Essays on Animal Farm

17 August 1945

George Orwell

Allegorical Novella

Political Satire

Napoleon, Old Major, Snowball, Squealer, Boxer, Mr. Jones, Clover, Pilkington, Mr. Frederick, Mr. Whymper, Benjamin

The book has been influenced during Orwell's Spanish Civil war experiences and author's opinion regarding Stalinist corruption of the original socialist ideals.

It symbolizes Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. The symbols include capitalism, socialism, fascism, and communism. The rule of power, corruption.

The Animal Farm teaches us an important lesson that it is not possible to create a utopian society since every leader will sooner or later become corrupt. Another important aspect is the gain of power and temptation of a luxurious life that is always based on personal gain. It is a reason why it becomes an important book that tells about the potential of good intentions. While it does portray the authoritarian example of the USSR, it also explores the ways of people that still serve others with good intentions.

The book tells a story about farm animals who rebel against their human farmer. As simple as that, they hope to create a different society where every animal can live an equal life, remain free, and feel happy. It is a complex allegory that tries to reflect a revolution. Still, this animal rebellion is betrayed with the farm ending up in a poor state. The reason for this failure, according to Orwell, is the dictatorship's rule of a pig named Napoleon.

• The Animal Farm has been rejected more than most books in the history of publishing by the big names until Secker & Warburg decided to publish it.
• The book became influential for C.S. Lewis who believed that the book is about equality where every animal is equal, yet some are more equal than others.
• The book has been based on real-life village of Wallington, which is where Orwell has lived during the late 1930s and early 1940s.
• The Animal Farm became a propagandistic tool of the CIA to bring anti-communist views across the world.
• Speaking of the Soviet Union, the novel has been banned until about 1988 when "Glasnost" views have made it possible for the Latvian magazine to publish it in four parts.
• The book has also been banned in Cuba, North Korea, Kenya, and even the United Arab Emirates.
• The book has inspired numerous world-famous musicians like The Beatles and Pink Floyd.
• Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame was the one who voiced the main character "Napoleon".

• "Remember, comrades, your resolution must never falter. No argument must lead you astray. Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of the others. It is all lies. Man serves the interests of no creature except himself. And among us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle. All men are enemies. All animals are comrades."
• "All the habits of Man are evil. And, above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers. No animal must ever kill any other animal. All animals are equal."
• "The animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
• "Animal Farm, Animal Farm, Never through me shalt thou come to harm!"
• "Ah, that is different!" said Boxer. "If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right."

The purpose of the book is to explain how existing potential often leads to dangers of good intentions. As the political satire of the USSR's ruling style, it aims to show that revolution and striving for change comes from good intentions, yet misleads people into something else. Using dystopian fiction, Orwell remains precise in his opinion regarding tyranny and origins that it has. It also deals with ignorance and an intentional failure to notice things.

This topic is important for essays because it deals with corrupting influence of power, totalitarian regime, sincerity, propaganda, and the good intentions that we all have. It is also a good topic to tell about leadership and betrayal. Since this book deals with an allegory, it must be taken as an example of our modern life.

The Old Major's speech represents a significant element for this novel because it speaks of the very idea of rebellion that is brought to the minds of the animals. It is the first time when they start approaching human beings as their enemies and see themselves as the victims of animalism or farm oppression. The major speaks about hardships and bad lives and claims that it is Farmer Jones that is to blame. It can be approached as the turning point of the novel.