The Book of the Future by Nichole

The Book of the Future by Nichole - February 2015 Scholarship Essay

In the year 2013, the National Endowment for the Arts found that 52% of 18 to 24 year olds don't read outside of school and yet colleges say high school students should be reading books like "Heart of Darkness" or "Slaughterhouse-Five". Because high school students don't read outside of school they're missing out on good authors like George Orwell, who wrote "Animal Farm" and "1984" two books on the colleges' should read list. The books high school students read in school are great but because they're missing out on other great books they should be reading more books in school. For example, one book all high school students should read before they graduate should be "Animal Farm" by George Orwell.

"Animal Farm" is a satirical and allegorical book that can teach high school students about history and analysis. On the surface, the book is about the farm animals taking control of the farm and kicking out all the humans. They create a government, laws, and learn how to sell and trade. The deeper meaning to the book, however, is about Communism Russia during the time Joseph Stalin was in charge. "Animal Farm" is the perfect book to help high school students understand what was happening in Russia as well as analyze how allegories can be used to raise awareness to Communism much like how "Night" by Elie Wiesel raised awareness to the Holocaust. High school students already read "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland", "Lord of the Flies", and "Hamlet" which have allegories. Why not add "Animal Farm" to that list?

The sole purpose of "Animal Farm" is to educate and entertain. "Animal Farm" is a piece of literature and as Steve R. Hake, Ph. D. Professor of English Literature at Patrick Henry College, said "One of the basic purposes of literature has always been to entertain, and anything that is genuinely entertaining has value". However, is differs from history. History's purpose is to record, literature's purpose is to "simplify, clarify, deepen and focus" which can mean simplifying or clarifying parts of history. "Animal Farm" can teach high school students to "wake up [their] senses, enrich [their] feelings, and deepen [their] thoughts". They will feel sorrow, taste and smell what the animals do, and begin to think about who Stalin, Trotsky, and Tsar Nicholas II represent in the book. "Animal Farm" itself isn't the only reason why students should read it.

George Orwell's work, whether his essays or novels, are an inspiration to non-fiction writers and readers. Orwell himself didn't follow traditional pieces that caused him to spend his time "promoting discontent, denouncing the establishment, glorifying the machine-driven future" says Jeremy Paxman, journalist for The Telegraph. In fact, Orwell glorifies the small things like the season of spring in his "Common Toad" essay. Orwell "was always about that basic question-why do we live like this?" "Animal Farm" was said that is "remains the greatest fictional demolition of totalitarianism". Orwell, through being a figure of authority and scullion, achieved what every journalist and essayist seeks: "He could tell the truth". Reading George Orwell's works, specifically "Animal Farm", gives high school students many things but most importantly the readiness for college reading and literature.

There are plenty of splendid books high school students could be reading but alongside the ones they already do read in school should be "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. It educates in the form of an allegory and satire so they can comprehend what analysis is. It clarifies and deepens the feelings, senses, and thoughts about the history in it and finally George Orwell himself is the perfect author to prepare high school students for college.

Bibliography:
Althouse, Spencer. "23 Books You Didn't Read In High School But Actually Should." Buzzfeed. N.p., 5 July 2013. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

Hake, Steve R. Why Study Literature. N.p.: Patrick Henry College,2001. PDF.

Paxman, Jeremy. "The Genius of George Orwell". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 20 Jan. 2015. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.

Weissmann, Jordan. "The Decline of the American Book Lover." The Decline of the American Book Lover. N.p., 21 Jan. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2015.