Stories entertain us.

Great stories endure because they continue asking the questions that define human life.

The Human Cut is a journal devoted to literary criticism of film and literature. Rather than asking whether a story is simply good or bad, these essays explore the vision of humanity it presents and what it reveals about purpose, responsibility, suffering, friendship, love, and the choices that shape us.

Perhaps becoming human is less about avoiding suffering than answering it.

Life asks questions long before it offers answers.

Meaning begins where self-absorption ends.

The journey matters because it changes the traveler.

The greatest stories remind us not merely how to live, but how to become.

The journal is written and edited by Gabriel Casarez, an English teacher and lifelong student of film and literature who believes that great stories continue to shape the way we understand ourselves, one another, and the lives we choose to lead.

The Human Cut is edited by Gabriel Casarez.

Questions may be directed to editor@thehumancut.org.