Animal Farm is one of the magnificent works
of George Orwell that was published in 1945.
It is a political allegory based on the events
of Russia’s Bolshevik revolution and the
betrayal of the cause by Joseph Stalin.
Before we go in the details of story, let
me tell you briefly about the author.
George Orwell is the pen name of Eric Arthur
Blair who was born in India on June, 25th
1903.
He served with the Imperial Indian police
in Burma and also fought in the Spanish Civil
War.
Later he became a Correspondent for BBC during
world war 2.
The book concerns a group of animals who overthrow
and chase off their exploitative human masters
and set up an egalitarian society of their
own.
Eventually, among the animals, the most power-loving
leaders, the pigs, subvert the revolution.
There were seven commandments that were to
be abided by all the animals and the 7th commandment
was that “all animals are equal”.
But, when pigs got the power, they amended
this commandment by saying that “all animals
are equal but some animals are more equal
than others”.
The pigs form a dictatorship even more oppressive
and heartless than that of their former human
masters.
This book does represent historical figures.
Although George Orwell did not take name of
any political leader but he implicitly criticized
the exponents of communism.
I will keep telling you the names of Political
figures as we explore the plot.
So, the story is that:
One night, all the animals at Mr. Jones Manor
assemble in a barn to hear a pig who is an
old major and the old major describe his vision
about a world where all animals live free
from the tyranny of their human masters.
Old Major dies soon after the meeting, but
the animals — inspired by his philosophy
of Animalism — that is to plot a rebellion
against Jones.
The pig who is an old Major is metaphorically
referring to Karl Marx.
And the Mr. Jones against whom animals are
plotting revolution is metaphorically implying
to The Czar Nicholas 11 of Russia.
Two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, prove themselves
important figures and planners of this dangerous
enterprise.
When Jones forgets to feed the animals, the
revolution occurs, and Jones and his men are
kicked away from the farm.
Manor Farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the
Seven Commandments of Animalism are painted
on the barn wall.
These two pigs Snowball and Napoleon are Trotsky
and Joseph Stalin respectively.
Initially, the rebellion is a success: The
animals complete the harvest and meet every
Sunday to debate farm policy.
The pigs, because of their intelligence, become
the supervisors of the farm.
Napoleon, however, proves to be a power-hungry
leader who steals the cows' milk and a number
of apples to feed himself and the other pigs.
He also enlists the services of Squealer,
a pig with the ability to persuade the other
animals that the pigs are always moral and
correct in their decisions.
This squealer implying towards Vyacheslav
Molotov or you can also consider squealer
as a propaganda tool.
Or you can also say that squealer is a symbol
of modern-day media.
Later that fall, Jones and his men return
to Animal Farm and attempt to recapture it.
Thanks to the tactics of Snowball, the animals
defeat Jones in what, thereafter, becomes
known as The Battle of the Cowshed.
Snowball begins drawing plans for a windmill,
which will provide electricity and thereby
give the animals more leisure time, but Napoleon
vehemently opposes such a plan on the grounds
that building the windmill will allow them
less time for producing food.
Napoleon summons a pack of ferocious dogs,
who chase Snowball off the farm forever.
Napoleon announces that there will be no further
debates; he also tells them that the windmill
will be built and claims that it was his own
idea, stolen by Snowball.
For the rest of the novel, Napoleon uses Snowball
as a scapegoat on whom he blames all of the
animals' hardships.
Much of the next year is spent building the
windmill.
Boxer, who is an incredibly strong horse,
proves himself to be the most valuable animal
in this endeavor.
Jones, meanwhile, forsakes the farm and moves
to another part of the county.
Contrary to the 7 Commandments of Animal Farm
, Napoleon hires a solicitor and begins trading
with neighboring farms.
When a storm topples the half-finished windmill,
Napoleon blames Snowball and orders the animals
to begin rebuilding it.
Napoleon's lust for power increases to the
point where he becomes a totalitarian dictator,
forcing "confessions" from innocent animals
and having the dogs kill them in front of
the entire farm.
He and the pigs move into Jones' house and
begin sleeping in beds and once again Napoleon
breached the one of the 7 commandment of Animal
farm which refrained animals to sleep in the
Jones house (but Squealer excuses with his
brand of twisted logic).
The animals receive less food, while the pigs
grow fatter.
As more of the Seven Commandments of Animalism
are broken by the pigs, the language of the
Commandments is revised: For example, after
the pigs become drunk one night, the Commandment,
"No animals shall drink alcohol" is changed
to, "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess."
Animal Farm is one of the greatest socio-political
works of all time.
The parable successfully shows how the dream
that communism in theory could be so easily
turns into the nightmare that totalitarianism
again and again has proven to be.
Animal Farm is moving, bitter and a warning
from history – one of which will of course
be ignored, for that is what humans excel
at, repeating the errors and misjudgments
of the past.
The author wrote this book to warn the world
about the corrupting effects of propaganda.
Therefore, you must read it and It will only
take 2-3 hours to read.
Thankyou
