Animalism

Written By: Kyle Marx

The ideas and thought process of a communist regime are considered to be some of the most controversial topics to ever be discussed, constantly being questioned. Doesn’t communism always fail? Why didn't it work with Stalin, Fidel Castro, Lenin or Kim Jong-un? Don’t the people always end up in poverty? These are some of the many questions asked by uninformed people who do not fully understand true communism. The common misconception of communism is that one sole person of power makes all the decisions for a country, when in fact, that is actually a totalitarian regime (“a system of government that is centralized and dictatorial and requires complete subservience to the state”). The book Animal Farm - written by George Orwell - is based on Lenin’s philosophies of the Russian Revolution. Throughout the book, Orwell advocates said theory to perfection, showing the development of a communist regime and how it should be operated.

The novel revolves around the characters Napoleon and Snowball- pigs- who are supposed to represent Stalin and Trotsky, leaders of the Russian revolution. The two pigs live on the Manor Farm. Their owner, Mr. Jones who is a mean, drunk, and inconsiderate man, treats his animals poorly. The animals’ leader is another pig named Old Major, who represents Lenin. Lenin was the previous leader of Russia who passed down the ideas of Marxism and communism to his two proteges. Old major assembles all the animals in the barn together. He tells the animals about a vision that he had seen the night before. Old Major envisioned the start of a rebellion against the oppressive human race. Soon after his vision, Old Major passes away, leaving his two disciples Snowball and Napoleon to lead and begin the development of the animals revolution. Exactly three months after Old Major's` death, the animals revolt against Mr. Jones and gain complete control of the farm. Later they rename the previously named, “Manor Farm”, to the “Animal Farm” and create seven commandments to live by. The two most important commandments are, “Four legs good, two legs bad”(Orwell 20), and perhaps most importantly: "All animals are equal"(Orwell 21). During the Russian revolution, communist advocates and leaders spread their ideas through the use of propaganda. Throughout the novel, I picked up on the fact that based off of the animal’s species, they were assigned to certain positions in the “government”. For example pigs were thinkers and leaders, horses were strong and workers and sheep represented the easily persuaded civilians that followed the propaganda about communism in Russia during Stalin's rule The commandment, “Four legs good, two legs bad”, are the pigs’ form of propaganda targeting the animals they considered to be less intelligent . Orwell took this into consideration because one of the biggest parts of Stalin's rise to power in Russia was his propaganda that the uninformed civilians blindly followed. Later on in the book, Snowball informs the other animals about his plans to build a windmill. Immediately after his proposal Napoleon stands up, calls his plan nonsense, and advises everyone to go against it. After Napoleon's remark, the two pigs go back and forth with one another until Napoleon, utters a sound that no one has ever heard before. Soon after, nine enormous dogs dashed straight for Snowball, who just barely escaped their snapping jaws, “ In a moment he was out of the door and they were after him...One of them all but closed his jaws on Snowball's tail” (Orwell 32). Snowball- scared for his life- barely escapes the dogs. Shocked by the incident, “Silent and terrified, the animals crept back into the barn(Orwell 32)”. The significance of this quote is that it shows how although Trotsky is more intelligent and innovative then Stalin, his overwhelming power and fear tactics drive Trotsky out of Russia. In this quote Orwell notes that the animals creep back to the barn silently and terrified, this symbolizes how the Russians civilians, under Stalin's’ rule, were horrified by his actions but could not do anything about it for fear of being killed.

George Orwell teaches us that in writing the importance of paying attention to detail is very crucial to expressing the full meaning of the story. A noticeable point in the story is when Orwell mentions that “By the late summer the news of what had happened on Animal Farm had spread across half the country”. Orwell notes the spread of the revolution to symbolize how in the Russian revolution communism spread throughout the world to other countries. He even goes on to say that the other farms’ thoughts on the idea of a self-governed farm (by the animals that is) are a stupid idea, once again symbolizing the other countries’ views on the Russian revolution. By Orwell noting these small details, it shows his excellence as a writer and encourages he readers want to continue reading.

In my opinion, the novel Animal Farm is phenomenally written, Orwell manages to encapsulate the essence of the Russian revolution by representing humans as animals and oppressive leaders as humans. I continued to read the book because I found the author’s tendency to take notice of smaller details in the revolution to be enjoyable. I would highly recommend this book to any reader, but in particular, I would recommend it to people interested in activism, revolutions, and most importantly communism. However, if you are very informed about the Russian revolution then you may find the book to be less interesting. A person who is less knowledgeable on the topic may find the book to be more intriguing. On the contrary, a person well informed on the Russian Revolution (Like me) may actually find that this makes it even more interesting because you see Orwell’s perspective on the revolution and through the eyes of an animal. The book Animal Farm written by George Orwell was truly an astounding book that uncovered the reasons behind the start of the Russian revolution and the inner mechanic of the process.

