Carly ScottMrs. PiersolEnglish 175May 16, 2014Reflection on HumanityHumans constantly live in a constant flux between vulnerability and invincibility. The change in the state of being is so fluid that it has faded into the middle of human experience. The fact that the feeling of self-awareness is what develops people's character has become unknown to the masses. However, “The Lost World” by Michael Chabon reveals this deeply buried secret. “The Lost World” directly supports the fact that vulnerability is the key to the human condition and a more perfect life. Life is about compromise: with all disappointments come surprises and with all joys come disappointments. Chabon's "The Lost World" follows teenager Nathan Shapiro in what is, more than anything, a coming-of-age story. At the age of sixteen, Nathan (and his friends) get drunk and go out for a drive in their picturesque suburb. Finally, he ends up at the house of the “easy” Chaya Feldman, and he is persuaded to go up to her room, naked. Once there, she gives him a letter that he will not read for several months, due to various unfortunate circumstances. While reading this letter, Nathan has a revelation about life and the human condition. However, the most important aspects of this story that will be explored in more detail are as follows. Above all, Nathan's drunkenness and nudity are perhaps the most important. Second, it's important to note that her parents are divorced and her father has a new child on the way. Nathan Shapiro also believes he is completely in love with Chaya Feldman after their fight. Last, but not least, Nathan is looking for an excuse to feel angry and nostalgic. To start, it's important to have a little...... middle of paper ...... hat that humans take for granted. Newfound vulnerability is humans' incessant hope for a better world. The key to the human condition is the desperate desire to solve all problems. Nathan embodies this perfectly. As a teenager, coming of age, in a constantly changing world, Nathan's confusion leaves him exposed to the influence of a brutal world. He is unknowingly in the perpetual flux of the human condition. The compromises of life leave humans waiting for the next disappointment, while we have negatively wired. People's inability to feel valued is the main key to their insecurity, but people's ability to feel loved is the key to their invincibility. Nathan exemplifies both of these traits through his development in “The Lost World.” Everyone experiences the state of vulnerability like Nathan Shapiro, the teenager who tries to regain his invincibility.