Book Review
Animal Farm through the Lens of an Apolitical, Common Reader
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.”
Warning: Spoilers ahead!
My first experience with the Orwellian classic was in 2018. At the time, I was only looking to expand my library from Goosebumps and Diary of a Wimpy Kid to actual novels (it was a transitory stage, don’t blame the little youth).
I wasn’t aware of its political or satirical nature. I didn’t make the connection between Old Major and Karl Marxx, Napoleon and Stalin, or Snowball and Leon Trotsky, ’cause frankly, I didn’t care.
I was always a history buff, so I had a general understanding of recent chronological events, but I picked up Animal Farm because the cover looked cool, and its short length was viable since I could use it as a stepping stone to larger reads.
Five years later, I decided to revisit it with a newer understanding of its allegorical nature. Mind you, I still don’t care about its references; the resentment against communism that George Orwell channeled to drive his work is simply not relevant in our times, but it may still have repercussions that have trickled down.