Animal Farm: Centennial Edition
by George Orwell
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Book Summary Information
Author: George OrwellForeword: Ann Patchett
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-05-06
ISBN: 0452284244
Number of pages: 128
Publisher: Plume
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780452284241
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Animal Farm: Centennial Edition
Book Review: All Animals Are Equal But Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.
Summary: 5 Stars
_Animal Farm: A Fairy Story_, fist published in 1946 by George Orwell (pen name of Eric Blair), is a satirical tale of a farm taken over and run by animals meant to satirize the totalitarianisms of the day and in particular communism and Stalinism. George Orwell (1903 - 1950) was the pen name of the British author Eric Blair, who developed an early enmity towards those in power and their abuses of power. Orwell was a socialist but came to witness the horrors of the Soviet state and the betrayal of his ideals by Stalinists. As such, Orwell came to loathe totalitarianism in general and wrote novels, including this book and _1984_, showing the degrading effects such societies (and in particular the communism of the Soviet state) had on people. Orwell's books are indeed prophetic and show us a world in which the very life-force has been sapped out of mankind by those in power. Orwell imagines a highly efficient totalitarian state, capable of enforcing political correctness at the highest levels, tampering with the memories of men (or animals as is the case in this book), and maintaining a total disregard for the truth. Orwell shows how under such regimes the very notion of truth becomes suspect and the individual can no longer distinguish between fact and state propaganda. This particularly applies to the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin, which is the primary setting for Orwell's stories. During the Second World War, when Stalin was regarded as an ally by many British, Orwell's stories came as a shock in that they showed the vile nature of the Soviet regime.
_Animal Farm_ begins as the Manor Farm of the human farmer Mr. Jones, who the animals believe exploit them. As such, the animals on the farm gather together and stage a rebellion against the human exploiters so that they may together own the farm to work for the benefit of all animals. The story begins as Old Major, a prize white boar near the end of his life, tells of a future society in which animals work together free from the exploitation of man. It has been suggested that Old Major very likely represents either Marx or Lenin, the precursors of the Russian revolution. Following this, all the animals join together in singing the traditional folk song "The Beasts of England", expressing their hope for a better society. Following this, the animals stage a revolt against Mr. Jones and drive him from the farm, assuming ownership of the farm themselves and re-naming it "Animal Farm". In particular, two pigs named Snowball and Napoleon come to play prominent parts as leaders; however, soon there develops rival factions surrounding each of these pigs. Together the animals create the Seven Commandments of Animalism, which maintain that all animals are equal and that those who go upon four legs or have wings are friends while those who go upon two legs are enemies. However, as the story continues, all seven of the commandments are eventually to be broken by the pig leadership. The animals then begin working together on the farm and design their own society ruled by animals. However, a rivalry develops between the pigs, Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball advocates building a windmill while Napoleon opposes it. Eventually, Napoleon and his dogs are to drive Snowball from the farm; however, the memory of Snowball is to forever come back and haunt the animals and he is systematically blamed for whatever goes wrong on the farm. It has been suggested that while Snowball represents the character Leon Trotsky from the Russian revolution, Napoleon represents the vile dictator Josef Stalin. Napoleon then begins consolidating his power and little by little takes over all aspects of the farm. Napoleon also uses propaganda and uses the pig Squealer to manipulate the animals and provide an alternate history which places Napoleon at the center of the rebellion. Other characters on the farm include the work horse Boxer (whose mottos "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right" serve to illustrate his persistence but whose role on the farm is cruelly exploited by the pigs and who is eventually cruelly killed by them - perhaps reminiscent of the Soviet Stakhanovite movement), the horses Clover and Mollie, the sheep (perhaps reminiscent of the proletariat), the raven Moses (who preaches of a "Sugarcandy mountain" in the sky where animals go after death - reminiscent of religion and the churches), the dogs (Napoleon's private guards), the cat, and Benjamin the donkey. As time passes, the pigs led by Napoleon begin abusing their power and breaking the Seven Commandments. They drink alcohol, they have dealings with humans on other farms, the stage a great show trial in which they slaughter animals believed to be spies for Snowball, etc. Throughout the book Napoleon continues to engage in negotiations with human owners of other farms and in particular a conflict develops between Mr. Frederick and Mr. Pilkington, reminiscent of other leaders that Stalin engaged in negotiations with. Meanwhile, life on the farm continues to grow worse and worse, with longer and harder working hours and less benefits, though the animals have forgotten whether life was better or worse under Mr. Jones. At the end, the animals see for themselves exactly what the pigs have wrought, as it is shown that the pigs are no different than the humans. This book also shows the collaboration between the big capitalists and the communist leaders, both of whom plotted against the people to consolidate power in the hands of a few. The book ends on a very disturbing note, in which we see the complete abandonment of the ideals which launched the rebellion by the pigs.
Orwell's books provide classic and disturbing accounts of the horrors of Soviet totalitarianism. They show us an efficient bureaucratic apparatus capable of sapping the life from the very people it claims to represent. As such, they are classic tales of the dangers that lurk behind totalitarianism and the manner in which human idealism is exploited by evil dictators. They are to be highly recommended to each new generation who seeks to understand the world in which we live today.
Postscript: In a truly disturbing fashion, this "Centennial Edition" comes with a pro-communist foreword by Ann Patchett which rails against the evils of "McCarthyism". I believe that this foreword is best ignored in light of the fact that this is an anti-communist work of fiction.
Summary of Animal Farm: Centennial Edition
As ferociously fresh as it was more than a half century ago, this remarkable allegory of a downtrodden society of overworked, mistreated animals, and their quest to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality is one of the most scathing satires ever published. As we witness the rise and bloody fall of the revolutionary animals, we begin to recognize the seeds of totalitarianism in the most idealistic organization; and in our most charismatic leaders, the souls of our cruelest oppressors.Since its publication in 1946, George Orwell's fable of a workers' revolution gone wrong has rivaled Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea as the Shortest Serious Novel It's OK to Write a Book Report About. (The latter is three pages longer and less fun to read.) Fueled by Orwell's intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism, Animal Farm is a nearly perfect piece of writing, both an engaging story and an allegory that actually works. When the downtrodden beasts of Manor Farm oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land, all are awash in collectivist zeal. Everyone willingly works overtime, productivity soars, and for one brief, glorious season, every belly is full. The animals' Seven Commandment credo is painted in big white letters on the barn. All animals are equal. No animal shall drink alcohol, wear clothes, sleep in a bed, or kill a fellow four-footed creature. Those that go upon four legs or wings are friends and the two-legged are, by definition, the enemy. Too soon, however, the pigs, who have styled themselves leaders by virtue of their intelligence, succumb to the temptations of privilege and power. "We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of the farm depend on us. Day and night, we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples." While this swinish brotherhood sells out the revolution, cynically editing the Seven Commandments to excuse their violence and greed, the common animals are once again left hungry and exhausted, no better off than in the days when humans ran the farm. Satire Animal Farm may be, but it's a stony reader who remains unmoved when the stalwart workhorse, Boxer, having given his all to his comrades, is sold to the glue factory to buy booze for the pigs. Orwell's view of Communism is bleak indeed, but given the history of the Russian people since 1917, his pessimism has an air of prophecy. --Joyce Thompson
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