Animal Farm -George Orwell

 Animal Farm - George Orwell

Introduction :

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a timeless allegorical novella that delves into the complexities of power, corruption, and the often devastating consequences of revolution. Published in 1945, the story is set on a fictional farm where the oppressed animals overthrow their human owner, only to find themselves under the tyrannical rule of their fellow animals. The novella serves as a sharp critique of totalitarianism, particularly reflecting the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the subsequent rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union.

George Orwell :-

George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Arthur Blair, an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. He is best known for his novels 1984 and Animal Farm, both of which reflect his deep-seated opposition to totalitarianism and his support for democratic socialism. Here are some key details about him:

 Early Life

- Birth: June 25, 1903, in Motihari, Bengal Presidency (now in Bihar, India).

- Family: His father, Richard Walmesley Blair, worked in the Opium Department of the Indian Civil Service; his mother, Ida Mabel Blair, was of French descent.

- Education: Attended St Cyprian's School, then Eton College. He did not go to university but joined the Indian Imperial Police in Burma (now Myanmar) in 1922.

Career

- Early Work: Left the police in 1927 and lived in poverty in Paris and London, experiences that informed his first book, Down and Out in Paris and London(1933).

- Major Works:

  - Animal Farm(1945): A satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism.

  - 1984 (1949): A dystopian novel set in a future where a totalitarian regime suppresses all dissent.

- Other Works: Burmese Days, A Clergyman's Daughter, Keep the Aspidistra Flying, The Road to Wigan Pier, Homage to Catalonia.

Themes and Style

- Political Critique: Orwell's works often critique oppressive political regimes and explore themes of truth, freedom, and individual autonomy.

- Writing Style: Known for his clear prose, Orwell believed in writing that was straightforward and free of unnecessary embellishment.

Personal Life

- Marriage: Married Eileen O'Shaughnessy in 1936. She died in 1945. He later married Sonia Brownell in 1949.

- Health: Orwell suffered from chronic health problems, including tuberculosis, which eventually led to his death.

Death :

- Date: January 21, 1950, in London, England.

- Legacy: Orwell's work has had a lasting impact on political thought and literature. Terms like "Orwellian" and concepts like "Big Brother" have entered common parlance.

Orwell's exploration of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and advocacy for democratic socialism remain influential. His works continue to be studied for their literary merit and political insight.

Characters :

- Old Major, a highly respected boar who represents the historical figure, communist leader Karl Marx.

- Snowball is a boar and one of the leaders among the pigs who is young, but intelligent, and represents an abstract idea of evil.

- Napoleon is a stubborn boar who represents a communist tyrant.

- Squealer is a porker pig who is talented in the art of argument and deception. He represents the propaganda machine of a totalitarian government.

- Mr. Jones is a man who owns the land that is taken over by his animals. He represents a corrupt government.

- Pilkington is a man and the owner of another farm that is large and unkempt. He prefers pursuing his hobbies to maintaining his land and represents the Allied countries.

- Frederick is a cruel man and the owner of a small adjacent farm. He represents Adolf Hitler.

- Boxer is a large male horse who is respected for his steadiness of character and work ethic. He represents the uneducated and exploited working class, who take propaganda to heart and believe in the government’s cause without question.

- Whymper is a man and lawyer who acts as Animal Farm’s intermediary to the human world, while ignoring the atrocities committed there. He represents nations that profit from conducting business with brutal dictators.

- The sheep are naïve and loyal to the tenets of Animal Farm and represent ignorant masses who blindly follow their government.

Summary :

Animal Farm is a satirical story written by George Orwell, set on Manor Farm, a typical farm in England. The story is narrated by a third-person narrator who tells the events from the perspective of the animals on the farm, without adding personal opinions.

The story begins with an old pig named Old Major gathering all the animals in the big barn. He tells them that he believes he will die soon and shares his thoughts about life. Old Major believes that humans are the reason why animals live in misery and slavery. He encourages the animals to take control of their lives by overthrowing the humans in a rebellion. After sharing his dream of this rebellion, Old Major passes away.

Following Old Major's death, the other animals, led by the pigs Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, start preparing for the rebellion. One night, when the farm's owner, Mr. Jones, gets drunk and neglects the animals, they take the opportunity to rebel. The hungry animals break into the storage shed, and when Mr. Jones tries to stop them with a whip, they chase him and his men off the farm. After their victory, the animals destroy all symbols of their old life under human rule, but they decide to keep the farmhouse as a museum. Snowball renames the farm "Animal Farm" and creates Seven Commandments, which are the core principles of Animalism:

1. Whatever walks on two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever walks on four legs or has wings is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill another animal.
7. All animals are equal.

The pigs take charge and organize the work on the farm, with each animal working according to their ability. They have a successful harvest, and the animals are happy and well-fed. However, the pigs begin to take advantage of their intelligence, making decisions for the other animals and giving themselves special privileges. They even secretly drink the milk that the cows produced.

