01 [Animal Farm] by George Orwell

This short story is started with a rebellion by a group of animals. The animals’ lives are miserable, laborious and short in the farm. They are given just so much food to keep the breath in the body and work for the human being. At the very instant their usefulness has come to the end they are killed with hideous cruelty. The animals fight for their rights and once they take over the farm. They write down the commandments on a big wall to remind others purpose of the rebellion. A utopia-like farm is created in which all animals are equal and able to live in comfort and dignity. Until this part, I am really looking forward to know how the farm is ran under animals and the possible obstacles that they may face.

Even every animal is equal in the farm but some animals are more intelligent than others and they are actually learning things really fast especially the pigs. The pigs slowly take over the power to run the farm and after a fight among themselves, Napoleon with his carefully planned weapons – the dogs, become the leader of the animal. And Snowball is expelled ignominiously. Some other animals just keep themselves away and refuse to meddle in such matters. Boxer, for an example, works himself until death in building up the windmill just for the welfare of all other animals and without a thought for his own benefit but I do think that he is too loyal, stubborn and perhaps a little bit stupid to believe Napolean. If he can sometime think of the welfare of animal farm in a bigger picture, perhaps he can contribute more to the development of the farm and not only on the construction of windmill.  

The pigs abuse the power that they have for their own comfort and benefits. The animal farm is prospering in the detriment to other animals’ welfare and interest. All animals except pigs and their body-guards dogs, work hard and live frugally. Nobody has an intention to rebel again even that the lives are sometime hard as they always think that hardships are partly offset by the fact that they are free and they live for themselves but not for the human being. The pigs continue to seize the power and everything is changing in the farm. The ending of the story is a bit sad and everything is so different from how the dream farm that the animals want to set up right after the rebellion but nevertheless, at least I learn a few things from the story.

 It is surprised to know that the story is actually written more than 70 years ago and the author tries to reflect the events leading up to  Russian Revolution 1917. The author’s way of expressing something using the animals is very special to me and never have I read any story written in this way.

Listen to  audio book at  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl4REOWdJSE

Read online at https://ebooks.adelaide.edu.au/o/orwell/george/o79a/

(485 Words)