The book review "Animal Farm" by Goerge Orwell

Who was George Orwell and why did he write?  

George Orwell was born in 1903 in Bengal in India where his father worked for government. At that time India was part of the British Empire and was being government as a colony. Orwell’s parent did not have much money, but George managed to win a scholarship to a private school in England. He finished his schooling at the famous Eton College. He did not study further, but went on to work as a policeman in the civil service in Burma for several years. During that time he began to hate the system of imperialism and colonialism. He started to write about his ideas and a well-known example is the easy, shooting an Elephant.

The Animal Farm:

Animal Farm is the simple story (Orwell called it a fairy tale), about a group of animals, whose leaders promise them a wonderful life, but who end up starving and miserable. But this fable has a deeper meaning. Georg Orwell wrote this novel to warn us about the dangers of totalirianism. He saw what happening in Russia, under the rule of Stalin and he created his story to warn us about the danger of leaders who have too much power. He was also concerned about the way in which people were swallowing Russian propaganda and accepting misinformation that distorted and twisted history. In his preface (never published) to the first edition of Animal Farm Orwell wrote.

Mr. Jones the owner of the manor farm is a bad uncaring farmer who is often drunk. He neglects his responsibility to his farm animals. One night all the animals gather in the barn. They have come to listen to old major (the pig) the farmer majestic prize-winning boar. Old major has called a special meeting for all the farm animals. The animals are described as they arrive there are the dogs, Bluebell, Jessie and Pitcher, the pigs who sit right in front , the Cart horses Clover and Boxer and Cows the cat and the ducklings more Benjamin, the cynical old monkey, Muriel the goat, the sheep and hens, pigeons. Old major makes a powerful speech he encourages the animals to stand together and rebel against their enemy, man. He warns them against taking on the evil habits of men and teaches them an inspiring song called “Beasts of England”.

In this book we see the destruction of Major’s dream of an animal utopia (an imaginary place where everything is perfect). The narrator’s point of view is still sympathetic to the common animals. But it is because they are so good and simple and naïve (i.e. foolishly ready to believe everything they are told) that they can be deceived and manipulated by the propaganda of squealer. It is easy for napoleon to seize power and control. It is easy for him to misuse his power for his own selfish and corrupt ends. In the end Orwell shows how the revolutionary leaders become just like those that they originally rebelled against. In this book Napoleon and Snowball become leaders but there is a power struggle between them.          

                                                                                                                  

George Orwell:The Animal Farm book cover: