In 1945, English author George Orwell published one of the most politically polarizing books of its time. Animal Farm is a 118 page satire on the Russian Revolution and a critique on the rise of communism in the Soviet Union and totalitarianism.
The story focuses on a group of farm animals who unite under the basis of freedom and rise up against their human owner to establish a fair and just collectivist society.
On the most basic level, “Animal Farm” is an allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the formation of the Soviet Union.
For historical context, Eric Arthur Blair, more famously known as George Orwell, was born in India to a British civil servant family and later moved to England to attend Eton College. However, In 1936, Orwell fought against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War, which helped solidify his stance against facism.
Orwell would go on to work for the BBC during World War ll to produce war time propaganda before later becoming a literary editor of the Tribune and publishing his two most famous works, Animal Farm (1945) and 1984 (1949)
Orwell is best recognized for his concerns about the manipulation of political language and its subsequent effect on control of the people. In “Animal Farm” Orwell is able to channel his ideas and ideology by creating an allegory that seeks to reveal the weaknesses in the systems that are meant to defend the revolution.
While Orwell might have used the revolution and the history of the Soviet Union to construct his story, he instead used the events of the farm to illustrate the larger dynamics of revolution: the initial cooperation between oppressed individuals, the eventual dominance of the revolution by a few, and the use of propaganda to ensure that dominance is maintained.
Crucially, the novel does not dismiss the notion of revolution outright. However, it challenges what ensues after the revolution has been achieved.
In this way, Orwell emphasizes how easy it is for revolutionary ideas to be subverted as transparency is lost with no one challenging authority. This corruption is ultimately captured in the pigs’ final commandment: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others,” revealing how the original ideals of equality are twisted to justify a new form of tyranny.
The revolution of the animals can serve as an opportunity for readers to analyze the role of authority in any given society.
Orwell writes this story in a simple language, almost childlike, but this promotes the wide popularity of the book while simultaneously revealing a message on politics gradually to the reader as leadership is built, rules are clarified, and revolutionary ideals are interpreted.
“Animal Farm,” while originally controversial due to the ongoing cold war, has been in circulation for nearly eight decades and continues to have a place in both educational circles and politics.
Its applicability and significance are embedded within its simplicity. Orwell brings politics to a very basic level to remind readers of harsh realities. What begins as a beacon of hope turns out to be a reminder that liberty is not always secure once it is attained.
My personal rating of “Animal Farm” is a 9/10. It shows us how easily a revolution can turn sour, and end creating the thing that was sought out to be destroyed.