BEST ACTION AND ADVENTURE BOOK?

BEST ACTION AND ADVENTURE BOOK?
By Oran Gelinas

The False Prince
Jennifer A. Nielsen

    With your country on the brink of civil war, would you live a life of lies to save it? The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen is an action and adventure book, the main character is Sage, an orphan boy living in an orphanage when he his bought by a rich noble named Connor. Sage is very disobedient but gets punished for it. Sage, Connor, and his two servants -Mott and Cregan- pick up 3 more children from other orphanages around the country of Carthya. The first of which is Roden. He is strong and brawny but not very smart or educated. The next is Tobias. He is the exact opposite of Roden. Tobias can read and write, knows lots about history and other subjects but is rather delicate and weak. The last is a boy named Latamer who is very ill. He decides it’s the best for everyone if he leaves but is “killed by Cregan with orders from Connor”(Nielsen 33). Eventually, they all arrive at Connor’s, home, Farthenwood. Connor tells the kids that the royal family has been killed. They had a son that went missing 4 years back named Jaron. “[His] plan is simple, really. [He] intends to convince the court that one of [them] is Prince Jaron” (Nielsen 58). This is just where the book begins and a competition emerges between the three boys. They’re unsure what will happen to the others who aren’t chosen but based on the death of Latamer, one can only imagine.

      In my opinion, this is a great book for people of all ages. The first word that comes to my mind when I think about this book is suspenseful. I was constantly wanting to read more and curious about the outcome of the book. My predictions were often wrong as to how many genius plots twists the author implemented into her creation and I really enjoyed that about the book; how I was always kept on the edge of my seat not sure of what to come next. Another great aspect of the book is the detail and thought put into the immense backstories of the royal family, each character, and the country of Carthya as a whole; as a reader, you’ll be able to understand why each character makes the choices they did and how they were put into their situation. At the beginning of the book, we learn that his “father was a poor musician and a coward.”(Nielsen 17).This influences many of Sage’s decisions. I think the themes are original and different which also leads to my zest towards the novel. A theme based around deception is integrated into the book as there are many betrayals and the characters soon learn they can’t trust anybody but themselves. I would highly recommend this book for really anyone who takes pleasure in reading fictional action and adventure books. If you’ve read series such as The Hunger Games or Ranger’s Apprentice then you would also indulge yourself in the book such as I did. I am both excited or curious to read the rest of the Ascendance Trilogy. There is more information about the rest of the series on the author’s website. Once again, I think this is a must read if you like action and adventure.

Animals' freedom in the modern day

Animals' freedom in the modern day

by Edward Lau

The Life of Pi

by Yann Martel

When thinking about wild animals, people tend to believe that they will never abide to humans and that they act out of their own free will. Religions such as Hinduism believe that they should never be tamed and that the fact that they roam so freely makes them sacred. But learning about the patterns and the conditions that will determine an animal’s nature can help people learn how to tame that animal. This is what the book Life of Pi shows throughout its 100 chapters and it follows the difficult journey of Piscine Molitor Patel before and during, the accident that would change his perspective of wild animals.

Starting from Part 1 of the novel, we get to know Piscine and how he got the nickname “Pi” from the mean kids at the school: they bullied him by calling him piss but his love for math gave him his nickname Pi. We learn about his social class and how his life is now, studying zoology and religion. He talks about his childhood influences while living in India and the experiences at his dad’s job - the zoo -  that made him so indulged in the study of animals. Even though life in India was good for Pi, he wanted a better life for himself and found a boat to Canada. In the end of part 1, he foreshadows the bigger plot by telling the reader that he is afraid of ships and of Richard Parker. Part 2 goes deeper into the situation of the novel when the ship that Pi has taken to go overseas sinks and Pi is forced to survive while lost at sea. He builds a life raft and attaches it to a lifeboat. There is where Richard Parker, the tiger, climbs onto the lifeboat to save himself from the sharks and drowning. With the two of them so close to each other, Pi uses his past knowledge of animals and the behaviors of wild animals to tame Richard in order for the two of them to survive. Pi digs into his survivor instincts by trying out anything that can get him and Richard some food. Freshwater wasn’t a problem for him at the beginning because he managed to get stills that would convert salt water so that is was able to be consumed. This process took a long time so he relies on the rainwater from storms. Food was all around him but the thought of Richard ripping his intestines always kept him alert of him. Food was a difficult start for him. First, he used leather from his shoe as bait but has no results. Fearing that he would never catch any fish, a exceedingly large amount of flying fish go over and into his raft.  He uses the flying fish as bait and catches a dorado. Here, he shows his dominance over Richard by throwing a chunk of fish over for him to eat. Pi for his whole life has been a pacifist and a vegetarian, but for the means of survival, he has to tend to a more wild nature. Living on the ship tends to be difficult but he feels the need to strive through it and tame Richard Parker. He cleans, feeds, and keeps Richard alive for most of the trip. Pi finally shows his superiority when he and Richard get into a fight and he wins. They drift onto a island but realize that it’s algae is killing the fish and eventually the two of them if they stay there so they decide to leave on the boat. They eventually arrive at the shores of a Mexican Jungle. Here the two of them part ways and the story ends with Pi surviving the whole ordeal. I personally enjoyed the book due to the points it makes on freedom and rights that animals have and how different religions view animals existences.

