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Animal Farm

George Orwell

Start date: March 1, 2017

Finish date: March 31, 2017

Discussion: 100 CLASSICS

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Mar 09, 2011 Christina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

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At the conclusion of Animal Farm, I am naively surprised that corrupt governments still exist. In the most simple but genius analogy of farm animals acting out a revolution to mirror the Russian Revolution, Orwell illustrates plainly the machinations of a Stalinist regime having originated from a benevolent democratic, communist movement. Napolean, the pig who rose to power, employed the very same tactics of Joseph Stalin by way of gradual oppression, propaganda, control and eventually violence At the conclusion of Animal Farm, I am naively surprised that corrupt governments still exist. In the most simple but genius analogy of farm animals acting out a revolution to mirror the Russian Revolution, Orwell illustrates plainly the machinations of a Stalinist regime having originated from a benevolent democratic, communist movement. Napolean, the pig who rose to power, employed the very same tactics of Joseph Stalin by way of gradual oppression, propaganda, control and eventually violence and executions. He used the dogs the way Stalin used the secret police and gradually, he and the chosen elite began acting in the manner of humans, the very thing that the tenets of "Animalism" denounced. And, to not spoil the ending, I won't say what it was specifically but I felt the pigs' final display of hypocrisy and duplicity was the ultimate portrayal of GROTESQUE. Now simply replace the pigs' hypocrisy with our own- and that's the part that's harder to do.

What does this mean? It's fiction based entirely on reality, and indeed- rulers like this still exist (North Korea). I see it as a reminder of human nature and its full potential, especially the evil side. It makes me marvel a bit that the founding fathers of this country saw and understood the need for checks and balances and sought to build that in. However, to me it goes beyond any argument that one political system is better than the other. We know how our own democracy failed people and justified slavery, for example. Essentially, when given the opportunity, someone or some group will take on political aspirations with nefarious aims, or pure self-interest in mind; beyond that also unleash a curious hunger for power over others. It seems that the whole point is that we are inherently flawed with this potential.

**Note my earlier comparison with Planet of the Apes I think holds and it does not, now that I've finished the book. It's a bit similar in the sense that the Simians also had a social order; apes were the warriors, chimps were the scientists/scholars, and etc. What got us to the point of this "upside down" universe is different in each work but both worlds parody human behavior and in the end, you can't tell the difference between who is any better: man or pig? man or ape?

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