Language, Part 2: Orwell, Dying Metaphors, and Pigs in Literature (Not Space, but I totally wanted to Write about Pigs in Space. Muppets Forever!)‏

• By Kelly Diels
• 13 August, 2009
• 2 Comments

George Orwell hates me and my dying metaphors and that is fine by moi because I do not love Animal Farm.

I wanted it to be Charlotte’s Web, and it was not. I also did not appreciate Lord of the Flies with its pig-hunting and Piggy-haunting. For all of these reasons, I boycotted the movie Babe. Our cultural imagination is whipsawed by conflict and confusion about the essence and symbolism of pork – vulnerable, sunburnable pink proxies for humanity? Or a great breakfast side dish? – and frankly I just can’t be moved even though the goddamn wolf keeps blowing my house down.

Don’t even get me started on wolves. I may have to run with them.