Ghost In The Shell Identity

Many people define themselves based upon factors of appearance, such as gender, race, and attractiveness. However, in a society that allows you to alter every aspect of your exterior, identity must be defined by other means. The Ghost in the Shell, a graphic novel by Masamune Shirow, chronicles a society that contains more cyborgs than full humans, leading to issues involving the disposability of the human body in favor of robotic limbs. Though most people opt to robotize their bodies, they actively work to maintain their original “ghost,” or soul. The generic nature of the characters’ physical forms suggests that the characters value their inner “ghosts” more than their external appearances, showing that identity comes from within.
The characters’ flippancy towards maintaining their physical originality suggests that they value generic attractiveness over remaining externally unique. For example, when Motoko visits a factory that manufactures artificial body parts, a worker shows her the site of body production and says, “as needed, we can add a variety of optional equipment to a mass-production model—the way you were created, Motoko” (103). All female body parts come from the same “mass-production model,” and even the main character’s physical form
In a conversation with another cyborg, Major Motoko states, “maybe someday your ‘maker’ will come…announce the recall of a defective product. What’s left of the ‘real you’ is a couple of lonely brain cells” (106). Motoko emphasizes the disposable nature of artificial bodies by categorizing them as “products,” not actual human parts. By dehumanizing aritifical limbs, Motoko suggests that one’s humanity lies within himself, independent of external appearance. She then defines the “real” person as “a couple lonely brain cells,” suggesting that one should define himself by his brain, not his