moonstone-reading-nook

[moonstone-reading-nook]

Having just finished reading Words of Radiance, which took longer than I wished, I hoped to be writing my post on it today. But I just can't. I'm scared out of my mind. The next four years, at the very least, threaten my very existence as a trans woman. I don't know how long my break will be, but I'm struggling to maintain the mental health I had just started to build back up, so it may be a while.

[moonstone-reading-nook]

1984

In all honesty, as someone who experiences a lot of anxiety stemming from the political state of the country I live in, reading George Orwell's 1984 a little over a month before, for the third time in a row, the most important election of my lifetime was not the smartest of choices. I vaguely knew what this novel was about, I knew it was regarded as nearly prophetic, and just as poignant as it was in the 1940s, and yet for some reason, I still did not expect it to be as brutally cutting as it ended up being. 1984 is near nihilistic about the innately human desire for power and the endless cycle of class warfare, and tackles it through a wildly disturbing dystopia that focuses on some of humanity's darkest flaws, and it was something I was not in the headspace to take in. But I read anyway. So here are my thoughts on the novel.

As a forewarning, I tried to avoid in depth spoilers in my previous blog, but I cannot do this novel justice with diving into that territory. This is your spoiler warning. If you wish to read yourself, do not continue reading this blog.

Having read Animal Farm back in high school, I was familiar with George Orwell's style and biting commentary about authoritarian regimes. His prose is smooth, flowing well and painting vivid pictures of the horrors of Oceania while also allowing for deep character introspection without disrupting the flow of the narrative. There is a reason why Orwell is held in such high regard, and his writing style is certainly one of the reasons.

I hoped to approach my reading of the novel through a Marxist theory lens, and I oft am wont to do. I am sure that one is possible, and I even believe I could make a reading myself, but due to the nature of the novel's commentary, I believe that may be disingenuous. While political to its core, and with the Party's propaganda condemning class inequality and capitalism, this is not a commentary on economic systems; it is a criticism of totalitarianism. The Party may condemn the power structure of capitalism, and the society under them appears to fall to many of the most surface level objections to communism, the Party is not communist, and Orwell knows this. True communism is defined as a class-less, money-less state where workers own the means of production. Through the text of Emmanuel Goldstein's Book, and through basic observation, the audience is explicitly told that the Party maintains a rigid class structure: The Inner party being upper class, Outer Party being middle, and the Proles being lower. The workers own nothing; everything belongs to the Innermost Party. The system they have created is effectively, no different than the one that came before.

Protagonist Wilson states several times that he believes if change is to come, it shall be through the Proles: that the only way for the Party to be overthrown is for the largest, least controlled and monitored class to rise en masse. There are two issues that the novel raises with this idea:

The masses are very easily controlled. By destroying all evidence of past statements and realities, people will not be able to confirm their own memories, and will eventually simply believe whatever they are told, regardless of how separated from reality what the Party spits out is. As an example, the Party proclaims that the rations of chocolate have been increased to 20 grams per person in a month, and people celebrate this despite the fact they just previously had been given 30 grams per month. Despite the seeming absurdity of this scenario, the extent this applies to the modern day goes beyond what the novel describes. In reality, evidence of the past doesn't need to be destroyed. Much of the population of the US believes blatant, obvious lies even when presented with clear evidence to the contrary. Many people will simply believe what Big Brother tells them without coercion or reason.

Revolution and class solidarity is a part of the cycle of class warfare, not an end to it. Goldstein writes that when the lower and middle classes join together to overthrow the upper, the system will not be destroyed. Instead, the middle class will presume the role of the upper class, exploiting the new middle and lower classes in the same way the old upper class did, because humans are inherently drawn to power. O'Brien admits to Wilson while torturing him that the Party does not seek power for the sake of anything. Power is not a means, it's an end in of itself, and humans will always crave it.

