From the Bookshelf of Reading the Classics…

Animal Farm

George Orwell

Start date: September 1, 2015

Finish date: October 1, 2015

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Past Group Reads

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What Members Thought

Aug 26, 2010 Susan from MD rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I love reading this book on two levels at once! The animals who sincerely work to make a better life are a wonderful testament to the spirit of workers everywhere. The idea that first humans and then other animals exploit them is both sad and true. While certainly not all those in positions of power, there always seems to be people/pigs who are greedy and who are willing to take advantage of those who less inclined to stand up for themselves. There always seem to be bullies who will use force an I love reading this book on two levels at once! The animals who sincerely work to make a better life are a wonderful testament to the spirit of workers everywhere. The idea that first humans and then other animals exploit them is both sad and true. While certainly not all those in positions of power, there always seems to be people/pigs who are greedy and who are willing to take advantage of those who less inclined to stand up for themselves. There always seem to be bullies who will use force and aggression to control and intimidate.

Seeing Stalin emerge in the form of Napoleon the pig was frightening. Running Snowball (aka Trotsky) out of town and then smearing is reputation was frustrating to read. Even more frustrating was the animals were unable to realize what was happening - they couldn't read or write, their memories were not very good (especially as they grew older) and they felt helpless to advance their own needs. They trusted their leaders.

As with 1984, the use of language to sway others and the manipulation of language to change the meaning of basic constructs was frightening. The seven commandments start off as one thing and becomes something else - e.g., no animals will sleep in beds becomes no animals will sleep in beds with sheets; no animal will kill another becomes no animal will kill another without cause. These subtle changes allow the pigs to live in luxury while fooling the other animals, whose conditions are deteriorating.

This evolution of language and meaning confuses the animals who seem to vaguely recall agreeing to a different set of rules. As time goes on, the changes are greater: "four legs good, two legs bad" (the basic premise of the revolution) becomes "four legs good, two legs better" as the pigs start to walk on two legs. And, of course, "all animals are equal" has an addition "... but some are more equal than others".

Also as with 1984, rewriting and revising history is another way to exert control. The constantly shifting past makes the present and future unstable as well. The most telling is that at the end, when Napoleon boasts how he has benefited at the expense of the others - he has food while they starve, he "supervises" while they slave, he lives in comfort while they freeze. Yet, he keeps telling them things used to be worse and they are better off now - and they believe they are better off - until they hear him boast to the farmers.

What will the animals do? They finally hear that their conditions are worse than ever - will they stand up to Napoleon? Not if Stalinist Russia is any indication. Stalin killed more than 20 million people - ground them under his feet, imprisoned them, starved them. In many ways, it's more frightening than the dystopian 1984 because, on some level, it really happened. ...more

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