father and rule the world and everyone in it (thus having everyone worship him), though Ling continually reminds him that it isn't what he truly wants. While he obviously would still like fame and riches, he finally realizes in the end that what he truly wants most of all, the one thing he is the most "greedy" for, is trust and friendship, something he was able to temporarily have with his first gang and with Ling and Ed. He saves Ling from being absorbed by Father and loses his life, giving up everything else he has for the one thing he truly wanted.

Pride

"One can be sure, in this world, humans are of little consequence."

Pride is the other character that I love to hate, because he's just so smug and selfish. He causes a lot of trouble for everyone towards the end of the story, enlisting Kimblee to start a fight and cause bloodshed at Fort Briggs to complete the transmutation circle. He is willing to do just about anything to save himself, including betraying and eating Gluttony. Despite his arrogance, he reacts with fear and desperation when he believes himself to be in danger, threatening and lashing out in any way he can to save himself. He is the first and most powerful Homunculus and the hardest to kill. He's the last Homunculus to reveal himself, safely hiding under the guise of an innocent child for a long time, and considers himself far above humans and the other Homunculi. Kimblee stops him from taking over Ed's human body when Pride thinks Ed is about to kill him and becomes desperate, saying he's a coward for being willing to give up his "pride" as a Homunculus just to survive (and survive in the body of a human, the very form that he had up until then mocked and considered beneath him). He's the only Homunculus that "survives", being reduced by Ed to an infant, his original human form (what Pride would consider a "lesser form").

Interesting Religious References

Something I noticed and took the time to look into was the potential references that were made in how the Homunculi and their deaths were depicted - ironies, symbolism, and all.

While poking around, I managed to find an interesting website of people discussing the references that the author made to Dante's Divine Comedy. It made the religious references that the author was possibly aiming for with the Homunculi (Sins) all the better and more meaningful.

Here's the link to and summation of a particular comment that I found insightful:

http://www.reddit.com/r/FullmetalAlchemist/comments/28cli3/irony_behind_the_brotherhood_homunculi_spoilers/

Gluttony being eaten by Pride - reference to Dante's Inferno, where the gluttonous are continually tortured by being eaten by Hell's guard dog Cerberus.

Lust's death from Mustang's flames - reference where the lustful are tossed about by fiery winds while in Hell and purified by passing through walls of intense flame while on the seventh terrace of Purgatory.

Roy Mustang repeatedly boiling away Envy's eyes during their fight - possible reference to the second terrace of Dante Alighieri "Purgatorio", where the envious are cleansed by having their eyelids sewn shut.

Greed's body being shared with Ling - possible reference to Canto XXV of The Inferno. Thieves are subjected to the constant loss of their bodies to the lizards that inhabit the seventh Bolgia. In life they took the substance of others, transforming it into their own, so in Hell their very bodies are constantly being taken from them and they are left to steal back a human form from some other sinner.

Sloth's pattern of never-ending activity - reference to Dante Alighieri's "Purgatorio", where the indolent are told to engage in constant activity to cleanse them of their slothful ways.

Wrath's loss of his arms - reference to the Inferno where the wrathful have their limbs ripped off the body.

Pride is the strongest of the Homunculi - of all the Seven Deadly Sins, Pride is considered the worst and most unforgivable, the father and origin of all other sins, originating from the biblical account of the Lucifer being cast down from Heaven for being too prideful towards God and becoming the ultimate evil, Satan.

Importance

After all of this, the Homunculi give you a mixed feeling of them being monsters but, to an extent, human. They consider themselves above humans, and continuously call humans weak and foolish. Mustang then makes the comment halfway through the story that it's only when he's fighting real monsters (the Homunculi) that he's able to consider himself more of a human than a monster, after all of the death and destruction he helped t cause during the Ishvalan war. And yet that's why I find it interesting when Hohenheim is later talking to Father. He ridicules Father on his attempt to rid himself of the sins that Hohenheim claims make up all humans and are an important part of being human, and that they're not something Father can simply toss out and separate himself from in an attempt to rise above humans and become more like God. He cannot simply let them run rampant and ruin the lives of those around them.

I find it ironic that Mustang claims he feels most human when fighting the very things that Hohenheim later says MAKE us human, and it made me think. Yes, Homunculi are special beings with inhuman powers and consider themselves above humans, but the way they act errs on the side of human (more severe sides), plus they're made from the strong emotions (or sins) that make up all humans. It also goes to show that too much of something (too much of one sin) will always result in suffering, for the person or for the people around that person. Each one of them contributed to the destruction or suffering of humanity in one way or another, and they all paid the price for it. Father, despite his attempt to be rid of them and rise up as a god, was torn from his pedestal and also paid the price for seeing himself as greater than what he truly was.

