1984 Analysis

There are many definitions of humanity different to each person, group, or belief that separate us accordingly.  In George Orwell’s 1984, what it means to be human is brought to life in various scenarios through different personalities.  The protagonist, Winston, seeks out humanity through individuality.  On the other end, the antagonist, O’Brian defines his humanity in terms of the group.  The focus of this novel is the discovery of humanity in a world where people are little more than animals to the powers in charge.  Using this totalitarian society allows Orwell to examine humanity in its basest forms while crossing the group dynamic of the Party which serves as an antagonist throughout the story.

Winston Smith, the protagonist for this work, takes a strange, lonely journey to figure out what his humanity is worth, what humanity even means in the larger scheme of things.  The society Orwell creates for this dystopia is oligarchical in nature, leaving little to the establishment of individuality.  Because of this, Winston has to define himself as a human without knowing what it really means to be human.  In the beginning of the book, he only understands humanity as its role in the collective, the Party, and not as an individual state of being.  He struggles with his disdain of the Party and how it has, in his opinion, warped society beyond compassion, which can be argued as a root of humanity.  Winston records his observations, experiences, and general horror regarding the totalitarian regime he’s stuck in illegally in a diary.  While this practice does not necessarily span the entire novel, it does help the reader to understand who Winston Smith is within the context of the dystopia he’s forced to endure.  “It was not by making yourself heard but by staying sane that you carried on the human heritage,” Winston realizes after briefly coming to terms with his own mortality in terms of a legacy he’d leave after the Party inevitably killed him.  Like most modern humans, Winston does not want to die and does all he can to avoid that fate, his very existence depending on his ability to hide his deepest thoughts.  Winston notes on several occasions the control of the Party over the perception of the populace.  By extreme censorship, the Party is able to control not only perceptions and observations, but the nature of truth and history itself. 

““Who controls the past,” ran the Party slogan, “controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.”” The Party has made history an alterable state, leaving nothing to contradict societal beliefs, in a sense destroying the legacy of humanity so that only slaves to the Party are left.  Staying in third person limited, Orwell is able to focus wholly on Winston and his journey to understanding and his inevitable fall.  With this technique, Orwell is able to express how Winston sees these orthodox Party followers, often debasing them to speaking in animal noises or behaving as something less than human.  To that end, the proletariats, or proles, are seen as little better than animals by members of the Party, but to Winston they seem like hope.  To him, the freedom of thought the proles seem to enjoy is the greatest luxury available in their society.  From the point of view of a rebel inside the Party, the reader gets a true sense of how society really works, and in the observation of childhood within the Party, Orwell is able to drive home the point that humanity is a secondary or even tertiary role of the Party members.  In this respect, the definite challenge of the protagonist is his struggle to define his humanity in terms of himself and not the Party.  When Winston is captured and tortured by O’Brian, the reader gets a real sense of how his journey has come to a head.  He is finally able to define his own humanity and in the end understands the necessity of dehumanization within the context of the oligarchy.

Fahrenheit 451 Analysis

When classical dystopian literature starts to look like the modern world, the definition of dystopia has to change. Once it becomes reality, it can no longer be science fiction. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is welcomed by people to this day simply because we can see our world becoming what he predicted. Using basic poetic devices and prose style, Bradbury takes a future and makes it the present in this generation. It is metaphor, personification, and simile that help express the torn feeling that the main character, Montag, is fighting as he grows in the story. Montag has a very unique journey as far as being a classic male protagonist. His view of the world as it is takes a total and complete turn from the first page to the last. Each section build’s Montag up by breaking him down completely. Bradbury uses a casual, modern language structure with Montag which he develops as the character changes to match the tone of the sequences as they go. After meeting Clarisse, Montag begins adopting patterns and characteristics of the people influencing him which is a very unique way to arc character development. Bradbury’s revolutionary style and the poetic characteristics and cleverly structured prose he uses in this novel are what make it speak to audiences even in the twenty-first century.
One of the most noticeable characteristics of Bradbury’s style in this work is his use of metaphor. He uses this device almost straight away and makes good use of it throughout the book. For Montag’s experiences, only a unique descriptive process is adequate because of the nature of the society the book investigates and the possibility it implies. This is where metaphor is most often used. When Montag discovers his wife’s mistake with her sleeping pills, he slips right into a metaphoric description of her, comparing the process of cleaning her body of the drugs to digging a trench, “the woman on the bed was no more than a hard stratum of marble…” which is to say that Mildred is unaware, unfeeling, and ignorant of what’s being done to her, not much more than an obstacle the technicians have to overcome to clean out her system. This is an important sequence as the story begins because it sets up the society very well in a very short amount of time. The reader can see the clash between society and Montag beginning in this scene. The moment he finds the empty pill bottle, he searches for his identity, for happiness, and he realizes just how far gone the world is. “Someone else just jumped off a pill box.” The technician tells Montag as they prepare to leave him alone with his comatose wife. This simple sentence with the casual demeanor of the man who says it very effectively sheds a small light on the world that grows as the story goes on.

