Assignment 4 - It's All Political

Foster's idea that all writing is political (whether consciously or unconsciously created) provoked my thoughts. Upon further reflection I realized his opinion was quite true. When thinking back to one of my favorite books, Tamar by Mal Peet, I made several quick political connections. Throughout the novel, the implications of war are explored continuously. For example, a major character is forced to take drugs to avoid sleep to perform his job. The effects of this forced drug use indirectly (or directly depending on personal opinion) rip a family apart forty years later. The first time I read the novel I thought of the facts merely as an unfortunate event. However, after Foster's enlightening chapter, I realized what Peet's intentions could have been. What if Peet had wanted to bring to light the lasting effects of normal wartime activities such as drug use? While it may not all be political, the majority of it can certainly be thought of that way.