James and Jeth, this piece is beautiful. Animal Farm has been a beloved book in my family for many years.
This is because in the United States, Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, put it on the mandatory High School reading list in the 1980s, and as this was my parents’ formative years, this book had a big impact on my Mom and Dad alike.
As I reflect on your analysis of the book, two things jump out at me.
Upon my first reading of the book around age 13 or 14, I thought it was a fine book, I got its message, all that good stuff. But I did not consider it life-altering or anything like that because it is not very Heroic.
When I re-read it in October 2024 at the age of 28, I read it with very different eyes.
Boxer, who had once seemed so dull and incurious, now seemed to me the Hero. He fought the Nation’s Wars and did the Nation’s Work, he was always loyal to his comrades, and he was the first to question Squealer’s lies when Squealer began to tarnish Snowball’s early Revolutionary legacy of which Boxer had firsthand experience.
These things are all near and dear to my heart, and as I read this piece, I realized that over the years, because of my linguistic ability, I have often been presented with the choice of being Squealer or being Boxer.
Much to the detriment of my social standing, I have repeatedly chosen the role of Boxer.
And I know from experience that everything you say about his fate is true!
But I will add one thing…though Boxer was sent to the Glue Factory, you may recall that he went out fighting, trying to kick out the door of the death wagon ferrying him to his doom.
And when he died, the magic on Animal Farm seemed to die with him.
I guess young Richard was wrong.
Maybe Animal Farm is a Heroic Tale after all…
For as Randy Travis sang:
“There are Horses in Heaven, it says it in the Bible…”
In relation to what James has written here, it's interesting to note that while Animal Farm is still part of the national curriculum here in the UK, it is framed squarely as being an allegory about the Russian revolution - with a "warning for the future" add on thrown in. In others words - in the past - or part of a nondescript possible future. That it be a very much ongoing depiction of the world we inhabit is not considered.
It could be argued that this might break guidance rules about political bias in the classroom, but I've seen through my own kids many examples of this not being the case when it comes to anti - "non-leftist" viewpoints, pharma indoctrination, and eco messaging being pushed by activist teachers seemingly with impunity.
Maybe Squealer (not an inclusive meat source after all...) should be renamed now that he has access to the subconscious - a far more powerful means to influence and suppress.
James and Jeth, this piece is beautiful. Animal Farm has been a beloved book in my family for many years.
This is because in the United States, Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, put it on the mandatory High School reading list in the 1980s, and as this was my parents’ formative years, this book had a big impact on my Mom and Dad alike.
As I reflect on your analysis of the book, two things jump out at me.
Upon my first reading of the book around age 13 or 14, I thought it was a fine book, I got its message, all that good stuff. But I did not consider it life-altering or anything like that because it is not very Heroic.
When I re-read it in October 2024 at the age of 28, I read it with very different eyes.
Boxer, who had once seemed so dull and incurious, now seemed to me the Hero. He fought the Nation’s Wars and did the Nation’s Work, he was always loyal to his comrades, and he was the first to question Squealer’s lies when Squealer began to tarnish Snowball’s early Revolutionary legacy of which Boxer had firsthand experience.
These things are all near and dear to my heart, and as I read this piece, I realized that over the years, because of my linguistic ability, I have often been presented with the choice of being Squealer or being Boxer.
Much to the detriment of my social standing, I have repeatedly chosen the role of Boxer.
And I know from experience that everything you say about his fate is true!
But I will add one thing…though Boxer was sent to the Glue Factory, you may recall that he went out fighting, trying to kick out the door of the death wagon ferrying him to his doom.
And when he died, the magic on Animal Farm seemed to die with him.
I guess young Richard was wrong.
Maybe Animal Farm is a Heroic Tale after all…
For as Randy Travis sang:
“There are Horses in Heaven, it says it in the Bible…”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTG0NTetfEU
Sincerely,
Richard Barrett
Thanks Richard,
In relation to what James has written here, it's interesting to note that while Animal Farm is still part of the national curriculum here in the UK, it is framed squarely as being an allegory about the Russian revolution - with a "warning for the future" add on thrown in. In others words - in the past - or part of a nondescript possible future. That it be a very much ongoing depiction of the world we inhabit is not considered.
It could be argued that this might break guidance rules about political bias in the classroom, but I've seen through my own kids many examples of this not being the case when it comes to anti - "non-leftist" viewpoints, pharma indoctrination, and eco messaging being pushed by activist teachers seemingly with impunity.
Maybe Squealer (not an inclusive meat source after all...) should be renamed now that he has access to the subconscious - a far more powerful means to influence and suppress.