Snowball and Napoleon, the two leading pigs, often disagree, especially on big decisions like building a windmill to provide electricity. Snowball wants to build it, but Napoleon opposes the idea. Eventually, Napoleon uses trained dogs (the puppies he secretly raised) to chase Snowball off the farm and takes full control, ending the Sunday meetings where all animals used to discuss issues. Napoleon now makes all the decisions, and the other animals are expected to obey without question. The hardworking horse Boxer adopts the mottoes, “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right.”

Napoleon soon claims that the windmill was his idea and orders its construction, forcing the animals to work even harder. Food shortages begin, and Napoleon starts trading with humans, despite earlier promises not to. The pigs move into the farmhouse, and Squealer, the pig who spreads Napoleon’s propaganda, convinces the animals that the original commandments were never meant to forbid these actions. Over time, the commandments are subtly changed to suit the pigs' needs, like “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.”

As the farm faces more challenges, including a harsh winter and attacks from humans, the pigs continue to lie to the other animals, claiming that everything is going well. They even force some animals to confess to crimes they didn’t commit and have them executed by the dogs.

The pigs gradually become more like the humans they replaced, walking on two legs, wearing clothes, and enjoying luxuries while the other animals continue to work hard with little reward. The original commandments are eventually replaced with a single one: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

In the end, the pigs invite the neighboring human farmers to a banquet. The other animals, watching from outside, realize that they can no longer tell the difference between the pigs and the humans. The pigs have completely betrayed the ideals of the rebellion, and the farm’s name is changed back to “Manor Farm,” as it was under Mr. Jones. The story ends with the animals looking in through the windows and seeing that the pigs have become just as oppressive as the humans they once overthrew.

Themes :

1. Satire of Stalinism: Orwell's "Animal Farm" is a critique of totalitarian regimes, specifically Stalin's Soviet Union. The characters and events in the novel symbolize key figures and incidents from Soviet history. For instance, Napoleon represents Stalin, Snowball symbolizes Trotsky, and the conflict between them mirrors the power struggle between Stalin and Trotsky. Events like the Battle of the Windmill allude to World War II, while the changing of the Seven Commandments reflects the manipulation of truth under Stalin's rule.
2. Inevitability of Totalitarianism: Orwell believed that totalitarianism was a likely outcome in any society, including the West. This belief is reflected in the cyclical structure of the novel, where the pigs, who start as leaders of a rebellion for equality, eventually become indistinguishable from the oppressive humans they replaced. This cycle suggests that any new leadership might eventually mirror the old, corrupt system.
3. Intelligence and Education as Tools of Oppression: The pigs use their superior intelligence to control and manipulate the other animals. They learn to read and write, but prevent the other animals from gaining the same knowledge, ensuring their dominance. Over time, they revise the farm's commandments to suit their needs, using their education to maintain power and exploit the less educated animals.
4. Propaganda and Duplicity: The novel shows how propaganda is used to control the masses. Squealer, representing the propaganda machine, manipulates language and spreads lies to keep the other animals submissive. Through propaganda, the pigs are able to maintain control, even convincing the animals that the clearly unequal society is fair.
5. Violence and Terror as Means of Control: Orwell highlights how dictators use violence and fear to suppress dissent. The public executions on the farm symbolize Stalin's purges, where people were coerced into confessing to crimes they didn't commit. These acts of violence serve to terrorize the population into submission.
6. Exploitation and Human Rights: The novel illustrates how those in power exploit others. The pigs exploit the labor and ignorance of the other animals, while the dogs are used as instruments of terror. The story emphasizes the importance of human rights and the dangers of their absence, as the animals' initial rebellion for freedom only leads to a new form of exploitation.
7. Apathy and Acceptance: Over time, the animals become increasingly apathetic, accepting their grim reality. Boxer, who represents loyalty and hard work, is ultimately betrayed by the pigs, showing how blind faith in leadership can be exploited. The other animals' growing apathy reflects a defense mechanism against the harshness of their lives, mirroring Orwell's own pessimism.

Relevance Today

Despite being set in a specific historical context, Animal Farm remains relevant today as a cautionary tale about the nature of power and the ease with which idealism can be corrupted. The novella serves as a reminder that vigilance and critical thinking are necessary to safeguard against tyranny, no matter the political ideology.

Orwell’s critique is not just aimed at a particular political system but at the broader human tendency toward corruption when power is concentrated in the hands of a few. Animal Farm encourages readers to reflect on the dynamics of power and control in their own societies and to question the integrity of their leaders.

Conclusion

Animal Farm stands as a powerful literary work that continues to provoke thought and discussion about governance, power, and the perils of revolution. Orwell’s sharp, concise prose and his ability to weave complex political commentary into a simple story make Animal Farm a must-read for anyone interested in the mechanics of power and the lessons of history. In a world where the struggle for freedom and equality persists, Orwell’s novella remains as pertinent and compelling as ever.

Thank you for visiting☺