In addition, throughout the novel, Wilson is insistent that even with the ever-present threat of the thought police, the Party can never truly control one's thoughts. But in the end, under the imminent threat of physical violence to the point of death, Wilson finds his resolve and beliefs to be completely dissolved. His nervous system betrays him, and he ends the novel as a "free" man, now truly loving Big Brother and all that he does. With enough time and power, thoughts are changed as well. The younger generations, propagandized from birth will perpetuate this cycle until there is no one who believes in anything but the words and the good of the Party. Even the thought of overthrowing tyranny becomes impossible.

1984 is a stroke of disturbing genius, and remains a classic that sticks with people now, and likely forever, so long as it is around to be read. I recommend it to anyone who is in the headspace to be able to read it, and is able to understand the nuance. I cannot get into everything this novel says and entails within the confines of a blog post. I could talk about Wilson as a character endlessly, or the dozens of pages of political theory, but that's simply not feasible in the time and space that I have. I will leave with this. The US hangs on the precipice of, and I say this with no hyperbole, fascist totalitarianism. We have two parties, equally supported, in which one hurtles us toward a reality that utilizes many of the same tactics as the Party found in the novel, founded on platforms of fear and hatred, of regression and consolidating power, while the other will not do what is necessary to reverse course, and in fact, desires power just as much as their opponents. I will not use this novel simply to say "Republicans bad." To many simply label Big Brother as whatever they don't like, and this novel applies to far more than conservative movements. This novel is indicative of the trappings of all governments. That being said, we do need change, but is that change truly possible? I don't know. My pessimism doubts it. For now, I ask that, despite the corruption and horrific actions of the lesser evil, we vote for damage control and work on the ground in the meantime to push for the changes we need to take the next step in the forward. And hopefully, we can hold off the return to a rigid structure of power dynamics as long as possible.

[moonstone-reading-nook]

The Stormlight Archives: The Way of Kings

While I commonly engage in literature of all genres, there are few who hold as special a place in my heart as fantasy. There is something about a fictional world of great scope and scale, built meticulously to feel both lived in and varied as our own, that deeply intrigues me. Several months ago, I completed my read through of the highly regarded Wheel of Time series by beloved fantasy author Robert Jordan. That is what introduced me to Brandon Sanderson, who completed the final three novels in the series following Jordan's passing. While not able to entirely recapture the Jordan's uniquely thorough writing style, I believe Sanderson to have done an outstanding job in wrapping of the story based off of Jordan's extensive notes, putting the pieces together in a final novel that exceeded my expectations in every regard.

I have read several books in the time since; several non-fiction psychology books, as I've been struggling with my mental health, as well as addressing some classics I have yet to read: most notably The Catcher in the Rye. However, my mind was continuously drawn back to Sanderson. After the year it took to read through all 14 novels and the prequel of Wheel of Time, I had made myself hunger for another meaty fantasy series I could bite into. So I decided to read Sanderson's largest series, The Stormlight Archive, a series planned to be 10 novels with the 5th to be published in December. My plan going forward would be to read one novel of the Stormlight Archive, then read a classic or two before I returned to the series, which I'd repeat until I caught up. And so, having completed the first entry, I wish to put my thoughts to (digital) paper. These are my thoughts, opinions, and analysis of The Way of Kings.

The story of The Way of Kings is divided into three major plotlines, jumping between them while sprinkling in occasional smaller POVs across the world. One plotline follows Kaladin, former soldier turned slave, desperate to save the slaves he as been placed with to serve as manual labor and distractions against enemy forces. Closely tied is Dallinar's story, following the brother of a murdered king whose death started the war Kaladin is now trapped in. He struggles with a commitment to follow the Words of book named blasphemous that his late brother told him to him to read in his final words. Teachings that draw him much ire from the competing lords as he finds himself more and more determined to end the war quickly. The final one follows Shallan. More disconnected from the other two, Shallan serves as a ward under Dallinar's niece Jasnah, planning to steal her magic catalyst, a fabrial, for her own gain, but finds herself conflicted, as she realizes she truly wants to be a scholar alongside Jasnah.

