Communism or Nah?

At this moment, you are living in a communist country, where there is no social class and there is an equal distribution of necessities. However, you realize you are different than the rest of the people, in which you are more intelligent, considerate and ambitious than the rest of the population. Now, are you willing to become a citizen who share everything equally with others, or are you willing to become a leader and utilize your intelligence to create a change in the society?

       
        On October 24, 1917, Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the Bolsheviks, and other launched a successful coup against the Russian provisional government, known as the October Revolution. Later, they established a new government based on the ideals of communism, which emphasized equality in the public life. 

It was not until 1945 that George Orwell, a British novelist, published Animal Farm to criticize Russian Communism by highlighting the ineffectiveness of the political institution to evoke a change within the audience. Furthermore, Orwell reflects the complexity of humanity in his work. Through the incorporation of exaggeration and irony, Orwell accentuates that men serves the interest of no creature except himself. 

Everyone is a different entity. Some are smarter than others while some are stronger than the rest. Orwell exaggerates the various level of education within the animals in his work to emphasize the complexity of humanity. Clover, a horse, learned the whole alphabet, but could not put words together. Similarly, Boxer, another horse, could not get beyond the letter D. However, the pigs can read and write perfectly. Although the animals live in a society that promote equality, the animals are not synchronized in their educational level. This difference in education eventually enables the pigs, who are smarter than the rest, to dominate the leadership positions, which further enlarge the social and political gap between the pigs and the rest of the animals. Thus, true communism cannot be achieved.  Moreover, the pigs utilize the advantages of their leadership role to procure beer, apple and soft beds, luxuries to the rest of the population. The selfish acts of the pigs display how they can neglect the ideals of communism in exchange for their benefits solely.

On the other hand, Orwell incorporates an irony to highlight the different between expectations and the consequences in a communist society. In the beginning of the book, the old Major, a pig with high reputation, states, “ Men  serves in the interest of no creature except himself.” (10) Although Major has once warned the animals, they neglect this warning. The animals allow Napoleon, the leader of the farm, to inhabit a separate apartments from others, to drink beer and to have the gun fired every year on his birthday. Napoleon no longer embraces the ideals of communism, in which he establishes his privileges and rules above all animals. The expectation of communism is fulfilled by inequality. Thus, the idea of equality might appear to be a triumph for all animals in the farm, however, it is just a beginning of another dictatorship that concentrate on the benefits of the leaders. 

By presenting the negative aspects of communism, the audience would be exposed to the flaws. Through recognition, there would be a change in audience, whether the change is to alter their opinions about communism or/ and to act upon inequality in other communist countries.   

After reading this novel, I no longer believe equality can be achieved in every areas under communism, instead, I believe communism is simply another way for men to serve their own interest though a political institution. What about you? 

                                           Men vs. Animals

“I am twelve years old and have had over four hundred children. Such is the natural life of a pig.”- Old Major (8)

     What? A pig can talk? This was my first reaction when I read the first chapter of this book, Animal Farm by George Orwell. The story begins with animals in the Manor Farm are revolting against their owner, Mr. Jones. Surprisingly, pigs, cows, horse and other animals win the rebellion. They even have their own flag!  

      There are many scenes in the Animal Farm that reminded me of historical events. One event is the immediate cause of the Animal Farm rebellion. Although the animals has been dismayed about their amount of labor and ration, it was not until the farm workers forgot to feed them that they begin to let their hunger fuel their actions. This reminded of the bread riots in the beginning of the French Revolution. During that time, bread was the staple diet of the lower class, and its variations in the price of bread impacted the poor the most, especially by women who often bought bread. The need of bread gave rise to the bread riots, in which people demanded for lower prices by marching and violent actions. The power of hunger from animals and humans can lead to disastrous  events.

       Another event is the Seven Commandments. After the animals won the freedom and expelled Mr. Jones, they immediately write down seven commandments with white paint on a board. Some of the rights are: Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, no animal shall wear clothes and no animal shall sleep in bed. Does this sound familiar to you? When I read the Seven Commandments, I am reminded of the Bills of Rights. What does this reminded you of?

      Aside from many of these “this sound familiar” moment, I chuckled a lot when I read about the absurdity of the education of the animals. In the farm, the pigs could read and write perfectly. On the other hand, Clover, a cart-horse, learned the whole alphabet, but he could no put the words together. Also, Boxer, a strong cart-horse, could not get beyond the letter D. He would only trace out A, B,C and D. Sometimes, he learned E, F,G and H. Dun Dun Dun! But he would forget A,B,C and D after. Perhaps the inability of animals to learn would hinder them since they could be easily manipulated by other animals.

      Despite the absurdity of the animals, their words and actions have similarities with human experience.

“Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious and short.”(6)

      So often, I share the same experience with the animals, but to a different degree. For many years, I had suffered from heart-breaking moments. I had suffered the pain of school work, and I had came to the realization that life is short. 

     Overall, the role of animals in this novel motivates me to rethink their role in today’s society. The bacon, eggs, fried chicken, steak and milk we often consume are built upon of the sacrifice of animals. 

Victim Blaming 

So often, it is expected that the evil one will be the perpetrator, but the victim can never be underestimated. Many people are not what they appear to be, even an amiable figure.

In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, who is to blame for the tragic ending? Othello or Iago? Before pointing one’s finger to either character, one needs to consider the background of the play. 

Throughout the play, the female characters are often succumb to male authority. Emilia states, “[Men] are all but stomachs and we all but food; [Men] eat us hungerly, and when they are full/ They belch us.” (57) During that time period, many men simply view women as an instrument to satisfy their desires, and when their desires are fulfilled, they neglect their women. Women does not have the same status as men, even though they share the same senses. It is no surprise that Othello does not trust Emilia when he asks her thoughts on Desdemona and Cassio’s affair. Rather, he trusts Iago’s words. Under the influence of gender inequality, Othello chooses to believe Iago, even though Emilia has a closer relationship with Desdemona than Iago.

Furthermore, the weak foundation of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship play a role to Othello’s downfall. Desdemona loves Othello for the dangers he had passed, and he loves her for her pity. What other traits do Desdemona has that enable Othello to like her? Desdemona once deceives her father in exchange her loyalty to Othello. However, her loyalty soon becomes her justification to betray Othello. If the foundation of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is strong, would Othello still chooses to believe Iago, instead of his beloved wife? If the foundation of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is strong, would Othello still chooses to kill Desdemona, instead of forgiving her?

Aside from the gender inequality during that time and the weak foundation of Othello and Desdemona’s relationship, Othello’s insecurity plays a significant role in the tragic ending. His insecurity derives from his race. Othello once states, “Haply, for I am black/ And have no those soft parts of conversations/ That Chamberes have…She’s gone.” (48) Othello’s race influences him to infer Desdemona would soon get tired of him and would devote herself to other white men. Although Othello is often described as valiant, he does not have enough confident to believe he is as good as other men. He does not have enough faith to believe Desdemona would continue to love him. He does not even know what other reasons that cause Desdemona to marry him. Othello’s race becomes Desdemona’s justification to betray him. The insecurity serves as a cause for Othello to  believe Iago’s words. Iago appears to be a negative influence that affect Othello's rationality, and Othello appears to be his victim. However, Othello is the one who causes the tragic ending by assailing Desdemona.

        With his evil visage, many would blame Iago for the tragic ending. However, was every event occurred in the play planned by Iago or just his luck come into his way? As Iago tries to persuade Othello to believe Desdemona and Cassio have an affair, the main evidence is the handkerchief. Although Iago steals the handkerchief and brings it in Cassio’s chamber, it is Bianco who decides to enter the scene and asks Cassio about the handkerchief in front of Othello. Also, when Iago decides to remove Cassio from his position in order to procure Othello’s trust, it is Cassio who chooses to take the drink. It is Iago’s luck that aided him, not his words.

   At the end of the play, it is Othello who decides to kill Desdemona. It is Othello who decides to listen to Iago. It is Othello who gives in to his insecurity. Even the amiable soldier in the play is not what he appears to be.

Identity>Ethnicity & Characteristics

Identity is not just an ethnicity or different characteristics. Identity cannot be recognize by surface vision, but by a combination of surface vision and inner vision. Environmental factors, culture, and religion all contribute to self- identity. However,family values and personal experience play an important role in the nameless protagonist's life in Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. 

 In the novel , the nameless narrator’s journey to discover who he is begins with his grandfather's words at his deathbed. Due to the inferiority of African Americans, the narrator was told to obey the whites, no matter what the situation is. With this idea engraved in the narrator’s mind, he obeys every force that was placed on him. One incident was the royal battle, in which he chooses to conform as other African Americans who follow the orders of the whites. Later, the narrator encounters Mr. Norton. Similarly, the narrator did everything that Mr. Norton to do so; however, his obedience leads to his expulsion from his college. With the words of his grandfather, the narrator does not have an identity, but an identity that others place on him.

Later in the novel, the narrator experiences a rebirth in a factory hospital. Not only he forgets who he is, he even forgets the name of his enemies. Without the presence of the identity that others once placed on him, the narrator is able to discover who is. He begins to question outwardly about the inequality in the society, especially when he delivers a speech regarding an evicted couple. The rebirth also leads him to the Brotherhood, in which he serves as an orator. As a member of the Brotherhood, the narrator also discovers the blindness of certain people. He realizes people often view him as an instrument to advance their own interest, and they refuse to see the individuality within the narrator.

