“Animal Farm” by George Orwell – The Cycle of Revolutions

Animal Farm by George Orwell is without question one of the most influential and celebrated novels of the 20th century, and though many people rightfully claim that it serves as an analogy to the Russian revolution of 1917, I believe that it is about the process of revolutions in general. 

Just to give those who haven’t heard about it a little heads up, the story takes place on a farm where the animals have managed to overthrow their human overlord and have taken up charge, putting their own system in place. 

Though at first everything works well, slowly but surely the pigs, who believe themselves more intelligent, let the power of being in charge get to them, giving in to greed, violence and gluttony, leaving all the other animals under the same conditions, or perhaps even worse ones than the humans bestowed upon them. 

I have to say before going on, Orwell’s Animal Farm is without a doubt one of my favorite books of all time, for it perfectly illustrates humanity’s naivety in regards to change. All too often we hear that things will be better once someone else is in charge, but the truth is that ruling over a farm, city or even country is a process which eventually sends one rolling downhill. When the power is transferred to someone new, everyone is excited at all the possible prospects.

Slowly but surely though, people learn that managing a society requires a lot of planning, hard work and diligence, ensuring that if any changes come, they do so very slowly. During that time, those who are responsible for planning everything in said society will surely give in to the temptations brought on by power, pushing them to act in their own interests rather than those of others.

Apart from the whole analogical aspect of it, the actual story in Animal Farm is actually quite interesting to follow in itself, as we witness a pretty funny struggle for power (and trying to live a normal farm life) between different animals, many of them displaying various stereotypical traits we have come to associate with different types of people. Though the characters may be animals, they are humanized (given a voice and the ability to think like us) and have more depth to them than most of the human characters found in novels today.

All in all, Animal Farm is a somewhat short and yet very delicately and intricately-crafted satire touching on a subject that was, is and will remain important in human society. It succeeds on every level at being an entertaining, page-turning, eye-opening and educative satire, and it is one of those books I believe everyone should at least try to read.

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George Orwell (June 25, 1903 - January 21, 1950) Personal site George Orwell who was born under the name of Eric Arthur Blair, was an English novelist, journalist, critic and essayist, whose internationally-acclaimed works, including 1984 and Animal Farm often touch on subjects of political and social injustice, the preference of democratic socialism to totalitarianism. The Orwell Award was actually created after him.