I’ve spent the past few months convinced that we were still identifiable as girls, women – no beauty queens, certainly, shaggy and white and misshapen, but at least half human; it’s only now, watching the Agent’s reaction, that I realize what we’ve become in his absence. I see us as he must: white faces, with sunken noses that look partially erased. Eyes insect-huge. Spines and elbows incubating lace for wings. (51)
What does it mean to be human? This entire story, and the above passage in particular ask this question. Kitsune still believed that she, and the other girls, were still human despite the physical changes they underwent. It is this perception that changes when she realizes what she looks like. When she realizes the extent of the physical changes she underwent, she disassociates with humanity entirely. Kitsune does not seem to be disturbed when she becomes aware of the absolute transformation they all have undergone and takes the realization calmly. This could indicate that she had unconsciously come to terms with her complete transformation before this point and only now was consciously realizing it. By connecting with the silkworm part of her, Kitsune deliberately separates herself from the Agent by making the Agent an ‘other’. This separation between her and the rest of the girls, and the Agent allows her to cocoon the Agent in silk, sentencing him to death, without remorse. This brings us back to our original question. Kitsune believes that for a person to be human they must look a certain way. This separation of us against them can be brought back to humanity. While it is true that there are no people who look like enormous silk worms in real life, wars have been fought over simply a person’s skin color.