The Homunculi were right, in a sense, when they looked down upon the human race as weak and foolish. As sins, they were able to identify what it was that made humans weak and foolish, but they paid the price for thinking themselves above humans when, after all, they were beings made from human flaws. They paid the price for not being able to see the good that humans can do to counter the bad.

Greed was the one exception. He connected, to an extent, with the humans, and willingly sacrificed himself to save one of his friends. He's cast as a sort of anti-hero in the end, matching with what he says to Ed beforehand (his quote). When controlled, or utilized in a good or beneficial way (such as Greed realizing that what he truly desired was friends of his own), sins become the darker but natural parts of humanity that humanity can overcome and make the most of to bring about good in the world.

That might be the point then.

In class, we read in the Bible about how people had fallen because of the "hardness of their hearts", their lack of belief in and loyalty towards God, and their sinfulness. The Bible claims that Jesus died for the people's sins, so they can now have a second chance at redemption. What you seem to get from the Bible that I found interesting and comparable to FMA was that the Bible seems to claim that sins are a part of humanity; they come naturally. In Romans, Paul claims that all people are under sin, under its powerful force. There are arguments for and against that notion, of course. Some such as John Wesley say that people are innately bad and sinful and have to be taught or forced to control and redeem themselves, while others such as J. J. Rousseau say that people are "naturally good" and try to be, even if it doesn't always work out that way.

I don't think it encompasses all of our nature, but it definitely makes up at least half of it. Each person has his or her our own individual good and bad traits that he/she has to deal with.

These "sins" are part of who we are as humans. That's why I believe we as viewers are able to empathize with some of the Homunculi and their beliefs as the story progresses, as much as we might hate some of them. The sins they encompass and the emotions and beliefs they possess are emotions and beliefs we have experienced in our lifetimes as humans. We've felt the need to be proud of something we might be better at than others, the shameful envy of another person's success or happiness that is out of our grasp, the desire to possess something more than anything else (whether it be wealth, fame, or true and loyal friends). These negative emotions and desires come as naturally to us as the positive ones.

Therefore, the overall point to be made about humanity might be that we must learn to accept who and what we are as limited human beings with different potential flaws and learn to control our flaws as best as we can, to balance out or overcome them and turn them into good for ourselves and the world. Too much evil, too much wrath or pride or envy, such as in the Homunculi, turns us into "monsters" that can cause physical and mental destruction and suffering for all involved.

Equality in Gender Roles, Races, Etc.

(Now is the first blog post of four blog posts I am going to make about various topics explored in FMA Brotherhood and how they compare to what we have been learning and discussing in class)

In FMA Brotherhood, equality and hostility are explored between races and groups. Gender roles aren't necessarily explored, but they do compare and contrast with some of the biblical readings from class. I also wanted to blog about it since we've been recently going over this kind of topic in class.

Gender Roles

In FMA, there was no distinct difference between gender roles, with men and women working many of the same jobs side by side. Despite the pre-modern era feel of this world (in which things like rotary phone booths, steam locomotives, and early model cars are just gaining headway), husbands and wives both work and raise their families, and both serve in the military, research, and medical fields.

The fact that women and men are treated as equal in the world of FMA is never confronted or brought up as a controversy. The only time differences between men and women are really brought up at all is when the Homunculus Greed (the first one) refuses to fight Izumi because he doesn't fight women. Izumi, of course, doesn't care about his reasons and proceeds to pummel his ass. Other than that, any role differences between men and women are never bothered with. The differences between men and women aren't seen as an issue in the FMA world. Everybody, for the most part, simply lives and works together, their concerns focused on other more important issues.

Such as, you know, the world ending, and all that.

Are there a majority of men in the military and in positions of power? Yes. But there are many women who are either stay at home moms or they have a job alongside their husbands. There are also many examples of women working with men in labs and in the medical fields. Winry Rockbell's parents were both doctors who helped heal soldiers indiscriminately during the Ishvalan war.

Riza Hawkeye is one of the women in the military and serves as Roy Mustang's second-in-command and his voice of reason when he lets himself get swept up in the moment. She is smart, kind-hearted, driven by guilt from the Ishvalan war like the others, very capable with a gun, and is never viewed as anything other than a great and loyal friend and soldier. She is able to keep Mustang from diverging onto a path of utter vengeance.

