Oh, and as a side note, I received my diploma for my bachelors degree in the mail yesterday. Or as I like to call it, my receipt for aprox $20,000 worth of education. Boy, I should be a bright guy now. One can only wonder...
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| Source: Amazon.com |
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
From the book’s cover:
This is a classic tale of humanity awash in totalitarianism. A farm is taken over by its overworked, mistreated animals. With flaming idealism and stirring slogans, they set out to create a paradise of progress, justice, and equality. First published during the epoch of Stalinist Russia, today it is clear that wherever and whenever freedom is attacked, and under whatever banner, the cutting clarity and savage comedy of Orwell's masterpiece is a message still ferociously fresh.
Synopsis:
An allegorical tale of the Soviet Revolution, albeit one that was written before Stalin's death and the subsequent upheaval and then slow decay of the Soviet state. The story follows the various denizens of Manor Farm, as they first take to and later suffer under the brutalities of "animal socialism," so to speak. The animals run the humans out of the farm, and then proclaim it to be "Animal Farm."
But things slowly go apart from there, as creatures fall out of favor, things don't go as planned, and history is re-written. Many of the excesses of Soviet Russia are witnessed in the book's plot. The projects for the glorification of the leadership of the proletariat, the purges, the changing of doctrines to suit the times... Orwell, as in his other classic 1984, gives a propagandistic but quite telling picture of his views on communism.
What I liked about it:
Most everything. Even from a cursory reading, it was clear who some of the characters in the story represent. Napoleon is obviously Stalin, and Snowball is likewise obviously Trotsky, whom Stalin drove from the Soviet Union after declaring the former co-member of the Triumvirate an enemy of the people (and who was later murdered in exile in Mexico). Boxer seems to be the people of the communist state. His two slogans, "Comrade Napoleon is always right," and "I will work harder," both seem to fit the dogged determination and labored plight of the Russian people under Soviet totalitarianism.
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| An illustration of George Orwell from the cover of the November 1983 TIME magazine. / Source: Content.time.com |
Who else? I couldn't figure out from my superficial observation of the book who the pig Squealer was, but have since read that it was probably supposed to represent Comrade Molotov, the minister of foreign affairs during much of Stalin's reign. Oh, but Farmer Jones was easy to spot, as the tzarist royalist representation that haunted the Soviet government and was used as a scapegoat during much of the early Soviet days.
Also, the end where the pigs were indistinguishable from the men was funny, as was the changed slogan written on the barn. I won't spoil it for you; go read the book and find out for yourself.
What I didn’t like about it:
I can't think of anything specifically. Maybe I could say I didn't like that it is also fairly obvious that this was written before the outcome of Stalin's life, and it can only truly be viewed more as an allegory in many ways rather than a distinct history in "fairy tale" form. The historical events don't all connect across, of course. The rise of Khrushchev would have made an interesting addendum to the story, but it doesn't end that way, but instead with socialism becoming full-out totalitarianism and then being indistinguishable from capitalism.
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| Comrade Napoleon wearing a Marshall of the Soviet Union's uniform? Nice. As I understand it, Animal Farm has been done as a comic book (oh excuse me, a graphic novel) and in annimated feature form at least a few times over. / Source: share.nanjing-school.com |
What I learned, if anything:
Nothing specific that I can put my hand on, other than that it was a good book. Also, you can tell Orwell didn't like Joseph Stalin. Between "Big Brother" in 1984 and Comrade Napoleon in Animal Farm, the connection is hard to miss.
Recommendation:
Put simply, this is a great way to get a better appreciation, even in short form, of the way communism in the Soviet Union worked. A fairly short read it is, but an easy one, and even teens and children could get the point, if not the full symbolism here. I highly recommend it to anyone who is even slightly interested in the subject.
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| Orwell's Animal Farm is iconic, and has been used quite a few times as the basis for political commentary cartoons. I don't follow the exact meaning here (as I didn't research the back-story) but you do get the point pretty well. Ouch! / Source: WittyWorld.com |
Learn more about Animal Farm, by George Orwell on Amazon.com
The Parting Comment:
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| Source: LolSnaps.com |
I figured while I was addressing totalitarianism, this would work for the parting comment. Polly will never talk!
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