All three plotlines have unique themes, as well as overlapping ones. A major overarching theme is commitment and doubt. All three characters struggle to fullfil to promises they made to themselves due to increased doubt surrounding viability, morality, and hope. Kaladin begins to doubt his own philosophy, that those who take lives to protect lives are different from those who simply take, and his ability to save his fellow slaves as he subjects himself and his men to harsher conditions as he tries to build hope. Dallinar doubts his own sanity as visions of the past appear before him, urging him to follow the Words that even his son begins to believe are acts of mental instability, and Shallan waffles from her goal as she grows attached to her Master, though begins to doubt her morality. All eventually choose to commit with varying results. I believe this goes beyond typical character conflict that all great characters must face, or overcoming the lie they believe, because they all revolve around their commitment. Kaladin has sworn to protect time and time again, but has consistently failed to do so. Dallinar has committed to doing as his visions have told him: uniting the Alethi, a goal that seems increasingly impossible. Shallan has committed herself to her family, to steal Jasnah's fabrial to save them from financial ruin. It is these promises they have made that drive their turmoil, but they do not serve as mere falsehoods. They serve as tests of conviction, and demonstrate how difficult even goals believed to be noble can be to uphold.

Other themes I found were the co-existing value and naïvety of trust and honor, as well as how the world has been twisted by a lack thereof, by an egotistical philosophy. Dallinar upholds himself as a man and his men as people of honor, as compared to the effective yet cruel rival Brightlord Sadeas. While doubtful, Dallinar chooses to trust those around him as much as he believes is safe, despite this leading him into incredibly dangerous positions. Additionally, Kaladin's honor is initially mocked by his fellow bridgemen, but it slowly turns into a beacon of hope to follow, even as their accomplishments only gain them severe punishments. The bridgemen are treated as subhuman, property able to be bought and sold for a set price, and easily thrown away, though fighting against this all seems futile, as this is simply how the world is, and those in power see no reason to change it.

Additionally, mental health seems to be central to the series as a whole. Kaladin evidently suffers from intense PTSD and depression, with Dallinar likely harboring that same depression. While only hinted at in this novel, I have been told that Shallan also has DID, which is, unlike usual, presented very well. The disorder are all treated accurately and with respect, and show those weighed down by them still managing to push on and build something for themselves.

Most central though seems to be the idea that a single human life has infinite value, humans have also made the world a cruel and terrible place by prioritizing themselves over others at all costs. The only way forward is to take the first the first step with morality and honor, even with it's terrible consequences in the world we have created, because if no one starts, there can be no one to follow.

My thoughts on the novel are overall very positive. I found myself very emotionally attached to the characters, particularly Kaladin, and several moments hit me like an emotional freight train. The world and magic system are both astonishingly unique and endlessly interesting. I find the world holding to be some of the best I've seen in fantasy novels. That being said, I'm not particularly fond of Sanderson's writing style. I find it at times to be overly simplistic, simply stating what is happening without any notable flourishes in style. I found some of that to be the same in his first Wheel of Time novel, but by the time I reached the final installment, he had found a wonderful balance of his own while recapturing some of Jordan's. I should not have expected that style here, especially as this novel was written 4 years before A Memory of Light, and yet I still found myself a small bit disappointed. That being said, I don't find the style egregious, just mediocre. The world, characters, themes and conveyance of emotion more than make up for it, and I look forward to the next novel with great anticipation.

Next, I plan to read 1984, a novel I am shocked I have yet to read, as it aligns well with my interests and I previously greatly enjoyed Orwell's Animal Farm. It's far shorter than Stormlight Archive novels, so it should not take me nearly as long. I am busy enough to not have too much time for reading anymore, but I am making an effort to carve out time. I hope to be posting again soon.