What makes a person a person? I have heard many takes; mistakes, empathy, sympathy, creativity, and these are all very interesting and thought provoking takes, but I had thought of less of these: change. Choices.

I have recently finished my second playthrough of Detroit: Become Human, a choose your own adventure video game about robots that asks, what makes something a human? I won't discuss my opinion too much as it's rather bland -genetics- but I do want to briefly discuss the perspective that I believe is most apparent in Detroit; that humans grow emotionally, we change and adapt and cope and learn, and that is what sets us up for becoming human, then, becoming human itself is making your own choices that aren't just what someone tells you to do.

The scene that made me realize the growth theme was towards the end of my first playthrough. Connor, a lawful neutral protagonist, did not get a redemption arc when I first played, and Hank, his buddy cop with more character development than you can shake a stick at, commented when confronting Connor "I thought we were friends, but that's the thing, you never change." from there the player can either kill Hank or let Hank kill Connor.

At the game's start Hank hates all androids, because an android doctor was not being able to save his dying young son, but as he watches them die, cry, hug, and sacrifice, he realizes they're "human" in the sense that they love, in the sense that they grow. And of course, Hank himself grows from hating androids to putting his life on the line for them.
Hank expects Connor to grow like real people do.

Becoming deviant is, in Detroit, changing for the first time. Rebelling for a just cause for the first time.

Before Markus goes deviant, he's spent his whole life as Carl's slave, he's always unquestionably done what he says...and...was Markus mean or bad? Before he went deviant? No. He was not lacking creativity or empathy or self awareness, he just hadn't changed before.
...Though I will acknowledge that Marcus may have been Deviant the whole time...early on Carl asks what Markus wants to do and you can choose. And that choice feels so human. Then Carl asks what you want to paint and you choose. And that feels so human.
He officially goes Deviant when he punches Carl's son despite Carl's orders (changing from his submissive peaceful nature), or is punched by him and realizes he has to stop being a pushover.
This is an example of change being what makes one human, but also an example of making your own choices being what makes one human.

Before Kara goes deviant, she's spent her whole life taking care of Alice, always just supporting her and cooking and cleaning for Alice's father Todd. She was not lacking creativity, she was not lacking empathy, she just hadn't changed before or made her own choices before.
She becomes deviant when she saves Kara from Todd's abuse, going against Todd's orders.
This is pretty similar to Markus' situation, changing and making your own choices.

Before Connor goes deviant he does what Amanda says and he dies over and over again but what does he learn from it? He doesn't learn anything.
That's Hank's definition of human -learning and growth. He thinks that Connor ought to come back a changed man after every death, and the fact that he doesn't is the giveaway that he's programming.
But if, unlike me, you play Connor as a deviant and not a machine, then he does grow, he does change, and he makes his own choices...he starts out as the same character as machine Connor, and the player decides if he grows or not.

If he grows and learns through the story, congratulations you have become human. Because in Detroit, 'human' is one who is changed by experiences, and who makes choices rather than being pushed around by the Carls, Todds and Amandas of the world...I mean, it is a choose your own adventure after all.

I'm sorry if this makes no sense lol I wrote most of this in class while my teacher is monologuing.
Might write an essay on color theory in Detroit because I took notes on that when I played but by notes I mean a lot,,,a lot of notes,,,maybe too many 😂