<위건 부두로 가는 길>과 <카탈로니아 찬가>에는 조지 오웰이 가난한 노동 계급에 속하는 개인들이 보여주는 미덕에 대해 느꼈던 존경과 찬탄이 종종 드러난다. 그들의 순수함, 선량함, 손익을 따지지 않는 헌신과 그럼에도 불구하고 그들이 짊어져야 하는 희생에 대해 지식인인 오웰은 계급적 죄책감을 느꼈던 것 같다.
<동물 농장>에서 그러한 덕성의 화신은 말인 Boxer인데, 책을 읽는 내내 나를 제일 화나게 했던 동물이 바로 Boxer였다. 그가 순수하고 선량하고 헌신적이기 때문에 다른 동물들은 그를 존경하고 따랐고, 그런 그가 Napoleon을 의심하지 않고 믿었기 때문에 Napoleon은 어려움 없이 권력을 휘두를 수 있었다. 누구보다도 힘든 노동을 자발적으로 불평 없이 하고, 침략자와의 전쟁에서는 누구보다도 열심히 싸웠던 그의 노력은 결국 Animal Farm의 부조리를 더 굳건하게 만들고 동물들의 삶을 더 힘들게 만들었을 뿐이다.
맹신을 경계하고, 늘 의심하고, 집단이 아닌 개인으로서 넓은 시각을 가지고 세계를 인식하고, 지혜를 얻기 위해 부단히 노력하지 않는다면, 그 대가로 오는 것은 노예의 삶이라는 것을 새삼 깨달았다.
"He is dead," said Boxer sorrowfully. "I had no intention of doing that. I forgot that I was wearing iron shoes. Who will believe that I did not do this on purpose?"
"No sentimentality, comrade!" cried Snowball, form whose wounds the blood was still dripping. "War is war. The only good human being is a dead one."
- P43
Boxer, who had now had time to think things over, voiced the general feeling by saying: "If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right." And from then on he adopted the maxim, "Napoleon is always right," in addition to his private motto of "I will work harder."
- P56
Some of the animals had noticed that the van which took Boxer away was marked "Horse Slaughterer," and had actually jumped to the conclusion that Boxer was being sent to the knacker‘s. It was almost unbelievable, said Squealer, that any animal could be so stupid. (중략) The van had previously been the property of the knacker, and had been bought by the veterinary surgeon, who had not yet painted that old name out. That was how the mistake had arisen. (아래에 계속)
- P124
(위에서 계속)
The animals were enormously relieved to hear this. And when Squealer went on to give further graphic details of Boxer‘s death-bed, the admirable care he had received, and the expensive medicines for which Napoleon had paid without thought as to the cost, the last doubts disappeared and sorrow that they felt for their comrade‘s death was tempered by the thought that at least he had died happy.
- P125
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