Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Publication Date: 2012 (first published August 1945)
Publisher: Fingerprint
Genre: Classic / Fiction / Literature
Pages: 143
Stars: 5/5

Animal farm is allegorical novel that symbolize mainly politics and revolution. Revolution comrades! It’s all about political science and power and corruption. It was written based on the Russian revolution.

Characters represent in Russian revolution like this,
Major- Vladimir Lenin
Snowball- Trotsky
Napoleon- Stalin
Squealer- Vyacheslav Molotov
Dogs- Armed Forces

I honestly didn’t know this before, I did bit Googling! We study different textbooks in India and this, I’m sure, wasn’t anywhere in history lessons. So I saw or analyze them like this,

Mr. Jones – alcoholic owner of Manor farm. Overthrown government. He definitely neglected his duty but I couldn’t help and pity this poor guy.
Snowball- opposing leader, who was also driven out by tactic of Napoleon. He was smart and brilliant and had quite a great ideas for farms and animals. He actually had good intentions. But as it is often said/observed a good person thinking about greater good of the world can’t be a politician as long as cruel and oppressive minds are in opposition who would go at any length to have total control.
Napoleon- existing government who eventually twisted the rules and acted worse than overthrown government.
Squealer- media who speaks for the power to secure their own position by switching the sides.

I liked Benjamin, Clover, and Boxer. But they had their own faults. Clover couldn’t read; Boxer, though inspiration of hardship, was a blind follower; Benjamin who was smart could read and could even see through the deceit, stayed silent and taciturn.

It was amusing to read all animal rising against humans and driving them out of Manor farm and turning it into Animal farm, a farm run by animals and their leader pigs. I liked the way they established commendments and gave importance to education. But as story progresses tricks and misguidance crept in the animal farm and so the dirty politics.

I always believed, those who enters politics are either never are clean or, if they are, they never come out clean.  My father said, the new government/representative that come to power make the previous one look much better. That’s exactly what happened here. The rebellion that started against humans and human nature eventually returned in animal farm and its leaders. They so vaguely turned themselves into humans who used their brain, walked, and ate like human that one couldn’t differentiate them from the other. Such is the quirk and quiddity of politics. Their policies and way were really disturbing to read and I was quite shocked by the stupidity of other animals.

The story delineated the politics, difficulties in forming government, results of revolutions, how the new order set on the name of equality turned to totalitarian and fascism, and how twists in policies, rules, and work structure were made where only leaders were benefited. It also subtly told the importance of education, power of speech, and using one’s conscience and brain. If only all animals were learned the picture might have looked differently.

Bottom line is Equality doesn’t come by its name, it takes both individual and collective contribution to achieve it. No one is ever free in this world as long as there is a power. Where there is power there is corruption. Where there is corruption there is slavery and hunger for commons full belly for riches, free, peaceful and happy world is just utopia.

This book was written years ago but the same methods are applied in today’s politics and it’s ultimately people who are suffering.

Overall, it was shockingly amazing read. Relevant, thought provoking, just brilliant.

Author: George Orwell

Buy Link: Amazon.in / Amazon.com

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