Animal Farm

Animal Farm: George Orwell

George Orwell was an English writer and journalist born in 1903. He was born in India to British parents but later moved to England with his mother and siblings. Orwell had a keen interest in social and political issues, and this passion led him to become a writer and journalist.

In the years leading up to the writing of Animal Farm in 1943, Orwell had become increasingly concerned about the rise of totalitarianism and the threat it posed to individual freedoms and democracy. He had witnessed the brutalities of fascism in the Spanish Civil War and had become disillusioned with communism, which he saw as another form of totalitarianism.

By the time he began writing Animal Farm in 1943, Orwell's mother had also passed away, and he had resigned from his post at the BBC. The world was also in the midst of World War II, with the Allies fighting against the Axis powers. In England, there was a strong sense of national unity and sacrifice as the country battled to defend its freedoms and way of life.

Orwell wrote Animal Farm against this backdrop, making it a satirical allegory that used farm animals to criticize the Soviet Union and the failures of communism. The novella was published in 1945, at the end of the war, and quickly became a critical and commercial success. Today, it is widely regarded as one of Orwell's most important works and a seminal text in the canon of political literature.

Fig. 1 - George Orwell wrote Animal Farm during World War II.

Animal Farm: summary

Animal Farm is a satirical novella that tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer in search of a better life. After successfully overthrowing their owner, Mr Jones, the animals establish their own self-governing society that is run by the pigs. The pigs, led by Napoleon and Snowball, create a set of commandments that they call Animalism, which states that all animals are equal and that humans are the enemy.

At first, the animals work together to build their new society. However, as time goes on, the pigs become increasingly corrupt and power-hungry. Napoleon in particular gradually consolidates power and uses his secret police force of dogs to eliminate any opposition to his rule.

The other animals are gradually oppressed and forced to work harder and harder, with their lives becoming no better than they were under Mr Jones though they still believe in the society they had created. The pigs change the commandments to suit their own purposes and rewrite history to make themselves look better.

As the story progresses, the pigs become more and more like the humans they once rebelled against. The book ends with the pigs and humans meeting and sharing a toast, with the other animals looking on in disgust as they realize that the pigs have become the very thing they once fought against.

Through its use of animals to represent human society, the novella provides a biting critique of political systems that promise freedom and equality but end up becoming corrupt and oppressive.

Animal Farm: characters

Orwell's characters are based on historical figures. However, they are not one-to-one analogues, and the novella is not a straightforward retelling of Soviet history. Animal Farm is a complex and nuanced allegory that draws on a variety of historical and literary influences to explore universal themes about power and corruption.

Animal Farm: book analysis

Typical analysis of the novella Animal Farm includes that it is a political allegory that uses animals to satirize the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet Union. The themes of the book include:

Overall, Animal Farm is a warning about the dangers of authoritarianism and the importance of questioning those in power. The book emphasizes the need for transparency and accountability in government, and it warns against blindly following leaders who may not have the best interests of the people at heart.

Animal Farm: quotes

The pigs in Animal Farm use several propaganda tactics in order to maintain control over the other farm animals. The following quotes are crucial examples of these tactics.

These commandments represent the founding principles of animalism, the political philosophy that aims to establish a society where all animals are equal and free from human oppression.

As the story progresses, the pigs in charge of the animal farm change and manipulate the commandments to suit their own interests, which serves as a warning about the dangers of power and corruption. The commandments serve as a reminder of the principles that the animals originally aimed to uphold and the need to remain vigilant against those who may seek to undermine those principles.

This is a slogan that is repeated several times. It is a simplification of the pigs' principles of animalism, which are designed to create a society where all animals are equal and have the right to live free from human oppression.

• Animals are creatures with four legs and are inherently good and pure. The animals on the farm are meant to represent the working-class people in society, who are often exploited and mistreated by those in power.
• In contrast, the two legs refer to humans who are seen as the oppressors of animals and the source of all their problems. The phrase implies that humans are inherently evil and that animals must be wary of them.

The slogan is a simplified version of the pigs' political philosophy, which is meant to be easily understood and remembered by the other animals. By repeating the slogan, the pigs are able to rally the other animals around the cause of animalism and convince them to work together to create a better society.

The slogan serves as a warning about the dangers of blindly following a slogan or ideology without critically evaluating its underlying principles and the actions of those who claim to uphold them.

This quote is another slogan that is repeated several times in the novella. The slogan is used to reinforce the idea that Napoleon is infallible and should not be questioned. By repeating the phrase 'Napoleon is always right,' the pigs are able to convince the other animals to trust and obey them without question, even if their decisions may be harmful or unjust.

The slogan is also a form of a cult of personality, where a leader is elevated to a position of almost divine authority and is beyond questioning or criticism. This is a common tactic used by authoritarian regimes to maintain power and control over their citizens. The slogans serve as a warning about the dangers of blindly following a charismatic leader without questioning their decisions or motives.

In this society that the farm represents, the people of the society are not allowed to express their opinions, thoughts, beliefs, or ideas and they are constantly monitored and punished for any dissent. They can also be killed for any acts of nonconformity. This creates an environment of fear and distrust because the people the animals represent are unable to communicate openly and honestly with one another. The people who are suspected of dissent or disobedience are forced to confess to crimes, and then they are publicly executed or tortured in front of others as a warning.

The 'fierce, growling dogs' are a symbol of the government's power and control. They represent the force that the government uses to maintain its grip on society and intimidate its citizens into submission. Individual thought and freedom are suppressed in the name of state control.