Montag understands and begins to question the society they live in when he hears the McClellan family discussing its structure and how grotesque it has become. The reader follows Montag at this point in his curiosity and his fear of what his life has become. He begins to hate his involvement very slightly just at this moment, and he wonders what it would be like to be different than they are. ““I don’t know anything anymore,” he said,” his mind wandering as he falls asleep, confusion coupled with fear stay with him long after he wakes. He’s begun to question the very foundation of his belief system and all he’s ever known. This sequence allows juxtaposition later when Montag tries to explain what happened to his wife then speaks with Clarisse, the former expressing the obscenely frivolous lifestyle of modern society, the latter a sheer joy in experience. Montag’s perception of the world around him changes vastly from this point. Part one has a distinctly darker tone in Montag. As he learns about himself and grows into awareness, the tone becomes more hopeful with a dreamlike quality.

When Clarisse disappears, Montag is lost in this new awareness and he doesn't think he has anyone to ask for help. This is when Beatty takes time to throw his mind off even more. The lecture Beatty gives Montag very clearly shows the decline of their society, his fancy words saying little more than it’s their own fault things have become this way, and there’s no point trying to change it. Beatty succinctly bastardizes literature by metaphorically putting its decline in a centrifuge which “flings off all unnecessary, time-wasting thought.” His justification for the illegality of books in that time period centers primarily around the idea that people simply want to be entertained, not taught or scolded. To Beatty, and indeed most people Montag comes into contact with, books were only to make certain groups of people feel inferior, to argue and contradict ideas. From this point of view censorship is a matter of political correctness, but for Montag it’s a loss of something he doesn't understand. He knows he can change nothing if he’s burned with the books, so he hides within himself until he remembers his chance meeting with professor Faber and realizes that Faber could help him. “I don’t talk things sir… I talk the meaning of things. I sit here and know I’m alive,” so Montag lets himself hope just a little remembering what Faber told him that started him down this path so long ago. 
The extended metaphor that alludes to Montag’s childhood compares putting sand in a sieve to absorbing the knowledge of books, and Montag fights with all he has to keep some of the sand in the sieve. It’s a sense of despair that overtakes him to the point of madness on his way to meet Faber at which point he sees beyond the fear of the old man and helps him hope again. They are able to support each other through their mutual uncertainty until Montag is forced to run from his whole life just to live and be free. From Beatty, the reader learns one side of the journey that led to the dystopia Montag lives in, from Faber, there is another. These two monologues from opposite sides of the spectrum tie Montag’s journey nicely up into a neat package so that afterwards, he can rip it open and throw it in the river, and finally, he understands.

In his novel, Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury uses metaphor, simile, and prose style to mark the change, the journey of his protagonist, Guy Montag. Within the story Montag is faced with three different world views through Clarisse, Beatty, and Faber and in the end he finds his own opinion. This novel is a known classic that carries applicability even in the twenty-first century

 

Prodigal Son Review

Dean Koontz’s Frankenstein: A New Twist On An Old Legend

Book One: Prodigal Son

 

As far removed from Shelley as the time between their existences, Dean Koontz did what he’s done with every story he’s ever crafted: he evolved it.  He took the skeleton of the Frankenstein story and put a deeper emotion into it.  He made it human.  At it’s heart the story is a struggle for identity.  The primary focus is the “New Race” that began with Deucalion and the struggle to fit into the world… until they overcame it.

 

Victor Helios AKA Frankenstein sees himself as a god, a creator of life.  Roy Pribeaux calls himself an Adonis, a study in perfection who destroys life in his quest to make his all the more perfect.

 

I think a reason Koontz brings Roy Pribeaux in as the serial killer is to emphasize the flaws in humanity to make Victor seem almost a hero in his bid to create the “New Race” and to truly perfect the world.  By that contrast Harker, who is of the “New Race” and also a serial killer is the purest monster, and it can almost be said that even Victor fears him to some degree because he is something Victor cannot control.

 

Koontz employs a third person limited POV which serves him well in two ways.  One: it lets him settle into his characters.  Two: it allows for literary hold ups story telling junctions and surprises.

 

Something that’s great about Koontz is his ability to change his voice so effortlessly.  In a third person like Prodigal Son he can easily slip into and out of the personalities of his characters, whichever character he’s focusing on.  Koontz has been called the master storyteller, and I think a good deal of that ability has to do with his POV uses, voice and characterization

 

Another great addition to the Koontz library can’t wait to read more!!!!!!

Night Shift: Style Review

Lilith Saintcrow is the quintessential urban/ alternative reality fantasy writer. Night Shift is written in first person through the protagonist Jill Kismet. In some ways this helps the story, in others it’s somewhat detrimental. Generally for a reader this style is better understood but would be a lot more flexible in a third person point of view. Because of the point of view, the author is forced to use flashbacks for certain points of exposition which kind of slows the story down. The author should have put this story down in third person limited so that the narrator is able to jump smoothly from event to event and character to character without revealing plot twists to the reader making it a little less choppy in the exposition sequences. On the other hand, the first person point of view allows more emotion and connection with the protagonist.

The book starts in a flashback sequence, not a great choice for this story since the reader has no idea who this protagonist is and what the stakes are as she makes this Faustian deal. That exposition could have been done after Jill goes to the Monde and could probably have been done without reverting to a flashback. Another problem with the point of view the author uses is that she doesn't USE it. The reader can find it hard to follow the protagonist’s emotional ride and progression in some places.

Saintcrow tells a unique story in a unique way and has a very definitive style. She easily works in lingo for hunters, secondary characters, and the alternative reality as she works through the supernatural mystery her protagonist is pulled into.

Night Shift is a fast-paced, action rich modern fantasy with a pretty basic linear plot structure thanks primarily to the point of view, with the exception of the flashbacks of course. Saintcrow, like any other writer, has her own style of expression. In first person, Night Shift has a rough-and-tumble feel to it which matches the character perfectly, but some of the descriptive and exposition scenes are repetitive in wording and structure, although Saintcrow tends to overuse a number of adjectives in the same sentence structure, making much of her description and exposition seem redundant at times. If you like urban fantasy this book is definitely for you but it can be hard to follow at times due to the non-linear stream of consciousness point of view and flashbacks

 

Ender's Game Review

 

Ender’s Game is set in a type of dystopia that’s so far in the future, population control is one of the major issues of the day.  As is the potential for invasion from alien entities known as the Formics.  Having failed once the “buggers” as the Formics are more commonly named, are determined to destroy humanity, or so the International Fleet would have the people of earth believe. 

The story centers around a boy who is put through a rigorous education to become the best commander in history.  It can almost be called a psychological drama because the way the adults of the story play with Ender’s mind is like a sick joke at times.  They manipulate him and break him down until at the age of eleven he is unknowingly put in command of the fleet in an all out invasion on the Formic home world.

Ender is forced to murder, to command, to segregate and then without even knowing it, he commits a brash act of genocide.  It makes sense that he would break at the news, but to come so far and facing so much miscommunication, Card leaves the reader thinking Ender could have known better.

In his unique style, Card employs many simple techniques that in concert make a complex and intriguing story.  I think that the fractured way the story comes out works in his favor it makes for a more exciting story.  Once the reader gets past the set ups in the first few chapters and understands the context of the adult dialogue at the beginning of each chapter, the story flows well and really does pull the reader into it, page after page.

City of Ashes Review

The second installment in the Mortal Instruments series, City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare is an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end.  Clare really amps up the drama by very deliberately putting the emotions and character arcs at the forefront of the story.  The love triangle between Clary, Jace and Simon is nicely balanced out by the reluctant relationship between Alec and Magnus.  Clare’s dialogue while at times inappropriately witty brings a refreshing tone to the teen drama along with elements of fantasy, action, and some serious emotion. 

