Animal Farm by George Orwell: The Issue of Government and Management

One of George Orwell’s most well-known novels, Animal Farm, has been a very interesting topic of discussion lately. The story is about a group of animals overthrowing the farmer and taking over the farm themselves. With their newly found freedom, the animals had to figure out a way to sustain a living and organize themselves. Thus, the trouble of coming up with a perfect government to create the perfect society emerged. The farm went through a lot of challenges but they seem to manage themselves pretty well today under the leadership of our guest today, Napoleon!

Q: How would you describe your style of leadership?A: I see myself as a very strong leader. I lead through example and I expect the best from everyone. When I give out orders, they need to be done with the utmost perfection. Communication is very important to me, especially in the form of propaganda. I have Squealer who can always deliver when the animals need a good speech for motivation. I am also an opportunist, meaning I take advantage of every opportunity presented. It is important to do so as a leader, you got to think fast and make the right decisions to bring benefits.

Q: It seems like you have a very strong leadership, Napoleon. How do you make sure you can maintain power in the farm?A: Well, there are always threats out there and I understand very well that I need to use anything at my disposal to ensure the safety of the farm and the animals. First of all, I have a powerful army of dogs that I brought up since they were puppies. Their loyalty serves me and the farm very well. Sometimes the problems cannot be solved by sending the dogs out. Sometimes the problems come from within or amongst us, the animals. When things go wrong, the last thing you want as a leader is for your people to panic. So I always have speeches full of euphemisms to calm the animals’ emotions.

Q: So what is Animalism and what do you think about it?A: Animalism is a philosophy passed down by Old Major. He gave us a speech about Animalism before the revolution. The goal of Animalism is to create the perfect society where everyone is dependent on each other. We work for each other, take care of each other, and nobody is rich or poor. In other words, everything belongs to everyone and everybody is equal. Old Major also expressed his hatred towards humans and one of the restrictions of Animalism is to do anything related to humans. We shall not walk like them, eat like them, or use anything that they use. For the most part, I agree with Animalism. However, there are parts of the philosophy that needs a little tweaking. Not everybody is equal in the farm. We can’t be perfectly equal since we are different animals. We do different things and we do it differently so it is perfectly normal for there to be exceptions regarding equality. We pigs need to use our brains to think a lot and you must admit the importance of brain power. We are the minds that keep the farm up and running so we need more food and more rest to keep our brains working. Humans are not all that bad either, there are good things about them too. The farm itself was built by them so you can’t say we’re not going to have anything to do with humans, right? The good thing about them is that once you get to talk to them and create a deal, it brings you benefits.

Q: I see. I really want to ask you a question about the other animals. What do you think they feel about your leadership? Are they happy with everything that’s going on?A: I don’t expect all of them to understand what’s going on with the farm now. The negotiations we made with humans and the relationship we share may be far out of their fields of understanding. However, it’s perfectly fine with them. Everything is still running smoothly in the farm and everybody is hard working as usual. As for what they think about my leadership, it is pretty obvious that everyone is happy with it. They even celebrate my birthday to thank God for bringing such a wonderful leader to the farm. For if it wasn’t for me, the farm might never become so prosperous like today, and the animals know that. They have to be happy with my leadership because they need me. Without me, who is going to make the important decisions? Who is going to make sure everyone works hard and stay united? Who is going to make sure everyone is safe when we get attacked?

Q: When you first became the leader, what was your vision of the farm’s future?A: I see a place where everybody can work hard together every single day. I picture a life where we can have anything and be satisfied because we earned it. I picture everyone honoring Old Major by remembering the obstacles we fought through together. Well that sounds wonderful, Napoleon. Thank you very much for joining us today and answering our questions. It seems like the farm is doing very well and we wish you the best in the future. Ladies and Gentlemen, Napoleon!