Not the type i would usually like to read, but all in all it was a good read. If you are looking for an allegorical, political satire; then "Animal Farm" is the right choice for you. It is written by George Orwell, pseudonym; "Eric Arthur Blair" in 1945.
The story is based on a Manor farm; run under the supervision of Jones, a heavy drunkard. An uproar begins to rise among the animals of the farm, inspired and provoked by an old white boar, Major. Left unattended, and not cautious to be fed in time... ;the neglect added to the rebellion stirred. The movement of rebellion was succeeded by the expulsion of Jones, as the animals now stand united against human rule. Since Old major departed from this world, the two pigs "Snowball", and "Napoleon" assumed leadership to guide and direct the animals. Seven commandments were written on the wall of barn as to be the essential principles that would frame their lives.
Everyone agreed to it. The movement of educating started in the farm i-e everyone should learn to read and write. But save few, most of them couldn't even develop command on the 26 alphabets of English. Pigs, a generally acknowledged intelligent class would do the paper work and ministration, while other animals assumed the role of labor work. An interesting character among many other distinctives, was "Boxer", a horse, who always maintained the motto of "I'll work harder". Another interesting character was his friend "Benjamin", a cynical donkey who was heedless as to the political matters taking place, or to any matters at all. He would show no interest. But as the story proceeds we find that he is an intelligent character. He could read as well as any other pig. But he does nothing, when the farm animals tread to being struck by naivety in a havoc crisis.
The farm was renamed as "Animal Farm", and the neighboring farms soon began to discern threat, lest the rebellious spirit might overwhelm their animals too. The neighboring farmers assumed that the Animal farm will soon be struck with disorder and barbarianism, because of no human charge. But the farm was taking its pace on its own, managing things themselves. They would plough the fields, sow the seeds, and harvest the crops; directed by Snowball. And do all other things too. They would held meetings to vote on the matters, have ceremonies, and sing their anthem "The Beasts of England" to remain spirited and zealous. And it was obliged to learn the seven commandments by heart. But since, most animals couldn't learn it; it was reduced to a single phrase for convenience of learning, and i-e "Four legs good, Two legs bad". Haha, sheep loved the maxim too much, that they would keep braying it every now and then.
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| hahaha, and often during snowball debates' in meetings :P |
Then one day, Snowball came forward with the idea of building a windmill, which will reduce the labor to huge degrees. They will then have to work just three days a week, because windmill will introduce electricity in the farm; thus increasing the capacity to employ machinery to use and reducing labor force.
But there was a little twist in the story! Snowball's leadership was overthrown by the aggressive Napoleon and had made him run away from farm. From then on, he was never seen again. All animals were shocked at this sudden dismissal of Snowball, who even was a leading role when Jones came back to regain his farm. Snowball and the animals put Jones and men of his league, to be again chased out of the farm. Coming back to point, the animals shock and stir was dismissed by Napoleon's growling dogs (whom he reared in secrecy). From thence on, his rule began.
He brought about certain variations in the farm. The meetings were replaced by conferences led by only pigs to decide on the matters. Pigs were sort of becoming a privileged class. A totalitarian could be observed in the scenario, as the story proceeds. Obedience must be obliged, or else Napoleon certainly has a way to straighten matters with his ferocious dogs or Squealer, a pig who is Napoleon's minister of propaganda. Silence prevails among animals at moments of uproar, by the service of his dogs, or by the convincing Squealer who would dwell upon the remark: "Do you want Jones to return?" Of course everyone was certain on that query. Of course, they do not want him back. A certainty thus resorted leaves all inner conflicts doomed.
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| Napoleon's picture |
Napoleon's picture was painted on the wall of the barn in his honor.
The windmill project was rejected, but reintroduced with attribution to Napoleon as the original initiator of the idea; and Snowball being the one who stole his idea. The work began. But one night, half-done windmill was struck by storm and destroyed. Napoleon, a clever pig, ascribed it to the doing of Snowball; and the naive animals believed it to be so.
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| Boxer, working for windmill |
Ah! here my favorite character, Boxer; who assumes that hard work is a key for every solution.