            With the world of the Shadowhunters established in the first book, City of Ashes is able to take the emotional journey of the heroine, Clary Fray to a whole new level.  Thankfully this does not mean an overabundance of teen angst which is very overdone in most YA that’s out right now. 

            Clare is very smart in adding plot points in such a way that transitions and sequencing don’t suffer.  When Simon is made a vampire, it simultaneously drives Clary away and brings her closer.  This is such a delicate plot point that could destroy the credibility of the book all by itself since so much vampire material is out these days, but Clare really takes it and makes it less about Simon being a vampire and more about dealing with change.  In fact I think it’s safe to say that’s the theme of the book: dealing with change.    Another example of this is the journey Jace and Clary take after finding out they are brother and sister. 

            Jace starts out feeling abandoned and alone after getting kicked out of the institute by Maryse Lightwood, Isabelle and Alec’s mother.  As a result of the anger he feels at this, he decides to get into a fight with a werewolf pack.  This leads to the introduction of a new character, Maia, and the spark of a relationship between Jace and Luke.  Jace starts to look to Luke for a sort of fatherly support because he understands what Jace is going through with the revelation that Valentine is his father, Clary is his sister, and what that entails.  Luke is equipped to understand this battle Jace is waging within himself better than most because he loved Valentine too.  The first book was extremely focused on Clary this one splits the story a lot more with an additional focus on Jace.

            City of Ashes is a good next step in the Mortal Instruments story, cleverly plotting and building new characters and story.  Clare does an amazing job keeping the story going through this book and into the next.  Brilliantly done and an amazing read.

City of Bones Review

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare is a masterful young adult title and has gotten a lot of notice which it very much deserves. This is a great kick-off to a fantastic series that pushes boundaries in so many ways. The way chapter one begins with basic teen rebellion that quickly escalates to show this strange world of Shadowhunters, demons and downworlders is so perfect. Clare so succinctly puts the emotion of a scene that is scary and new, especially for the heroine: Clary Fray, but also fun. Her language is fantastic. She really captures that young adult voice from page one, but also uses words that you would not normally find in a YA title, for example: insouciant on page two. Her diction and dialogue is great fun from beginning to end. She does amazing things with language and dialogue in the best friends Clary and Simon as well as teen Shadowhunters Jace, Isabelle, and Alec. While there is obvious overlap in the speech patterns of the characters since they were all written by the same person, they each have a defining quality in their dialogue.
Clare managed to start on such a high note with Clary discovering the Shadow world at Pandemonium and continue to build after that. The arcs of the characters and plot are amazingly well done. Clary Fray is such a fun character for many reasons. She’s a perfect heroine because everything she does is for the love of her mother which is just beautiful. Clary enters a world she doesn’t know and takes everything in stride (with the occasional stumble over her feet) and brings this story together nicely. In the beginning of the story she’s terrified of what she can see, and simply wants an explanation and a rescue. She’d just as soon forget everything she learns about that world from the moment she followed Isabelle, Jace, and Alec into the storage room of the Goth club she frequents with her best friend Simon. In a world of heroes, Clary becomes a heroine, her strength shining through in her persistence and initiative.
After meeting Jace, Simon can tell his affection for Clary would be wasted, but he doesn’t stop loving her, he can’t. Clary being a teenage girl falls for the bad boy, Jace, and almost abandons Simon in some ways. Though she does love him, Clary only sees Simon as a brother, which ends up breaking both of their hearts. Jace is opposite Simon in almost every way as far as Clary is concerned, and she realizes she needs them both for different reasons. There’s not a lot of solo work for Isabelle and Alec, but it builds nicely into the next installment.
Clare wrote this in third person limited which allowed her to jump around from character to character, but her main focus in this book is the relationships of Clary and Jace and Clary and Simon, building them sturdily within the fantasy and steampunk aspects of the story. It’s a character novel, but the myth and folk lore was done with great care and detail. One of the best things about the sequencing is the quotes from great literary works that begin each chapter. Clare is so smart about how she organizes her work, it’s brilliant how amazingly it falls into place so easily.
Readers will love this book! The language, plot arcs, and characters are so much fun you can’t help but get addicted to this world. Brilliantly written. Cassandra Clare takes YA fantasy to a whole new level in this first installment of The Mortal Instruments series: City of Bones. The steampunk phenomenon has begun!