Humanity Encapsulated: The Horrors And Delights.
Humanity has always been in both the light and the dark, we believe in good and evil because we see it every single day across the whole world. Right now, someone is being harmed, but also right now, someone is being saved.
With Halloween last month and the nights growing longer and sharper like a blade, I am reminded of one of the greatest novels I have ever read, that completely illustrates this and everything else life entails. That novel is: The Thin Executioner by Darren Shan.
The standalone novel released back in 2010, gripped me so much whilst reading it, I found that I could not stop until I had finished it in one sitting. A ‘noble’ questline (secretly a test of character), coming-of-age, the outsider, the slave, sacrifice, loyalty, friendship, trust, treachery, social hierarchies, honour, religious fanaticism, death and much more.
The Thin Executioner explores all of these in depth and has many life lessons, as well as social and political commentary embedded within. I was barely a teenager when I first read this book, but it certainly opened my eyes and broadened my mind by challenging me not only on my beliefs, but also to think more for myself, to acknowledge global injustices, and to start forging my own path which removed several layers of wool in the process.
At the start of the book you meet Jebel Rum, a young, thin and wiry boy who does not live up to the standards of being one of the executioner’s sons. Unlikeable from the word go, the third and youngest son Jebel, is highly prejudiced against anyone who is different. Raised in a society that only celebrates warriors, demonizes outsiders and prizes physical strength as true power, viewing it as the benchmark for an honourable life.
This is only the beginning of the novel and Shan already reflects two of the most enduring and prevalent issues in our society: prejudice and xenophobia. But through his journey gaining real-world experience and enduring some of life’s greatest hardships, Jebel begins to break the shackles chaining him to a damaging worldview and toxic life.
After he is confronted with his own biases, realises that the beliefs instilled in him are not universal truths, witnesses for himself the humanity in those that his own society have dehumanised, and that true strength is found in kindness and compassion to all.
Even dissolving the illusion cast on him by his culture that Tel Hesani (the slave that accompanies Jebel on his quest) is worth little more than property. Jebel begins to see Tel as he really is, a human being worthy of respect and love. This breakthrough Jebel makes is one of the best examples of delight in the novel.
This is true of contemporary society as we see all too often, the infectious toxicity that arises from mistreating those who we are not surrounded by when growing up, we are taught that differences are something to be threatened by, not something to celebrate and embrace.
It is a struggle for us all to overcome our personal biases and grow empathy through interacting with people from cultures not our own, but the progress we make from doing so is immeasurably rewarding.
At the beginning of The Thin Executioner, Jebel is a boy who does not know how to empathise with anyone, by the end he is a man capable of immense kindness, empathy and compassion to people of all backgrounds, regardless of how distant those people are from him in terms of thoughts, beliefs and so on.
We are seeing many people live out this struggle now more than ever before, but it is a struggle most worthy of making it through to the other side, because we are all the better as humans for it.
Jebel’s people (the Um Aineh) brutally punish crimes (even minor infractions), in their world through the death penalty, which is carried out by his father Rashed Rum, the high executioner who is second only to the high lord, who is also the ruler of Abu Aineh. The death penalty is still a major issue in the world today, although most countries have abolished this practice, there are currently more than 50 countries still employing state-sanctioned executions.
Another major issue the The Thin Executioner covers is that of religious fanaticism. In one of the harshest chapters in the story, Jebel meets a villainous character who utilises their distorted religious ideology to justify committing terrible acts. This monstrous example reflects the all too real extremist groups in the world today, that manipulate religion for their own ends and thus twist the view of it in many people’s eyes, generating and spreading fear, distrust and alienation worldwide.
The last horror of the book I will mention is the theme of manipulation. Along his journey Jebel meets two highly despicable and deceitful characters who take advantage of the protagonist’s ignorance and inexperience to further their own agendas.
Named after two former world leaders who were involved in the Iraq war and who allegedly used societal beliefs for their own gain at the expense of other’s lives, mainly by listening only to those who aligned with their own beliefs, secretly involving focus groups who helped promote their interests instead of listening to the general publics they claimed to serve.
This theme is more pertinent than ever, as we are living in an era where political rhetoric, disinformation and misinformation are not only still being used, but are currently dominating as the primary device to shift public opinions, international relations, and completely misdirecting the global populace from those who are truly responsible for much of the world’s suffering.
All happening today through the online age that the majority of us are ‘plugged into’, with technology becoming ever so advanced, and increasingly susceptible to control and disfigurement.
A recent disturbing example of this, is the revelation of a nine-month long investigation conducted by Sky News. This has demonstrated that the algorithm of X (formerly Twitter), is politically biased and boosting right-wing and extreme content since Elon Musk took it over.
Dubbed ‘The X Effect’, this alarming story perfectly illustrates exactly how manipulation is still alive, growing stronger than ever and has mutated into its ugliest form yet.
Despite the darknesses mentioned, Jebel’s tale is ultimately one for the good of us all, a story that emphasises the significance of self-actualisation, that whilst you should take on board what your loved ones and friends say, you should ultimately always listen to yourself, develop your own ideas, beliefs, moral compass, and not to blindly follow the customs and tenets you are taught as a child.
The Thin Executioner does an excellent job of delivering the message that discovering things for yourself will always triumph over following another’s viewpoint, empathy is the greatest power we have and that is the ultimate delight.
Words by Alfie Fletcher
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