If an animal was confined in a man made zoo, is the animal really ever going to be happy? Pi speaks about this in a way that really brought up the idea that animals

do not have a happy existence when predators - such as humans - “capture and throw them into a tiny jail and begin to dash on their happiness.” (Martel 19) This made me understand how the whole setting of Pi’s childhood was really showing him the reality of the animals living there. The animals aren’t living full lives, they spend their days walking around in a confined space having to be stared at by random people. They can never “oversee their offspring properly or watch the setting of the sun from the trees with sighs and pleasure” (Martel 19). This just adds onto the context of how the animals aren’t happy: the zoo will just take the animals offspring and put them in another or the even the same confined space and then the whole cycle will continue where none of the animals are able to fully live their lives. This is where Pi learns the most about freedom in his study of Zoology. I was happy to see that the author put this into the novel as I have been a strong believer that an animal should never be held up against its will in order for others to be pleased by seeing it. People tend to associate themselves with one religion if they believe what the religion talks about is correct. Pi - due to his multiple exposures to different religions in India - identifies as a Muslim and a Christian. Pi is a strong believer in Hinduism at the time when he was talking to Mr. Satin, his teacher in the past; “I believe that religion will save us” (Martel 34). Pi said this in order for him to talk and to have a idea on Mr. Satin’s view on religion - due to him being an atheist. Mr. Satin’s response to Pi intrigued him enough to develop viewpoints on different religions; “Religion is darkness. Darkness is the last thing that religion is, religion is light” (Martel 34). Even though what Mr. Satin said was the total opposite of what Pi perceived as religion, it made him more intrigued in it.  This in return, made me think more about Christianity in general. The basic teaching of it tells it’s followers that being a good person is a must in order for you to have a good afterlife. But certain things throughout a life like Mr. Satin’s polio that he had for most of him childhood makes me think that that was the darkness in religion that he was talking about. The darkness in religion isn’t the whole concept itself, but it’s the times that you think that a god should help you but doesn’t. I liked that Religion was one of the main themes in the novel due to it expanding my knowledge on how different people interpret it.

Although lengthy and repetitive, the basic ideas and concepts that Pi explains to the reader really make it worth it. It provides the reader with multiple viewpoints on religion and animal rights and how society will harm it. Overall, I would recommend Life of Pi to anyone that is interested in religion, zoology, or just wanting to expand their understanding of both.

What Happens in Aruba Doesn't Stay in Aruba

Jessie Young

Dangerous Girls
By Paula Hawkins

Ironic, isn’t it? You go on vacation just to wind up in jail or maybe even dead. That’s what happened to a group of friends from Boston, Massachusetts. They were seniors in high school who went to Aruba for their last spring break together. But things didn’t go the way they were supposed to -they went quite the opposite, actually- three people wouldn’t be coming back home. One of the group of friends was randomly murdered, and two others of the friends were put in police custody and are on trial for her murder. This is all happening while they are supposed to be on vacation. Anna and Tate -the two being charged with her murder- are a couple, or were before this all happened. Apparently, they were not in as much shock and as upset as everyone else, so they decided that they were the most suspicious. The law enforcement system in Aruba is not very strong, and not very intelligent, which makes it easy for them to point fingers at Anna and Tate.

