Animal Farm, Geogre Orwell Book Review

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Orwell, George. The Animal Farm. London: Secker and Warburg, 1945

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” – The one commandment that remained painted on the top of the barn of Manor Farm summarizes the essence of the masterpiece crafted by the king of dystopia, George Orwell. Orwell’s book is a commentary on the 1917 Russian Revolution which had put on a façade as a step towards democratic socialism, however, was anything but. As a literary text Orwell has managed well to infuse elements of anthropomorphism, lyrical verses and allegory into a perfect blend of aesthetic delight. The story reimagines and redefines the societal structure of a nation and the subtle mechanisms that act as a tool of manipulation. Orwell has very cleverly and slyly deconstructed the way we envisage our role in a society and the false notion of security that citizens of a democracy live under.

The story begins with a vivid description of the farm which is the primarily where it revolves around. It also sketches a detailed picture of Mr. Jones who owns the farm at the beginning of the story, he is said to be the allegorical figure of Tsar Nicholas II – the last emperor of Russia who was slain along with his entire family by the Bolsheviks. Quite the same is the fate of Jones who is overthrown out of his farm by the animals he had owned. This also shows Orwell’s discipline in respecting the timeline of events and structuring the literature along that line. The story’s rising action is clearly distinguishable with the introduction of most of the major characters. First comes the allegorical character of the Old Major, who is an amalgamation of the Marxist philosophy and the communist ideology of Lenin, brought into life by Orwell. Then come the two major characters – Napoleon and Snowball who are the leaders of “The Battle of Cowshed”, which was instigated by Old Major’s dying words. Napoleon being the allegory of the cunning Joseph Stalin and Snowball being the embodiment of Leon Trotsky. The introduction of supporting characters such as Squealer, Boxer, Mollie, Clover, Benjamin, Muriel and other animals are done in a manner of roundness and gradualism. We begin to feel, read, understand and empathize with these characters only from the point where Napoleon becomes the self-proclaimed leader of Animal Farm after driving out the charismatic Snowball and somehow proving him to be guilty of treachery and treason. The novel grows darker and deeper, and as readers we see the rest of the story through the perspective of these characters who are repressed by the dogs brought up under Napoleon’s guidance. The novel closes with Clover’s discovery of Napoleon feasting with Mr. Frederick – the representation of Adolf Hitler, Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Whymper and walking on two legs while the sheep chant – “Four legs good, two legs better!”

It is interesting to see how Orwell manages to manifest his views in the form of a novel out of a simple idea, which he mentions in the preface of his book:

“….I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge carthorse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat.”

 The humbleness of origins that we find in Orwell’s novel is not just inspiring but reiterates the notion that stories can be found in the most unusual of places only if one looks for it. Animal Farm also manages to raise an important question of the fate of a revolution, if it can truly ever be successful in the utilitarian world? Or is it doomed for failure? What the readers can take away from this novel is to have a highly realistic approach towards a certain ideology instead of meandering around in dreams of utopia. After reading the book, one is reminded of what Adolf Hitler had once proclaimed – “If you do not like a rule… Just follow it … Reach on top… And change the rule” – which seems to be the only path towards reaching a point of political contentment. The farm itself is a space of subjugation, hard labour and production, which implies that all the elements that exists in a society of human beings are there to be employed for benefit. This conception exists dominantly in the contemporary scenario where the power of a nation state is determined by the ability to produce rather than the condition of its residents.  

            In popular culture, there is a trend to draw references to literary classics. Animal Farm is one of the most popularly referred to literary text in popular culture. Cartoon shows such as X-men and Jonny Bravo; Bands such as Pink Floyd and Radiohead; And Television shows such as Oz and Lost are known to have made use of certain elements of the novel. This shows that the narrative continues to be socially and politically relevant. Also, it’s an indication of the impact that the novel has made on the world of literature.

            Animal Farm continues to be a subject of great debate amongst academicians and political thinkers which verifies Orwell’s credentials as one of the greatest literary writers of the world.   

Works Cited

1.    Moran, Daniel. CliffsNotes on Animal Farm. 20 Nov 2015

2.    Shmoop Editorial Team. "The Characters in Animal Farm." Shmoop. Shmoop University, Inc., 11 Nov. 2008. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

3.    Newsinger, John. Europe-Asia Studies 48.7 (1996): 1264–1265. Web...

4.    Kirschner, Paul. “The Dual Purpose of "animal Farm"”. The Review of English Studies 55.222 (2004): 759–786. Web...



-Srinjoy Dey


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