Consumed by Love

*Author's Note- This is a response to the short story A Secret for Two, and also a practice essay for the District Assessment.  I ended up redoing this many times before I went and showed it to  Mr. Johnson, because I wasn't sure about how I felt about my essay, or if it seemed right to me.  Please comment!

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear the word love?  Most people tend to think about romance- husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, secret admirer, that sort of thing.  But love is not all overwhelming attraction towards someone.  The actual definition is 'a strong and positive emotion of regard and affection'.  That means that love could be for an animal, a brother or sister, a friend, an object, a profession or job, an activity…the possibilities are endless.  Just like I love my family, Pierre Duplin loved his horse, Joseph.  He loved that horse so much that it led him to his death.  Love can be all-consuming.

Pierre and Joseph had a bond that was special.  Not only did they work together every morning and strengthen their friendship during long rides throughout the neighborhood delivering milk, but they also shared a secret.  And on that fateful day when Joseph, the horse, passed on, that secret revealed itself in tragic death.  Pierre was blind.  He had been for five years.  As he walked home from the stables that day, a truck barreled down the road.  Pierre, however, just kept walking.  Some may think that it was because he was blind, and he just couldn't see the truck.  I disagree.  This short story states that he had been blind for five years.  If he had not had any sight for five years, he would've grown accustomed to hearing sounds and smelling, tasting and touching, depending on his other senses, to detect that truck.  He knew it was coming.  He probably knew he was going to get hit.  I have two theories as to why he stayed on the road.

Theory number one says that even though he knew somewhere in his mind that the truck was coming, some part of his mind was warning him, that part just wasn't anywhere near a big enough focus.  He was thinking about the tragic and unsuspected death of his best friend.  He was probably wondering how he would move on from this loss, and grieving for his faithful companion for all he was worth.  He didn't have time to pay attention to that little part of his mind telling him, "GET OFF THE STREET!  A SEMI IS HEADED YOUR WAY!"  Maybe he didn't even notice it.

My other theory is that he just didn't care.  He didn't give a darn.  This is very different from suicide, of course.  He wasn't planning to die- he had barely gotten past his mourning enough to focus on what he should do about himself.  He merely thought, 'If my best friend in the entire world has just died, and there is no one else for me, then who cares what happens to me?  Who would care if I went home and just sobbed for eternity?  Who would care if I died right now?'  He certainly didn't care either way.  He was just going through the motions.  If a truck was coming at him, then maybe that's the way the good Lord planned it.  Maybe He planned it so that when one of them leaves the world, the other will follow.  This quote from the text supports this theory.

'“We are two old men,” he said to Jacques. “Let us wear out together. When Joseph is ready to retire – then I, too, will quit.”'

So, yes, he most likely did feel the vibrations in the cobblestone road, he did hear the rumbles and roars of the huge truck, but he either didn't notice or didn't care.  Simple as that.  He was too upset for Joseph, his horse, his friend, the one he loved.  He was consumed in his own love for Joseph.

The Secret Leaders

Author's Note- This is a response to the mandatory response for my Language Arts class about Animal Farm, how the pigs have changed since the book started, and what Orwell is saying about those who became leaders of the Russian Revolution.  I would appreciate feedback very much for this one.  Thanks!

When old Major, a highly regarded farm pig, gathered the farm animals one night to talk about a dream he had, a dream about a revolution, all animals were filled with hope, and ready to do anything to free themselves from a place where they are poked, prodded, branded, worked to exhaustion, and practically starved.  During the time, all that was in any animal's head was hatred for the humans, and longing for escape.  After the revolution, most animals stayed in that mind set, just not wanting Mr. Jones, the farm owner, to come back.  Some didn't.  Some wanted more.  Some wanted power.

Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, three of remaining pigs since the death of Old Major, decide that it's time to make some rules.  The pigs come up with the Seven Commandments, that every animal must follow and worship.  The most important, of course, is the seventh.  All animals are equal. 

As the Revolution continues, the pigs begin to take more and more control over the farm without the other animals even realizing it, becoming leaders almost secretly, and claiming they are only doing what they believe is best for every farm animal.  It is Napoleon, however, that lets the power take control of him.  He thirsts for control, so much so that he'll do anything for it.  Even accuse, lie about, and exile Snowball, leaving him in total power.  To remain in control, of course, he has to make some changes.  He adds enforcements in the form of vicious dogs, to protect him from any harm, and makes even more changes to the already switched around and messed up commandments.  He begins killing anyone who speaks against him, and starts going mad with power.  He started out as a pig trying to help his farm establish into a better community, and ends up misusing and lying to the naïve animals just to satisfy his urges for control. 

Napoleon very much resembles Stalin in this way, because Stalin was a ruthless leader that used the military to control the people, much as Napoleon used the dogs to control the animals.  Lenin kept trying to get Trotsky on his side, warning against the leadership of Stalin and urging the Soviet system to become more open and democratic.  Snowball was doing the same in Animal Farm, was he not?  This leads me to the conclusion that Snowball represents Lenin.  During this entire animal revolution, Squealer and Napoleon kept getting closer and closer, just as Stalin and Trotsky were doing in Russia.  Trotsky represents Squealer because of this.

Orwell wrote this piece of literature for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is to show us how ridiculous and ludicrous the situation was, and how we need to actually think about things we're told instead of just believing them.  What I mean by that is thinking about the lies the animals were told- if the pigs don't get more food than us, Mr. Jones will surely return!- how?  If the pigs aren't fed better than everyone else, for some reason, Mr. Jones will decide to come back and take over again?  All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others- what?  That's like saying, 1+3=4 more than 2+2=4!  They were even naïve enough to not realize it when Napoleon started taking control right under their noses before it was too late!  If the animals had any common sense, and actually questioned things that the pigs said instead of believing their every word, maybe they wouldn't have gotten into this mess!