My Summer Reading Project: War Horse

My Summer Reading Project: War Horse

Over the summer I read multiple books and watched their movie versions. Some of these books are The Joy Luck Club, The Hunger Games, The Black Cauldron, and An Inconvenient Truth. But the one that impressed and awed me the most was War Horse.

Summary:

     The book War Horse was an inspiring historical fiction story about a workhorse named Joey who is sold to the army during the Civil War. He is separated from his master and friend, Albert, and travels through many dangerous situations and witnesses terrible tragedies, yearning to be with Albert once again. Throughout the book he finds many friends, like Topthorn, and Captain Stewart. He is reunited once again  with Albert when the war finally ends. Having lost many masters, companions and friends, yet being a horse, no one will know how Joey ever truly felt- but there is one thing for sure: Joey is a war horse to the heart.

My Response:

     I felt that the book was very interesting and inspirational, especially it being from Joey's perspective. This, and many books like it, makes me wonder what goes on in the minds of other animals, if they understand and know more than they let on, and why they do certain things when we 'command' them. 

     This book shows that we aren't the greatest beings in the world- there are far more powerful beasts than us. It is because of our advanced minds that we think in this condescending way. Chimpanzees are our ancestors and can communicate to a limited extent with us. But we don't appreciate their intelligence, we still think of them as inferior creatures to us humans. We hate certain animals because we don't understand them. They might think the same way. 

     This book shows us again and again that humans and animals can live in peace and that animals are more than we think. For example, Joey never spooked when Captain Nicholls fell in battle; he led on the charge, risking his life and never breaking stride, even when horses and humans fell all around him. Through his eyes we see how exactly terrifying war is, alone in many, never knowing if you'll live to see the light again. We see how he endured many cold months of starvation, bad men and masters, and ground that exploded beneath his hooves. We understand why he struggled through his grief and pain, fighting to survive when others became mere shells of their former selves. 

     We have much to learn from this book, and much to discover about the beings that live by our side every day.