Animal Farm Review

Animal Farm by George Orwell, is a novel that has been a classic for decades. It has stayed such a popular classic due to its timeless themes, which are issues of class, inequality, power, and control.

This novel starts with Old Major, who is a prize-winning boar on Manor Farm, gathers all animals for a meeting. In this meeting he discusses a dream he had, in which all animals live together without human oppression. Old Major teaches the animals a song called “Beasts of England” and uses this song to encourage the animals to achieve such a vision. The animals are enthused by Old Majors plan; though when he sadly passes three nights later, three of the younger pigs, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, use Old Majors vision to formulate a philosophy called Animalism. One night the animals defeat Mr. Jones, the farmer of Manor Farm, in battle and run him off the land. The animals rename the farm to Animal Farm and commit to achieving Old Major’s dream.

In the beginning the farm thrives, Snowball works on teaching the other animals to read and Napoleon teaches a group of puppies the principals of Animalism. Though when Mr. Jones reappears with a group of farmers, the animals are again victorious and name this battle, The Battle of the Cowshed. Though as time goes on Snowball and Napolean start to squabble over what should be done on the farm, especially when Snowball constructs and idea to build a windmill. When this idea is brought to a vote, the animal’s side with Snowball in favor of the windmill. Napoleon then uses his dogs from before to attack Snowball and run him off the farm. Napoleon then takes place as the sole leader of Animal Farm. Napoleon then makes a shocking decision to build the windmill, which he had previously opposed.

Then one night, a monstruous storm comes through the farm and blows down the windmill. Napolean then blames the windmill falling on Snowball, saying that he had sabotaged Animal Farm because of his alliance with the human farmers. Napolean continues this narrative of framing Snowball as the enemy, while slowly becoming more man-like himself. Napolean starts to drink alcohol, sleeping in a bed, and engaging in trade with the neighboring human farmers. This was originally forbidden in Animal farm, though somehow Squealer justifies these actions to the animals and convincing them that Napoleon is a just and selfless leader, even though most animals are cold, hungry, and overworked. Napolean continues to form alliances with the neighboring humans and the pigs become even more human, dressing in clothes and walking upright.

After years have passed, napoleon is still the leader of Animal Farm and most of the animals can’t remember if the conditions they’re in now are any better than the conditions they had under Mr. Jones. In the end the animals are looking in at the party of “elites” and can no longer tell which are humans and which are pigs.

Overall, I think this novel is a very impactful story. I believe that everyone should read it, as it’s a shorter novel containing only ten chapters, though still has such profoundly important themes and symbolism that are still relevant to our society.