Winry Rockbell, despite not being much of a fighter, serves the important role of being Ed's skilled automail engineer, a source of encouragement for both of the brothers, and a great help to those in need (like her parents before her).

Izumi Curtis owns a store with her husband and is seen as a tough mentor but motherly figure for Ed and Al. She suffers from the same insecurities and guilt that many of the other characters are plagued with in FMA but still does everything she can to help those she cares about.

Olivier Armstrong is the strong and aggressive leader of Fort Briggs. Her infallible leadership has gained her the unwavering loyalty and strength of her soldiers. Her place as a woman amongst the top-ranking men in the military is never brought up or questioned, merely accepted as normal.

From Xing, Lan Fan, Ling's personal guard, travels and fights alongside Ling and her grandfather. Young May Chang, despite her childish naïveté and desire for a fairytale romance, joins forces with Scar and the others in their pursuit of immortality and protecting their newfound friends. Both girls prove their resolve and skill in battle, as do all the other women and men they fight alongside.

Ed and Al's mother never fought or proved her bravery in battle, but she showed a compassion and bravery all her own in loving and picking up the broken pieces of Hohenheim and in single-handedly caring for Ed and Al until her death after Hohenheim left. She was a great mother until the very end.

Lust, despite the claims of sexism that some make over the fact that Lust is depicted as a voluptuous woman, was a skilled fighter and merciless murderer and manipulator, just like several of the other Homunculi, who were just as - if not more - manipulative and cruel.

There are more examples, but all of these women have important roles in the story, and almost nobody in the story blinks an eye at the fact that they're women. They're more concerned with how they are as people, what they've said and done as people. The same goes for how men in FMA are treated. More focus is put on the person inside than anything they might have been born with on the outside.

It's one of the many reasons I love FMA. Equality between genders isn't debated or talked about or brought up as come kind of controversy in FMA. It's just simply shown as normal, no questions asked, no need for either gender to prove themselves or be bitter.

There are countless examples of men and women who are strong, fallible, kind, and cruel. The men make just as many mistakes as the women. There are men and women from both genders who work to save the people they care about, and just as many who have killed both the guilty and the innocent. Everyone fights, shares, and works together as humans, without much concern for things such as gender roles or differences.

Sexism is not a subject brought up in FMA, because it's really not much of a problem in FMA.

In FMA, the lines aren't nearly as distinct. Morals blur into gray as everyone works together as humanity trying to survive and figure out right from wrong.

Whether you are a man or woman doesn't matter nearly as much as what you are like as a human individual, one of the many in the world.

In class, we cover the question of gender roles and differences, the Bible's take on women, and the various interpretations from other people.

There are many interpretations of the Bible that make women out as submissive to men. Women and men are meant to be separate genders with distinct gender roles. Some churches have certain expectations of men and women and their roles in the church and in marriage.

This, of course, has led to complaints about inequality between men and women.

Even in today's society, despite the pushes for equality, there are still tensions between genders over this issue.

Some interpretations of the Bible and men and women's roles in life, such as the interpretation of Piper and Grudem in their work, claim that men and women are equal as human beings under God but require different roles when working together as one under God.

While in FMA both genders work at the same level, Piper and Grudem support male leadership and female support and submission. Men in marriage and family-raising are meant to protect and provide and set the religious and moral agenda for the family, and the women are meant to uphold and support that agenda as long as it does not go against God's intention. There is meant to be love and mutual understanding and acceptance of the differing roles, without either gender abusing their designated roles.

The reasoning for this is their interpretation of 1 Tim 2:13's interpretation of Genesis 1-2. It revolves around God's creating of separate genders, man being created first, and Eve being held responsible for the Fall because she was the one who was deceived and who had attempted to take leadership in the relationship by convincing Adam to take the fruit.

It is seen as unfavorable for a woman to take lead because of the "meaningful" result of Eve's attempt.

In negation to this, people draw numerous examples from the Bible where women have important roles that only end up helping those involved. One example is the story of Deborah, Barak, and Jael in Judges 4. Deborah served as a leader and guide to Barak with the authority of God behind her, and in the end Jael, another woman, was the one to end the life of their enemy.

Another example people use is Sarai (Sarah) in Genesis 16:1-4, who takes initiative in the matter of Abram (Abraham) needing an heir, along with her new necessary role in the Covenant alongside Abram in Genesis 17:1-17, 21:1-6.

