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The story revolves around a group of mistreated farm animals who fight for control of their home. The farm's prize pig, Old Major, insights revolution when he tells all the animals of a dream he had about how "the Earth will be when Man has vanished." The animals confront their exploitative human owners and force them out of Manor Farm. They then set up their own society renaming it "Animal Farm". A new set of laws they are to abide by is then decided on and these are written as seven commandments, the most important being that "all animals are equal." Unfortunately this commandment is the first to go when Old Major dies and the intelligent Pigs take over. The new leaders succumb to the temptations that power provides and become dictators of the farm. What ensues is a vivid description of how power corrupts and leaves the animals in no better a position then when they were under the rule of the humans.
Orwell paints a masterfully bleak picture of Soviet Communism and the fat cats (or pigs in this case) of the twentieth century. One amazing thing about the novel is that we can easily relate things that happen in Animal Farm to events that have occurred since the book was published. The air of prophecy in Orwell's writing is eerily apparent. This however, is by no means the story's only plus. As well as the stark political message we also get a completely engrossing story. The satire is compelling but at the same time it is quite easy to feel compassion for some of the characters in Animal Farm. The vast majority of people who have read the book cannot help but feel sympathy and respect for Boxer the work-hoarse as he strives to do the best he can for his fellow citizens. Boxer is not used in Orwell's novel to represent a single person, but to represent a group of people, in this case the tireless workers caught in a totalitarian regime. The animals in the book and their main characteristics are often used in this way. For example the growling dogs are used to represent some sort of secret police that would terrorise the people. Orwell has said that he often wrote because there was some lie or injustice he wanted to expose. This is the main reason he used the literary technique of allegory in Animal Farm. It works because it allows Orwell to bring our attention to those events during the Russian revolution that concerned him the most. His feelings on Stalin's cruel regime are not hidden, suggested, or argued about, they are there for all to see. Orwell is quoted as saying that he had tried to write "less picturesquely and more exactly" and this is precisely the case. He uses a distinctively straightforward and simple style to create a very linear tale. This makes everything seem almost light, but at the same time it is effective and powerful. The end result of Orwell's prose style is a brilliant piece of bitter political satire, crossed with remarkably accurate historical allegory, that still manages to remain serious and deliver a telling reminder of how revolution went wrong. There is no wonder this novel is considered world wide to be a real classic of the twentieth century. True appreciation of the book does come with an understanding of the Russian revolution but those without can still interpret its message, which continues to be relevant to this day. I cannot recommend this book enough, I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
On Animal Farm is the story of how different farm yard animals unite following an enlightenment about their fate and oppression. The animals agree to an egalitarian and "share and share alike" constitution by which to govern their new arrangements while defending themselves from the expelled farmer's attempts to re-establish the old ways of doing business.
The constitution is inscribed for all to see with "All Animals Are Equal" leading the list, slowly as the farm yards pigs rise to assume the position of leaders they abandon each of these value statements, radically revising them to justify a return to the old ways of doing business which characterised the original farmer who they threw out.
Like his other books Orwell was disappointed in his own lifetime with how the books where received and interpreted, of Animal Farm which he described as a "simple fable" Orwell stated if its simple message about betrayal where not understood then the book had been a failure.
This is an important point because Orwell had dedicated his energies to making political writing an art form (consider Penguin Great Ideas : Why I Write). In his time, and since, Animal Farm has been seen as a devastating criticism of egalitarianism, flawed values and even of the very hopes and optimism which give rise to change of government, particularly by revolution, like a cynical or conservative text book.
Orwell intended it to be much more straight forward, he supported the values which where at the heart of the Animals constitution, including that core commitment to equality, and considered the crucial moment in the storyline to have been consistently overlooked (that is the moment at which the Pigs decide no longer to share the harvest of apples, which the other animals do not suspect is the beginings of betrayal).
The story is a heart felt tale, populated by all sorts of characters who Orwell uses to characterise a range of human traits from nobility to the down right villainous, with a good pace and easily understood style of writing, it should appeal to adults or children alike. Likewise it should appeal to either the political/literary reader and general reader alike.
In being desirous of understanding this text, it is firstly important to understand just what we are presented with here, for this book is NOT an overtly political or subversive anti-communist thesis (despite what Orwell may have originally intended). What it is in fact, is a precise, poignant, cutting and very astute examination of human nature; the motives, desires and inner reflections of humanity and the internal struggles we all face. What I found most impressive about this work was that as a critique of humanity and the complexities of hierarchical societies it is an examination that resounds as strongly now as it did in 1946. Especially in the wake of 11/9 and the measures that have been introduced to 'protect' and 'guard' the people by various governments around the globe, not to mentions how far from the truth we have been lead by the 'news' media. When one considers the impact the media had in back in the '70s, in bringing the terror of Vietnam home to the news-stands and the enormous social and political repercussions that spread outwards from that; who would have thought that a mere quarter of a century later the public would have gradually succumb to the acceptance of what before was seemingly unacceptable... sound familiar? Animal Farm, where "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others".
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