Animal Farm is in stark contrast to the first book I read. There is absolutely nothing humorous about the book. In fact, I found the ending quite creepy. Creepy enough where I had to, upon completing it, rush into my mother's room to jump in her bed. (Did I ever mention that I'm 24 years old?)
Why I decided to read this book:
I had heard of the book many years ago, but since it was never assigned reading in any of my English classes, I never got around to it. When I went to Barnes & Nobles earlier this week, I saw the book on one of the "Summer Reading" tables. I was willing to buy it because it was only $9.99 (in my mind, cheap for a book nowadays) and only 141 pages. Also, my mother was surprised that I didn't have to read the book in high school because it's full of symbolism and social criticisms. (Maybe it was required in one of the elective English classes. I filled all my elective spaces with science classes, so I never got a chance to take "extra" English credits).
How long it took me to finish reading it:
2-3 hours (finished at 4AM eek)
Brief synopsis:
Animal Farm takes place in England on a farm called "The Manor Farm." The owner of the farm, Mr. Jones, was once a competent farmer but turned into a drunkard following a lawsuit. The eldest pig on the farm, Major, had a dream about rebellion, which he told the other animals about. Together, they agreed to one day rebel against their oppressors and formulated a new belief system called Animalism, along with Seven Commandments, which they vowed to obey. Following a drunken outing in town, the farmer forgot to feed the animals who then rebelled and drove Mr. Jones, along with his farmhands and wife, off the property. In the initial period after the rebellion, the animals were overjoyed and, under Animalism, cooperated to improve their lives on the farm. Animals on other farms got wind of the take over on Animal Farm (renamed after the rebellion), and even the farmers heard about how much more productive it was. Eventually, the gradient of the innate intelligence of the animals on the farm (i.e. pigs > dogs > horses > sheep, etc.) led to a new leadership structure with the pigs on top. Two pigs, Snowball (charismatic, introspective, selfless, ambitious) and Napoleon (manipulative, pessimistic, firm), were constantly of opposing viewpoints. One day, following the squelched effort by Mr. Jones to take back the farm, Napoleon's legion of mean dogs chased Snowball off the farm. Napoleon set about solidifying his control of the farm by declaring himself the leader with sole decision-making power, rather than allowing all animals to vote. He turned all the animals against Snowball, whom he claimed was working with Mr. Jones all along and killed any dissenters. In addition to continuing to work in the fields, the animals were forced to work endlessly on a windmill that was first destroyed by the wind, then was demolished by an attack by a rival farmer. More cruelties happened, including false rumors, executions, breaking of the original Seven Commandments, banning of the uplifting "Beasts of England" song and starvation. Despite reduced productivity, mass rationing and the new culture of fear instituted by Napoleon, the pigs insisted that life was still better than it was under Mr. Jones. As time went on, the pigs further elevated themselves above the rest of the farm animals, eventually moving into the farmhouse, sequestering food exclusively (apples and milk) and engaging in regular drunkeness. As time went on and less animals remembered what the days of Mr. Jones were like, the pigs had little resistance in ruling the farm. Slowly, a transformation was underway: The pigs started walking on their hind legs and wearing the farmer's clothes. They eliminated the Seven Commandments and listed just one: "All animals are created equal but some animals are more equal than others." At the end of the book, the pigs hosted a party for neighboring farmers, publicly declared that the farm would one again be called "The Manor Farm," and, in a final plot twist, as the farm animals watched from outside, the faces of the pigs morphed into human faces.
Rating: 5/5
Why I enjoyed the book:
It was very easy to read for a classic. Not only was the book pretty short, it progressed quickly, so my attention never waivered. The language wasn't so flowery that I had to re-read sentences, nor were the metaphors too thickly veiled. The imagery is also simple and, I believe, widely relatable (who doesn't know what animals and a typical farm look like?!). Reading a little about Orwell's life (preface of the book) prepared me for the climactic finish, and every twist in the plot seemed close and true to the author's core beliefs. Rather than try for the element of surprise, Orwell preferred to communicate, not so subtly, the disastrous consequences of regime overhaul and totalitarianism.
Relevant topics. While no one from my generation in the Western world completely understands totalitarianism because it hasn't stared them in the face as it did during the time that Orwell grew up (amid dictatorships by Stalin and Hitler), dare I say the reformation trend in America is tilting towards the "there's a law for that" mentality. Sure, from a sociological perspective, perfect equality would be "ideal," but anyone who thinks that can be achieved is in la-la land. As Animal Farm demonstrated, even if governments and social stratifications are leveled, groups/individuals will always rise to assume leadership. It really isn't possible to have unity without leadership. It is similarly impossible to have complete equality and complete freedom at the same time. Efforts to promote equality often stifle freedoms, such is the way that the capitalist market works. I challenge you to find a law that promotes the well being of one group while not hurting the well being of another. We live at a time when there are groups/organizations promoting every cause under the sun. Everyone thinks they're so special that they need laws to protect or promote them. Consequently, the trend has shifted more and more in favor of social protectionism. Honestly, I'm not a fan of a significant governmental presence. I believe goodwill and practicality exists in everyone, and that, by the power of rationality, society has the ability to right and heal itself after divergences. The pigs started off as equal members of Animal Farm, but when they were awarded decision-making privileges and were able to execute their plans unopposed, the power went to their heads. Even though we don't live in a dictatorship, the US government has become less and less accountable to the people. Politicians have figured out a way to give their constituents fragments of freedom in exchange for votes, while continuing to cast votes to pursue self-interests (fueled by lobbyists, campaign support, networking connections, etc.). Animal Farm continues to be a must-read book from generation to generation because it brings out our paranoia and induces us to imagine our greatest fears played out. It's a book for anyone who is disgruntled and is hoping for change, but it also serves as a cautionary tale, warning us that, even when times are good, the Universe trends towards entropy and we must be realistic about the consequences of our actions.
