Animal Farm: Book Review
Animal Farm
George Orwell
Amazing Reads Imprint
82 Pages
ISBN: 978-81-933876-4-1
“A deft satire on human existence to those breathing vicariously at present and during the Stalinist Era.”
A short book having an old Manor farm as an idyllic setting except for the front that the owner Mr Jones and animals being the inhabitants of the farm do not get along well. With the aim to live freely and equally, the oppressed animals fight against their master Mr Jones and kick him out of his own residence and the farm. In order to plough and toil the soil for their own sake, all animals devise some ground rules to abide by which they proudly engrave as “The Seven Commandments”. They foster and rehearse the slogan “Four legs good, two legs bad” to firm their battle against humans renaming the place to ‘Animal Farm’. Soon after they defeat the people who come along Mr Jones to help take over his farm again, a few animals happen to develop their own corrupted ways to expel one of the mightiest animals Snowball, convincing others of his wicked intentions to give away the farm to the humans. Then the animals get busy building the windmill following their leader Napoleon, a pig who manipulates other animals to follow his path in order to lead a good life with no slavery of men with two legs. By stealthily modifying the ground rules, Napoleon, along with his spokesperson Squealer and other dogs, politically and gradually devises strategies to make a new alliance with the local farmers manifesting other animals to live a simple life by installing modern tools and machinery to their farm. Coming to the end, the pig Napoleon malignantly changes back the name to ‘The Manor Farm’ as he partners with a human Mr Pilkington for both of their profit which eventually leads to loud fighting leaving other animals confused about who is who.
Animal Farm is an astounding conflux of an inexorable reality of human ideation and animal cerebrum. The allegorical representation of human mannerisms by way of mouth and movements of animals tells much more than it might have intended. The introduction of all the animals is neatly weaved allowing readers to gauge their nature and behaviour throughout the story.
Geroge ushers in his mockery at humankind very gently and on the very right time as he mentions how man uses his “distinguishing mark”, that is, the hand as an instrument of mischief, and the way Mr Jones keeps whining about “the monstrous injustice” he suffered whereas, in reality, he is the one exploiting all animals. As he brings up a little instance where all animals talk about how they dislike “milk and apples” but agree to the fact that it is important for their health says much about their growing scope in effecting duties. Such an episode of these animals organising their farm by considering health safety with proper management ridicules the way humans do it. George vividly discusses the philosophy of animalism which he is able to justify with his characters and their individual attributes as well. It is a theory of personal identity wherein the behaviour of humans is similar to those of animals. Thus, the Rebellion of animals against the Manor Mr Jones is an act where all animals refuse to be oppressed by humans anymore and fight for equality and life of liberation rather than exploitation. The idea of animals’ war against humans is to subvert human rein over these innocent beings. With a striking combination of plot, philosophy and mockery, George explores what happens when the fusion of human traits and animals’ dexterity comes in force.
To date back to the times when Orwell wrote Animal Farm, the book was banned in many countries for a long time as it strongly satirizes Joseph Stalin, the ruler of the Soviet Union. With the character of Napoleon exhibiting as a dictator of the animal farm, the author blatantly displays features of ‘cult of personality’ where other animals are duped to work with no clear benefits and display of propaganda, lies, forged rules, tamed patriotism and other ambiguous demonstrations are seen till the end. Orwell mentioned in one of his essays that Animal Farm was his conscious effort “to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole” which he has marvelled in copious dimensions.
While the book is a heap of connotations, the author has produced fine imageries which makes the complete reading very enticing along with the story. He has used major human actions such as maintenance of documentation, governance, exchange of money for goods, “Beasts of England” as their song of unity and strength, Squealer’s speech for preparation for the battle and so on. Being a timeless fable and world-famous classic, Animal Farm gains a stature where the book must be read by any and everyone to not just immerse in a tale of animals qua humans, but also to see through the unyielding power of corruption and infidelity which leaves no living being untouched and untainted. Thus, Orwell impressively ends the plot by bracketing pig with the man, leaving other animals and fellow readers in a state of perplexion as to wonder “which was which.”
~Srishti Jain
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