I believe that this book is very good and would appeal to people who enjoy reading in the mystery drama. The way the book is set up, with little parts of the past being revealed as the main plot moved forward, always keeps you on your toes. There are always new leads, new branches of information being given to the readers. “I wasn’t the only one off on my own, remember? I took a nap, and when I woke up, you were gone” (103). Little clues like that were always being revealed. So I recommend this book to people who enjoy the mystery genre or books that are dramatic and action-packed.

The main character - Anna - was a big part of the book that I felt I was able to connect to and I felt that she and her struggles really spoke to me. She had issues at school, meeting new people when she first moved to Hillcrest, the private high school they all attended. She didn’t get along with the popular group, that’s for sure, and she kind of had to figure everything out for herself. But what spoke to me was the characteristic she had about not caring if she got in with the popular group or not, just trying to survive as best she could. I think that not everyone always thinks like that, that sometimes they just to want to perfectly fit in not live for themselves. In fact, someone points this out to Anna early in the book; “yeah, you and Elise pretty much keep to yourselves” (92). Another thing that spoke to me was the theme of the book. Trust. This whole book and all of its events are based on trust; who broke it, who they trusted and shouldn’t have, who they should have trusted, what they shouldn’t have trusted with other people. So many secrets were revealed. “One moment. One picture. One glimpse -- that’s all it takes to make someone think they know the truth” (106). This was the kind of trust that was present in the book, which leads to many of the book's conflicts. I just thought that it was interesting how much this whole plot was based on trust.

This article talks about how important trust is and what it can do when broken, when lost, and when it’s just simply not there. Or even when it is there what can happen.
Clifford, Tracy E. “Building Trust in Relationships.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 4 June 2013, www.huffingtonpost.com/tracy-e-clifford/relationships-trust_b_3000579.html.

The Most Important Novel

Andrew Arena

Misery By Stephen King

           Paul Sheldon has been forced to write his most challenging novel yet. As a famous author, writing books is routine for Sheldon, except for when his life's on the line. In the book Misery, by Stephen King, Paul has been trapped for months, and the only way out is to finish this book for Annie. At Annie’s house, Paul goes through the following struggles: hunger, thirst, and immense pain. Who is Annie? Annie is a complete psychopath who “rescued” Paul from a devastating situation. However, she has arguably brought Paul into a much worse one. Annie tells Paul that “I think that by the time you finish, you should be up to the...up to the strain of meeting people again…” (King 57). So, Paul gets to work. The only way Paul is finishing this book is if he has Novril. Paul needs Novril. Novril is a painkiller that Annie gives Paul, which he eventually gets addicted to as the story goes on. Paul begins to get angry. Angry at Annie. He starts to take risks. Sneaking around the house, Paul discovers new hopes that may save him. With every page Paul writes, he runs the risk of making a mistake. A mistake that may cost him his life. So, will Paul finish the book? Will Annie keep her promise? Finally, will Paul Sheldon have to kill Annie to escape? Find out in the horror thriller Misery.

           Sometimes the only way to get my attention when reading a book is to scare me. Not knowing what is going to happen next is the number one trait I love in books. There is even a commentator who narrates a crucial part of the novel where “...it’s been a fantastic effort, but I’m afraid this is where it all ends” (King 71). This is why I recommend this book. If a reader likes to be surprised and shocked, they will love Misery by Stephen King. It is a page-turner, and its creepiness makes it impossible to stop reading. Another reason I liked the book was because of the messages it sent out. Paul Sheldon decides to take risks during the novel, and the risks pay off. This shows that sometimes in life risks are important and can help you achieve your goals. Of course you may not be in a situation like Sheldon in Misery, but nonetheless a lot of risks can pay off. The final reason that I like this book was because it was relatable for me. Paul breaks his legs and is in a lot of pain. I broke my leg recently, and I know how that feels. To be in so much pain and still focus on something like writing a book and controlling an unpredictable maniac almost seems impossible. It makes it clear how hard it is for Paul Sheldon and how tiring it must be for him. His life is on the line. Sometimes---when life is filled with overwhelming pain---it seems like death is the best option. In some of the most desperate times in the novel Paul begs for God to “let me out of this or kill me” (King 69). So, I highly recommend this to people who love books that make their heart race. If you are a Stephen King fan, or even a horror fan, this is one of the best books out there for you. If you aspire to create jaw-dropping and unpredictable stories like this one, check out a helpful website by clicking here.

