Book Review: 1984

George Orwell's 1984 amazed me with the style of writing and Orwell's concept of a future dystopia.

1984 is told through a third person point of view, with a little twist. Most of the actions throughout the story are told in the normal third person view, or the one most people are used to. The twist comes when the reader sees and hears into the mind of the main character, Winston. In the world of 1984, fear is the main way that the government controls its members. This is known better when you see into Winston's mind and can feel his fear. Winston's fear cuts deeper when he is faced with death and his most feared figure in his life.

Even though the year 1984 has passed, George Orwell's concept of a future dystopia seems to grow ever more possible in our world. Orwell's dystopian government is ruled by fear, torture, false accusations, self-destruction, lies, oppression, poverty, deception, and a form of mass hypnosis. If someone were to compare what seems to be our government's direction that we're beginning to take, they could begin to pick out some similarities. The government of 1984 is one of blind devotion and the consequence for being too smart or mutinous is simply death.

I would recommend 1984 to anyone who like an "Alternate Future" kind of book. The story does get more and more depressing the more one thinks about the subject though. The government of 1984 may seem closer than someone may think.

Book Review: Julius Caesar

Shakespeare's Julius Caesar challenged me with its moderately complex text and kept my thoughts of irrational behavior in check with the results of the actions taken.

Julius Caesar was written in the year 1599 by William Shakespeare. Since this novel was written a little over 400 years ago, finding the text complex in our time is easily understood. However, attempting to just read through the novel without looking at the side notes can make someone misunderstand the plot or get lost in translation. The side notes (or foot notes, I'm not really sure which one is the correct term because the notes are on the page next to the play's text but that's just me rambling) help immensely in understanding what is happening in the play and give a little insight as to what people of the time referred to. Reading the side notes is a trade off between understanding the story and the time needed to read the novel though I prefer to understand what I'm reading.

The decision to kill Caesar is justified by Brutus to be for the good of the people and is made in haste. This irrational decision has both its short and long term results on the conspirators and all the people of Rome. At first, the conspirators celebrated the assassination of Caesar in seeing that his death was the end of the beginning of an empire. In the long run, the conspirators must face the consequences for their irrational behavior. These actions and consequences in the novel make me question my own thoughts when I think irrationally and help me to think more clearly. Even though the gravity of the situation in the novel and in my own mind are quite different, I still find the story to teach me of my own behavior and its consequences.

Julius Caesar is a very good novel, despite its age and somewhat alien references. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the times of Julius Caesar or his assassination. I would recommend this book only if one is willing to read the side notes though, because the dialogue makes much more sense with them.

What Makes a Leader a True Leader?

     You may know many leaders, from the ones known by everyone to the ones only you know of.  The question is, what makes a leader a true leader?  This subject is easily debatable so keep in mind that this is my opinion and yours may differ, and that's fine.  One of the first characteristics of a leader that comes into my mind is charisma.  Dictionary.com defines charisma as "a spiritual power or personal quality that gives and individual an influence or authority over large numbers of people".  Being a natural leader helps in many ways.  Another characteristic of a true leader, I think, is being willing to lead in your endeavors.  A leader sitting in the rear of the action isn't really a true leader if he doesn't stand up himself for what he wants is he?  A true leader must inspire the people he leads, if he doesn't, the people he leads are just blind followers.

           -This blog post is for a class I barely care for at the moment, so it isn't the best I can muster