Animal Farm

Introduction

Animal Farm is by novel by George Orwell. He wrote 1984, Down and Out in Paris and London, and many others (they can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/george-orwell). 1984 is about a "negative utopia" in which it seems it's illegal to record your own thoughts and is punishable by death. Animal Farm and 1984 are both somewhat about utopia's that don't work end up working out.  Animal Farm is, in its entirety, satire on the Russia's civil war and the uprising of the USSR. The novel's theme is leadership and power can eventually get to your head and corrupt your thoughts and emotions.

Summary

At night, all of the farm animals met in the barn at Manor Farm and were discussing their cruel owner, Mr. Jones. Old Major told them his philosophy on Animalism that night by describing his dream of animals having freedom. A few days after his speech, he died. The remaining animals plotted a rebellion, the two major planners being pigs Napoleon and Snowball.  Mr. Jones forgot to feed all of them one night after getting drunk; this is what sprung their plan into action. The animals successfully chased Mr. Jones and his men off of the farm. They renamed the Manor Farm as Animal Farm and created the 7 commandments of Animalism. The two pigs Snowball and Napoleon fought for leadership until Napoleon took a step forward and drove Snowball off of the farm and banned him from ever returning. Napoleon ruled the farm with an iron fist; does he lead the farm they worked so hard to obtain to success or to its downfall?

Analysis/Review

I recommend this book to anyone who is mature enough to enjoy a book with a deeper meaning. If you know anything about Russia’s Civil War, or the uprising of Communism in the USSR, this book would probably make a lot more sense to you than someone with no knowledge of these things; the characters are comparable to important figures and topics during those historical events. This book has a lot of mature and political ideology in it from the time period it was written in (1940’s) and has a powerful ending.

Book Review by Hailey O.

Animal Farm

The book I read was animal farm by George Orwell, also known as Eric Blair. He has published other works such as 1984, Coming up for air, and homage to Catalina. I would say this book is a tie for the best/most popular with 1984 because that is his best known work, but I personally thought animal farm was interesting because it symbolizes how the government of Russia molded pre- World War 2. The theme of this book is, when you cheat to get what you want, it will all come tumbling down.

The book takes place on manor farm filled with animals who are gathered into the big barn by old major. who Then convinced the animals to overtake the farm from Mr. Jones. Old Major soon dies  and leaves the farm in the hands of Snowball and Napoleon. Napoleon chases snowball out of the farm and takes control over it himself with the use of ruthless tactics such as his trained attack dogs. Eventually Napoleon extorts the parts of the farm and kills some of the animals who oppose him and the pigs who were the 'elite' group of the animals start to walk on two feet and be like humans even though when they all got it started they had learned that they should die before being at all like one.

I would recommend this book to any intelligent person who can make the connection to the historical past because it adds another dimension to your thinking while your reading the book and overall enhances the liking of the read.

Book Review by Ryan D.