Comparing My Life With The Chimpanzees

Animals and people help one another in ways you don’t know!

Animals and people can share emotions, form bonds and help each other in many different ways. In the stories, “My Life with the Chimpanzees” (pg. 101), “Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog” (pg. 119), “Monkey Master” (pg. 153) and “Reading Buddies” (pg. 94) they all show how these animals and humans form strong bonds and help each other out. One of the ways people and animals help one another is by accepting and not being afraid of each other. You have to keep trying no matter how many times you fail as Jane Goodall did in the Story “My Life with the Chimpanzees”.

In “My Life with the Chimpanzees” Jane Goodall shows many reason how animals and people can help one another. This story is about the author, Jane Goodall,

describes her first few months observing chimpanzees in the wild.

It was a challenge, of course the conditions were dangerous, and the chimps feared humans and often ran and hid away from her. But she found ways to observe them, which became easier and easier as they habituated to her presence. Jane immersed herself among the chimpanzees and formed a strong bond with some of the chimpanzees while studying their behavior in the wild. Jane had to get up very early in the morning to find a spot to observe the chimpanzees without scaring them. “I went to the Peak, I discovered that from this high place I had a splendid view from all directions.”(pg. 103) For one year Jane observed the chimpanzees before she approached them to within 100 yards. She knew she had to form a bond before they would help each other. Goodall left a banana out for the chimps and

one day a male chimp helped himself to the banana. His name was David Greybeard. “A month later David took a banana from my hand, I could hardly believe it.” (pg. 106) Jane is helping David by giving him a banana. David is helping Jane by letting her observe chimpanzees at a closer range. A bond is forming between them. David also helped Jane by trusting her and bringing his other chimp friends with him so Jane can observe more of the chimps and see the differences between them. Jane discovered that each chimp looked different and had their own unique personality. These are some ways that Jane and the chimpanzees formed bonds and helped one another.

In “ Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog” it shows how Hachiko forms a bond with Dr. Ueno as he waits for him at the train station everyday. Dr. Ueno is the owner of Hachiko and Hachiko walks with him to the train station everyday so he can get on the train safely. Hachiko waits all day until his owner, Dr. Ueno, comes back and Hachiko wags his tail when he sees him. This shows that they care for each other and have a strong bond while helping each other out. Dr. Ueno stated this also, “He walks me to the station every morning and waits for me to come home every afternoon.” (pg. 119). This is one way animals and people can help one another. Hachiko is helping Dr. Ueno by walking him to the train station and waiting for him all day after finally walking home together. Dr. Ueno is helping Hachiko by taking care of Hachiko. Another way that people and animals in help each other in this story is when Kentaro comes to the train station everyday. Kentaro is helping Hachiko but taking some of his lunch and being very thoughtful by giving it to Hachiko. “He was always there, waiting near the newspaper stand. (pg. 120). “I often saved a morsel from my lunch and hid it in one of my pockets.” (pg.120). Hachiko is helping Kentaro by coming to the train station and comforting him. For example, whenever Kentaro was cold he would rub his face in Hachiko’s fur. “ When it was cold, I would bury my face in the thick ruff of creamy fur around his neck.” (pg.120). Even when Hachiko’s owner dies Hachiko still walks to and from the train station every day showing loyalty and faith. Those are some ways Hachiko, Kentaro and Dr. Ueno all helped each other through a bond of loyalty and trust.

In “Monkey Master” the story shows how animals and humans can help each other in different ways. This story is about a monkey that paint abstract art. Waldemar Januszczak talks about art painted by a number of different apes but most notably a chimpanzee named Congo. Januszczak also stats that comparing someone’s painting to a monkey’s would normally be an insulting joke, but some of Congo’s art is truly excellent abstract art. Humans help the monkey by leaving out art supplies that he uses to draw and paint with. Congo helps lets the photographers take pictures of him painting and drawing. He also help the people by letting them take the painting and put it on display. But sometimes they would try to take it from him but he did not let them becuase he was not finished. “Fascinatingly, if you tried to take a picture away from Congo before he had finished with it, he would scream and throw fits.” This shows that Congo’s actions were deliberate and he put thought into his creations. Humans were able to study and gain an understanding of Congo’s behavior. This was the first time that animal behavior was studied in this way. Congo’s favorite color to use was red and his least favorite color was blue. Congo helped humans gain more insight into animal emotions and behavior. Famous artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali collected some of Congo’s abstract art. Dali was quoted as saying, “The hand of a chimpanzee is quasi-human; the hand of Jackson Pollock is totally animal.” This signifes there is a close relationship between people and animals. Piccaso did not want to believe his wotk was similar to a monkeys, but there was something in the paintings that fascinated him. Another way the chimpanzees helped us was by sparking interest in abstract art that facinated many animal lovers. Humans helped the chimpanzees because the humans showed that chimpanzees have a higher level of thinking than thought before. “It is the work of these apes, not the prehistoric cave artists that can truley be said to represent the birth of art.” These are the ways Congo and the humans helped each other.