Animal Farm is an allegorical: the story of the farm is alike Ussr’s story. In this book, the author adopts the third person to tell the story but the point of view is not objective: he criticizes the totalitarian regime of Stalin.
In fact, we find in this book all aspects of a dictatorship: the cult of personality, propaganda, indoctrination, and the demonization of the enemy...
The events and characters in Animal Farm are inspired by the Soviet Union history.
One evening, animal’s farm are called in the barn by the Old Major, the oldest pig on the farm. He describes them his dream of a world without the human race, leaving them many benefits that animals benefit (work with dignity, no longer be slaves, live longer...). He encourages all animals to revolt against the farmer, Mr. Jones, the source of all their problems while singing a hymn out of his revolutionary dream called « Beasts of England ». Three days later the Old Sage dies in his sleep...
The revolution takes place earlier and more easily than expected. They attack Mr. Jones and his farm workers and drive them out of the farm. The « Manor Farm » is renamed « Animal Farm ». The new leaders are quickly identified with their superior intelligence (they learn to read, write, etc...): pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, both supported by Squealer who has a gift for the speech art (propaganda). They introduce a new system: The Animalism and create 7 Commandments:
• Any two legs is an enemy.
• All four legs or has wings is a friend.
• No animal shall wear clothes.
• No animal shall sleep in a bed.
• No animal shall drink alcohol.
• No animal shall kill any other animal.
• All animals are equal.
The two leading pigs quarrel and Napoleon drives his rival off the farm by force (with nine dogs, that he had indoctrinated when they were youngest). Napoleon assumes his power by fear and terror. He attributes honors to himself and pretends to be the benefactor (propaganda). A dictatorship is gradually established: The 7 Commandments are changed, corrupted and perverted to the advantage of the pigs and the revolutionary song is forbidden: there is no more freedom.
They become gradually what they hated: Human. In fact, the pigs begin to dress, walk on two legs ... And finally, they play cards with farmers: they were like them; there is no more difference between them.
The book:
The book we want to talk about is Animal Farm.
The author:
The author of this book is George Orwell.
Eric Arthur Blair (his real name) is better known by his pen name George Orwell.He was bornon 25 June 1903 and died on 21 January 1950. He was a famous English novelist and journalist. His work is marked by clarity, intelligence and wit. Orwell believed in democratic socialism and criticized social injustice and totalitarianism.
He was considered one of the best chronicler of English Culture because he wrote polemical journalism but also poetry, fiction and literary criticism.
We can mention, among his many Works, for example: Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) and 1984.