Watch Your Back

Between by Jessica Warman

Natasha Friedman

    Have you ever wondered what people would say, think, or do if you died right now? Well, the thought never crossed Elizabeth Valchar’s mind, until she is faced with a horrific tragedy. Liz grew up with her loving parents who spoiled her endlessly; one day Liz’s mother became very sick and eventually passed away, leaving Liz to make choices on her own. At school, Liz became friends with the “cool crew.” (Warman 17) Along with her friends, Liz became blinded by her popularity; she became narcissistic, conceited, and bullied other kids with her friends. On Liz seventeenth birthday she holds a small party on her parent's boat; at her party, Liz drinks, smokes, and eventually falls asleep beside her four best friends. The next thing she can remember is waking up in the middle of the night to a strange noise in the water beside the boat. When she goes outside to see what’s going on, Liz comes face to face with her worst nightmare, “‘This can’t be real.’ I whisper, wiping my eyes. I don't want to see what’s happening, but it seems impossible to look anywhere else.” (Warman 87) As the story progresses Liz watches mysteries unfold and her friends slowly piece together all the clues to understand the haunting truth about what happened that night. The end of the story is very unexpected, shocking and exciting.
    I absolutely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys a quick read, teen drama, and mystery. One aspect of the book that really stood out to me was how the author made it so throughout the entire book Liz was watching her own life from a ghostly perspective; meaning she could see and hear everything going on in her real life, but she was unable to interact with anyone. Also, Jessica Warman added a feeling of suspense and mystery in her writing, which really brought the book to life, "'I don't know why I feel the need to be so quiet, The noise from my shoes against the deck is jarring. Every footstep making me cringe, no matter how carefully I step."Another awesome aspect of this book is that it is very relatable to teenagers in today’s generation because the author did an excellent job of incorporating real emotions and drama that teenagers deal with during their high school years. For example, bullying, getting pulled into the wrong group of people, family issues, dating, and self-esteem. One thing the reader should know before starting this book is that there are some inappropriate language and drug usage. One lesson that can be taken from this book is that sometimes the people closest to you will really be your biggest enemies.

Flight

Steven Lam

Airman
By Eoin Colfer

Is it possible to fly? Many people think that this concept is absurd, except Conor Broekhart. Airman by Eoin Colfer takes readers through the Saltee Islands in Ireland during the 1890s, where the protagonist, Conor Broekhart, strives to create one of the first gliders. Unlike other kids his age, Conor spends his time studying and learning about aerial machines from his teacher, Victor Vigny. The two bond over their fascination with aerial machines and flying. Throughout the story, it becomes evident that aerial machines are not the only things that Conor is interested in. He begins to realize he has feelings for his childhood friend, Isabella, and needs to know if she feels the same. Conor later discovers that Isabella reciprocates his feelings and is ecstatic. He is now on the path to building aerial machines and getting with the girl he likes. Everything seems perfect, that is, until Bonvilain shows up.

The plot of the story takes a while to unfold. Due to this factor, I was tempted to stop reading this book because of the lack of action in the first few chapters. However, as the book further progresses and the plot thickens, it becomes a more interesting and enjoyable read. When Conor winds up in prison, it is very intriguing to see how quickly his character adapts in order to survive in his new environment. When Conor is in prison, he becomes hardened, “forget your old life”, he tells himself, “It is dead and gone. Dreaming of family and friends will plunge you into a dark hell of despair. So build a wall around your memories and become a new person” (164). This was a big turning point in the book and the prison is where Conor’s intellect and fighting skills sharpen, helping him to devise a plan to escape. Conor uses these newly gathered skills to design, “a glider with a rudder and adjustable wings for lateral balance” (183), that he uses to escape the prison. After discovering Conor is still alive, Bonvilain plots to poison his family, “the victim will experience a strange tingling in the hands, followed by chest pain, extreme anxiety, accelerated heartbeat, nausea, vomiting, and eventually death due to respiratory arrest” (369). I thought that this was a strong way to reinforce Bonvilain’s cruel and cunning nature, showing his disregard for others in order to succeed. Throughout the chapters that were more plot-heavy, there were a lot of descriptive actions scenes, drawing me more into the story and making me feel more engaged. Through Conor’s journey, Eoin Colfer managed to create a story like none other that I have read before.

One thing in particular that stood out to me in Eoin Colfer’s writing was his choice of setting. Through some research, I found out that Colfer was raised in Wexford, Ireland. In both this book and his Artemis Fowl series, the setting takes place somewhere in Ireland. I find it interesting how Eoin Colfer bases his stories around the place where he grew up. In my eyes, this book is one of a kind. Although the book takes place in the 1890s, it seems very modern. Airman also contains vast amounts of action, description, and creativity. I wish this book had a sequel because it was a great book and seems to have potential, but sadly there is none. This book was definitely a 10/10 and I would recommend this to people who love intense action and adventure.