Andrew’s Comments (group member since Apr 02, 2020)

Andrew’s comments from the UWM Libraries' Book Lovers Short Story Club group.

I don't think there was any reference to the location of the island. I understand and agree with the point about it not being in the West because of the "European way of seeing things." My impression and thoughts were that the island is not intended to be in any specific location.

Completely agree that it is representative of current day capitalism, which isn't capitalism in the Ayn Rand understanding of the system. It amazes me the number of people who are excited to get a stimulus check and then in the next breath denounce someone as socialist. It makes me think of the famous picture of a guy protesting Obamacare with a sign that said, "Keep socialism out of medicare" or something like that.

I once went to a museum exhibit in Portugal that was "Instruments of Torture" and the device here made me think of some of those things. A lot of those devices were still being used as recently as the early 20th century. Insane.

My analysis in one sentence: Religious devotion to any system is extraordinarily dangerous, but humans have the power to overcome injustice if we can learn to think for ourselves.