Thus his motto, now a little modified, "I will work harder. Napoleon is always right". Well, i guess he is a loyal and faithful type. Go! Go! Boxer!
But what clever plot! Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer — except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs. The food, and crop were reserved and set aside for the pigs; for they n their brains were to be a cherished treasure to keep Jones away. Well, that is how Squealer convinces the animals. Always! And of course they do not want Jones back. Always!
Windmill, after struck by Snowball's revenge, as is conceived so; was reconstructed as a sign to prove to Snowball that he didn't succeed in his mission, and never will. Through the summers and winters, hunger and pain; they would work hard to reconstruct it, with also due labor done on regular basis to plough and harvest. They now encounter hunger pangs more frequently; and do more hard labor than in Jone's time, but they asserted we are doing this for ourselves and not for ruling human class. This put a period to any doubts that may rise! Ah! and the cynical donkey, Benjamin, whenever asked of his opinion on the current affair would utter his same skeptical opinion (as illustrated below):
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| Windmill or no windmill, life will go on as it always had; and that is--badly! |
But unfortunate they were, there windmill was again blown away, but this time by human attack. Animals outraged at the spectacle of having their hard work of years blown away in a second, chased the humans like hysterical beasts....some shot down dead, some injured, but they chased them away! Boxer was injured in the leg, many animals shot dead. And the one alive were struck by the heavy grieve of lost companions.
Another spectacle of numerous deaths was observed at the farm when it was declared that many inhabitants of Animal Farm were in league with Snowball. Many came forward and confessed, and were executed immediately. The animals left, wondered that whether they should grieve at the companions lost, or should they grieve that their own companions deceived them!
Independent of all grieves it was commanded that, yet again the windmill construction will be started; to prove the humans that they are not defeated by any means! And the labor started...
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| Pigs Domination |
Pigs empowered by power, held the domination; while the other animals do all the labor. Observing luxuries in their lives--the totalitarian was revealing itself to the scene. They would even amend the commandments to restore their acts to be observed in obliging manner, and nothing discrepancy at notice should be thus!
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| Amending the commandments |
They were holding on to luxuries, yet others were starving to death.. !!
Ah! and Boxer was nearing his retirement. One day he collapsed during work and was sent off to the veterinary doctor by Napoleon. Well, that was what he said. But Benjamin read the label on the van, and realized he was being sent to the knackers. He and other animals tried to get Boxer back, but in vain. Squealer later dismissed the doubt by tricking them into believing that the veterinary doctor bought the car from a knacker, and the van is yet to be painted.
Yet another day, a new shock was bare. The pigs were found walking on two legs, and in men's clothings. Shock! Shock! Shock! ....Utterly!, humanly! Amended, thus another principle.....,
Another notion should be at notice, dears! The final and last amendment;....all commandments were reduced to this one phrase: "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". Ah! depicts a nature universal, the nature of exploitation!
And all the while in the story, we observe that Napoleon is soon going to develop terms with one of the neighboring farms; and he does! He maintained some trade with Foxwood and Pinchfield via Whymper, a man hired by Napoleon as a liaison between Animal farm and human society. Yet there was a rift between animal farm and human society, posing a threat to one another every now and then. It was even, once decided that the spirit of rebellion should be propagated to other farms too, to free all animals of human jurisdiction and their rule. Birds were sent far off the fence for this purpose, and some stratagems were employed! But we see a quite different scenario, as the story approaches its end. Dozens of men, and dozens pigs all dining on the same table. Having a chit-chat and playing cards! We observe them as equals. Clinking their glasses of beers, and cheering for the new air of reconciliation between the humans and the animals. Men admired their administration, and their clever plotting of keeping lower animals subservient. Ah! and confessed that they have lower animals and we have classes to subdue...All the same, all alike!! We are, the governing bodies in the same league.
The animals outside stirred by scent of meal prepared in the farm house, peeped through the window to get a glimpse of what might have been going on. And what they found,...they found their doom!
And the novel ends with this remarkable closing line:
