A bit of a background: according to Orwell, this was written during the events leading up the Russian Revolution and then into the Stalinist era. This is a political fable. A retelling of the story of the materialization and development of the Soviet communism. I have read and studied little about Communism before reading this book. So, I didn't really know what to expect but I knew the fact that it was stinging critique of that which of the Russian Revolution.
Communism in this text was introduced as Animalism which was based on the ideologies of Old Major. He was a well-respected old boar and he wildly cared for his fellow animals. He believed that Man was the problem and if animals would stay together then they will, altogether, reap the rewards due to them. The animals were inspired, rebelled against Mr. Jones' Manor Farm and embraced Animalism that would in hopes stage progress and justice. Major's political speech is notable for it displays how it can be used to move crowds. Like addressing the audience as "comrades". He places himself to have reached a degree of wisdom through his long life. Major had the rhetorical skills and great ability to share his indignation with the other animals.But Old Major's idealism didn't turn out to be what anyone expected it to. So, what went wrong? Why didn't it work out for the working class animals?
Animalism, at first at least, seems brilliant. The animals equally own the farm and they don't mind working hard. Everyone works to the best of their abilities and benefits. The rebellion is a success. The harvest is great and they meet together every Sunday to debate farm policy ending every time with the patriotic tune "Beasts of England".
Boxer is a horse and has exceptional strength. He is a great asset to the farm. His personal maxim is "I will work harder" and he rises early to pledge his devotion to the animals' cause. He is the most valuable member of the windmill building team. Although, his strength is incredibly matched with his naivete and stunning innocence which led to his unfortunate fate. In contrast to Boxer, we have Mollie who is a shallow materialist who only cares about vanity. Her concerns about the revolution are prompted by her ego. To her, politics and struggle mean nothing.
Snowball is an animal best attuned to Old Major's philosophy and adapted to it clearly by devoting himself into bettering the other animals in moral, physical, and many other ways. He brings literacy so that all animals could grasp the principles of Animalism.
The flaw, rather, of Old Major's thinking is that he places total blame over on Man for all the animals' hardships and ills. "Remove Man from the scene," then "the root cause of hunger and overwork" will be abolished forever." It is a one-dimensional thinking which pays no heed to the desire for power innate in all living things.
"In fighting against man, we must not come resemble him." A principle majorly (whoop, pun intended. sorry can't help it) disregarded by Napoleon who can only be accredited to his hunger for power. His very first action when his revolution is won is to steal the cows' milk for the pigs and that says a lot about who he is as a dominant. Unlike most animals who fight against tyranny what Napoleon has taken from Old Major is the opportunity to establish himself as a dictator. He commits crimes against his own comrades but his greatest misdemeanor is turning into Jones casually sharing a drink with Mr. Pilkington. Although, in the book Napoleon is much more austere and forbidding than Jones ever was. Napoleon's final propaganda, changing the seventh commandment from "All animals are equal." to "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."
As I've mentioned, I wouldn't be able to say everything that my mind can speak about Animal Farm.
So, I recommend you to read this one hundred percent and approach it with an open mind taking notes of what the characters represent even the minor ones. It is my first time reading this book and it definitely is on my list of my five all time favorite books for sure, for sure! I can't believe I passed on this book for such a long time. This has always been so highly acclaimed in the book world. Finally, I put myself up for it. I really enjoyed every bit of this book. You can easily flip through it. It's pretty straight forward to its themes. I learned a lot from it as well. How information could be altered to the advantage of who is in charge and how that affects uninformed beings in the society. Teaches you not to be too concerned with your own agenda and actually care for what is going on around you. I just love the simplicity of this in general but at the same time how it forces you to think. It is written to be understood. The message is clear and it can be applied not only in a political landscape. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did and a lot of people have.
c ya.