A third example that people use is Huldah, wife of Shallum and prophetess, who Josiah's officials consulted about the fate of Jerusalem rather than going to her husband or some other man.

There are other exceptions to the argument that people such as Piper and Grudem make. People also refer to the numerous women that Paul refers to in his letter in Romans 16, asking them to be respected and relied on since they have worked with him under God, such as Phoebe (who he trusted with delivering the letter in the first place) Prisca, Aquila, Mary, and Junia (who people are now supposing might actually be a woman apostle).

Both sides have their own examples and reasoning for why they are "right", and this argument has gone on for quite some time now. Women have come a long way in being as complete or mostly equals.

This is why I appreciate FMA's take on gender roles - aka, they don't really have a "take" on gender roles. Women and men are just equal as human beings, neither needing to prove themselves to the other on anything other than their integrity as people, and that is all that matters.

Races and Groups

There is hostility between the Amestrian race and Ishvalan race, though the reason is more about religion vs science and about territory. Either way, both sides possess some lingering hostility and/or fear towards each other because of the devastation of the Ishvalan war. There are many who still see Ishvalans as dangerous, and there are Ishvalans who either hide away from normal Amestrian society or who display anger for the horrible massacre that the Amestrian military wrought on their country.

There are those such as Scar who desire revenge, while there are other who either simply wish to be left alone or who wish for peace.

We see the confrontation of these two races as the story progresses.

They have to learn to put their differences aside for the good of all of them.

During this time, we see great examples of people who couldn't care less about where you came from or what race you are as long as you're a good person or are helpful to the cause.

For a while, Ed has an evident hostility towards Scar and temporarily Miles. However, his reasons are only because Scar has killed and hurt people he knew. He surprises Miles by ignoring feelings of pity, guilt, or unfair suspicion and only acknowledging that people of Amestria have caused death and pain for the Ishvalans that didn't deserve it, and that Ishvalans such as Scar have done the same to Amestrians. While having his own biases, Ed is surprisingly perceptive and attempts to see things from both sides, claiming that he hates being ignorant.

Miles himself wants to bring about peace and equality for both countries in any way he can.

Olivier Armstrong was the one who first surprised Miles with this idea when she told him that she didn't care what he looked like or where he was from as long as he worked together with her and her men to protect Fort Briggs.
Scar later wishes to do the same as Miles in bringing Ishvalans out of exile and bringing about equality and understanding.

A less prominent example is Ling and May, two people from Xing, working to help save Amestris despite not having much of a reason to help a country that isn't theirs. Right from the beginning, they do not present any hostilities towards people from another country. During the journey, they grow close to all the people they meet in Amestris.
May is touched by the care that strangers of Amestris show her despite not having any reason to and not asking for anything in return, and this spurs her determination to help save them from Father.
While also driven by Greed and his search for the philosopher's stone, he makes friends with the others and does whatever he can to help them in their fights.

Even Greed, despite all Homunculi seeming to have a particular hatred or prejudice towards humans, eventually throws away his prejudices and his life as a Homunculus in order to protect the humans that he has come to understand and care for.

Unlike gender differences, differences and prejudices between races and groups are explored a bit in FMA. Spurred on by the Homunculi as a part of their grand plan, hostilities grew between territories until war erupted, and then the hostilities lingered long after.
We get to see the beginnings of an attempt at moving beyond those past dark times and present anger, one person at a time.
There are no hostilities or prejudices between genders. However, the differences and tension between countries and groups is made evident from the start, since it's because of those differences that war broke out and that now people are suffering for it.
Hostility and prejudice are given a very negative light in FMA as our characters fight or work to resolve the problems between them until either peace is found or someone dies because they are unable to move past it.
It is obvious that FMA's message, alongside the exploration of morality and humanity, is that we as humans need equality, peace, and understanding between each other, otherwise we will drown in our animosity and discrimination. However, as shown by the fighting between humans and Homunculi, sometimes agreements can't be found, one side is driven by cruelty, and lives are on the line, and peace simple cannot be found. You must then do what you can to protect those you care about and those who are on your side.
Every side has their reasons for what they do and why they believe they are right.

"One is all, and all is one." We're all human individuals, little beings in a great and ongoing cycle that renders us all equal in the end.
Sometimes, as in the case of Amestris, Ishval, and Xing, peace, understanding, and equality can be found amongst the differences and tension.
And sometimes, as in the case of men and women in FMA, the equality is there from the beginning without question, like it should be.