The Book All High School Students Should Read Before They Graduate by Dani

The Book All High School Students Should Read Before They Graduate by Dani - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

In the scope of all literature, thousands of individual pieces of prose can be considered great, and worthy of becoming a part of a high school student's required reading list. Deciding upon just one that should be read by every high school student becomes a monumental task, until looked at from the perspective of own life, and which book has had the greatest impact. There is only one book I can say with absolute certainty has changed the course of my life and my perception of it: Animal Farm.

Published in 1945 by George Orwell, Animal Farm initially received poor reviews. However, in reading this book I came to understand the natural flaw in reason as it moves from dogmatic idealism to actionable, harsh reality. This shift is exemplified by the 'commandments' written on the barn wall by the animals: "No animal shall sleep in a bed" eventually becomes "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets"; "No animal shall drink alcohol" becomes "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess," and so on. This is a perfect illustration of concessions and compromises made within our daily lives. The determination to stand by a certain principle or resolution (such as those made on New Year's) slowly wears away with excuses and bargaining until nothing of the spirit of the original promise remains. It is important for students entering college and the workforce to be aware of this because once aware, a conscious effort can be made to improve their self discipline, a critical skill in any aspect of life.

Animal Farm allegorically communicates the knowledge that "power corrupts," and that "those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it." This is shown later in the book, when the animals, once united in their defiance of human masters, turn to controlling one another. Most condemning is the lack of higher-level or critical-thinking skills among the animals. As commandments are revised time and again, the animals continue putting their faith in the words as they’re written, ignoring conflicts with their own memories or original intent for writing the commandments. The commandments were written with the aim of separating themselves from humans, but as they are revised, it becomes steadily more acceptable to emulate those humans. This, perhaps, shows the most important message of Animal Farm: the gravest danger to equality and rights for any individual is a society made up of followers. Citizens must seek to further their education and support every decision with sound logic, even if it means acting contrary to a conforming society.

The lessons learned from George Orwell’s Animal Farm are of critical importance for the individual and society to learn and grow. Determination, discipline, education, and logic have helped form the world into what it is today. Reading this book while in high school when students are old enough to comprehend and young enough to still be shaped by them will help form better, more fulfilled individuals unwilling to let inequality and oppression thrive.