Essay Questions

How does Timothy Garton Ash appeal the senses of smell, touch and hearing to the reader in the “Magic Lantern”?

Timothy Garton Ash is keen on engaging the reader by using the literary device of imagery, which appeals to the senses of smell, hearing and touch to the reader. Firstly, the sense of hearing depicts itself from the description of what is happening in Wenceslas Square where people are gathered for a political meeting. He writes, “Over this weekend there had been tens of thousands of people mainly the young people, milling around Wenceslas Square, waving flags and chanting slogans.”

From the above description, there is chanting of slogans and waving of flags which trigger the sense of hearing to the reader. Secondly, the author uses description of the heavy-and-glass doors to appeal the sense of touch to the reader. For instance, he writes, “Through the heavy metal-and-glass doors, past the second line of volunteer guards, you plunge down a broad flight of stairs into a curving, 1950s-style, mirror-lined foyer.”

Thirdly, the author describes what he is happening on the campaign field to help the reader visualize and have a clear image of what is taking place at the meeting. He writes, “People dart around importantly, or sit in the little branches, eating improvised canapés and discussing the future of the nation.”

What does the author mean when he uses the phrase ‘Political Animals’ in his literary work?

The author to refer to inhumane actions of politicians including corruption and political assassinations has symbolically used the phrase ‘political animals’. Instead of serving people, politicians have put their interest first and they are after enriching themselves by stealing public resources. The citizens are not happy with the current government regime and they want to do everything possible to remove this government. There are demonstrations everywhere. University students, human rights activists, and political opposition leaders are carrying out anti-government campaigns. Wenceslas Square has become a common ground where these groups meet to discuss how the current government regime is full of political animals who have decided to be corrupt and lead personal interest. The author writes:

“All women and men may be political animals, but some are more political than others”

The collapse of communism emerges as one of the core themes in the "Magic Lantern" by Garton Ash. Briefly explain.

Garton Ash has put more focus on the fall of the Berlin wall and the end of the Soviet Union's communist rule in his novel. The political ideologies in Czechoslovakia are communist implying that democrats have no space in the political landscape. Soviet Union's communist rule spread across the Eastern Bloc in which Czechoslovakia belongs. The western countries and outside world, on the other hand, are supporting free democracy in which people have a voice on who they want and what they want in their government. Fortunately, the wave of democracy leads to the fall of the Soviet Union communist rule and this gives the anti-government crusaders in Czechoslovakia an opportunity to demand their rights.