Genre: Fiction—Classic Literature
Completed: 9 March 2012
Summary & Review:
On Manor Farm, there is a rebellion stirring among the animals of Mr. Jones. After a beloved old pig
gives a rousing speech instilling a dream in the animals of an agricultural
utopia if only the enemy, i.e. man, was removed, he dies and the animals take
up his cause. Lead by the pigs, the animals of the farm rise up and drive Mr.
Jones and his family from Manor Farm and set up Animal Farm: a communist system
where all animals are equal, man is the enemy, and everyone works for one
another. Only, all the animals really aren’t equal. As soon becomes clear, some
animals, the pigs and dogs in particular, are more equal
than the rest. Through their fierce enforcement of the rules, unrelenting propaganda,
and revision of history the pigs maintain a system where the common animals are even more enslaved than they were under the rule of Mr. Jones.
I love this
book. When I first read it years ago I didn’t know that Orwell was himself a Socialist. When I did find out that out, it really caught me by surprise. This book so clearly
points out the inevitable mistakes and failures common to all forms of Marxism.
I guess Orwell thought that Marxism was good, but the Soviets were just doing
it wrong. Did he think that there was really some way to create his utopia
where everyone worked hard, even though they had no incentive to do so, and
everyone was economically equal? As Orwell clearly illustrates in Animal Farm, Marxism creates two classes: a privileged ruling class
that benefits from the blood, sweat, and toil of the masses whose every desire and action is controlled and dictated by the state. That is how it has been in every form of Marxism ever attempted. Regardless of Orwell’s personal
political beliefs, Animal Farm stands
as a powerful warning against centrally planned and controlled systems of
government, not just the old Soviet system Orwell intended to expose.
Rating: 9.0
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