#8 of 52 – 52 Books in 52 Weeks
I’ve just read this novel for the first time. We never studied it in my school, owing largely to the fact that the school was focused on circulating its own propaganda–but I digress. I didn’t read it in college either, so I didn’t know much about it, other than it’s a classic allegory of some kind. After reading it, and after a visit to Wikipedia, I’ve learned that it’s a fable based on Stalinist Russia. I read it as Orwell described–as a “fairy story.” Grimm’s fairy tale, if you will. Knowing now what the story represents, I wish I had been able to study the novel in school. I think I could have written an interesting paper on it. But I’m glad to have read it now. Better late than never, and all.
I guess the whole book can be summarized with the phrase, “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I felt saddest for the fate of Boxer the horse, who I now know represents the working class. I suppose it makes sense, then, that I would identify with his character the most. So what does it all mean? I think the point is that there has to be a balance of power, a system in which no single group has absolute control over every facet of its government. The only hope the people have, to live somewhat peacefully among themselves, is to keep their leaders in that system of checks and balances.
I did a research project in library school on Orwell, and one interesting thing I read in a few different places was that the cartoon film of this book was basically anti-communist propaganda by the US. Orwell would have hated to see his work turned into that, but he died before it came out. I’ve read some of his essays, and I really like his political beliefs. He was kind of a socialist-democrat. If you’re interested, I can lend you a really short collection of essays by him. I’m sure your reading list is pretty long though if it’s anything like mine.
i read animal farm and 1984 in high school, but on my own (i read a lot of heavy hitters on my own, lol. lord of the flies was one i read in my freshman year, and then we covered it in english class my junior year. amazing howmuch difference in maturity 2 years makes. i understood the allegory in it the second time. the first time, it was just a weird book about a bunch of marooned boys).
another one was watership down. almost like animal farm, but not quite. you should try that one too. you’re making good progress on your 52/52!
extremely embarressed to say never read this.