With the experience of the narrator, he finally discovers who he is. He is not one of many African Americans who submits to whites. He is not one of many African Americans who would let others to take advantage of him. Toward the ends of the book, the narrator neglects the materialistic things he has been pursuing for is useless. He begins another journey to discover who he is.

He becomes an African American who takes advantage of his invisibility. He becomes an African American who acknowledges the environmental factors that shaped him. 

The nameless narrator and I both share the obstacles to find self-identity. One factor is that contribute to an identity is love. People often give up their identity for the ones they love. When a couple first met each other, they like the originality within each other. As time passed by, one person from the relationship would often change himself or herself for the other person. Once the person is changed, their identity changed as well. Love can alter the identity of an individual, and the can be positive, negative, or both. For me, it is the ones I love and the ones who love me motivated me to become the person I want to be. It is love that I find my self-identity and the importance of self-identity.

Work of Literary Merit > Good Books

      When I hear “a work of literary merit”, I immediately think of canon of work. Cannon of work described literary works that were reviewed and criticized by college professors, teachers and others. However, “a work of literary merit” is more than the definition above.

      To me, “a work of literary merit” is considered to be a “classic”, a book that stood the test of time and a book that is considered important in the eyes of English experts. Also, the work will have an importance and a theme that can be related to most of the people around the world. Some common topics of theme are crimes of love, self-sacrificing, disaster and pursue. However, different people have a varied interpretation on “a work of literary merit” due to their personal opinions.

      For my independent reading, I read Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, and I consider this books as “a work of literary merit”.

     "Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul."

      This is the first line of my independent reading. The summary of the book is revealed in this line. The protagonist in the book, Humbert develops an obsession toward Lolita, a young teenage girls. Although Humbert loves Lolita, their relationship was considered as a sin during the second half of 20^th century, in America, the setting of the book.

    During the twentieth century, there was no other novel like Lolita that explored couples with a large age gap. Thus, the plot of the book was new. The novel was first published in 1955, but it was banned in different countries due to the controversy over the content of pornography within the book. However, the audience who criticized the novel often overlook other elements of the book, such as the desire of the protagonist: his love to Lolita, his will to control her life and his impulses to satisfy his desire. Lolita’s identity and childhood are in the hands of Humbert’s, instead of her own. The story of Lolita and Humbert can be connected to the desire of human, rather it is sexual, materialistic or survival desire. These desires shape the behavior of human, even the behavior is extremely positive or negative.

      From 1955 to 2015, Lolita has stood the test of time, and the public opinion of the book  changes as the society changes as well. Today, it is not rare to see married couple who are ten years or twenty years apart. Moreover, the title of the book appears in the reading list of AP English Literature and Composition, which suggested its literary importance in American education. Thus, Lolita  is considered to be " a work of literary Merit", instead of just a good book.  

More than just a Book Preserver

     What kind of a reader are you? For me, I fit the description of the book preserver. However, I will not buy a  fresh copy of the book even the book is damaged, but the damaged book will no longer be on my list of favorites. After all, the book preserver would not fully describe what kind of a reader I am.

     My Chinese background certainly influence the type of reader I am. Since I moved to United States at a young age, my life is filled with English learning. In many occasions, I just want to reconnect to my Chinese language through Chinese novels, instead of through English novels. Therefore, reading English novel is not my favorite of all time. Perhaps, I just need to discover a book I really love and that will remove my obstacle from the love of reading.

     Nevertheless, there are two books I really enjoy. One is Alabama Moon by Watt Key and the other is The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker.

From the condition of the book above, it proves that I am really a book preserver.

      The encountering between Alabama Moon and I was in an elementary school book fair. Aside from the hard cover of the book (the hard cover will be easy for me to preserve the book in an intact condition), I read a little summary from the book cover, and I was engaged by the book immediately. In the book, the protagonist, Moon Blake has been living in the forest with his father for many years. It was not until the death of his father that Moon has a chance to explore the outside world. The book enclosed the adventure of Moon to a new world. I also found a sense of familiarity with the character since his experience with the society share common features with my emigration experience. I was too confused and feared to a new environment, however, Moon and I both learned to enjoy the possibilities of the new world.

      The other book I love is The Liar Society. It was love at the first sight when I first read the preview of the book. The protagonist of the book, Kate, receives an email from her best friend, who died in a fire. There are clues in each email that lead to a truth behind the school she attends. In her adventure to find the hidden truth, she experiences both loving and thrilling moments. Unlike the similarities I shared with the protagonist from Alabama Moon, The Liar Society has a thrilling adventure that I have always wish to be in.

     I am a reader who love books with interesting plots, and I can often relate my experience or my desire with the elements of the book. By creating this reading blog, I hope to document my growth in reading, and to provide an opportunity for me to continue to read interesting books.