“All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others”. Animal Farm is a genius satire that never grows old: the oppression that motivates to look for freedom and equality turns then into a corrupted power that manipulates and exploits the weak ones.
There is widespread discontent among the animals in the farms of England: they know they are forced into draining work for the profits of men, the enemies. The hens cannot see the chicks from the eggs they lay; the cows have to constantly produce gallons of milk not for their own calves but for the enemies; the horses feel constant pain in their shoes for the hard work; the mares are immediately separated from their foals. One day, the animals of Manor Farm wake up and rebel against their own farmer, Mr Jones, and his employees. After the battle, they finally are free and decide to live and continue working at the farm for their own sake. But they don’t want to forget that they have learnt the lesson: never trust the men, who serve the interests of no other creatures but themselves. They rename the farm Animal Farm, institute seven commandments that summarize the principles of Animalism and proclaim equality among all animals. By being the most intelligent animals, the pigs are naturally and unanimously given the reins of the farm to assure its survival. Very soon, the same situation of tyranny and abuse of power starts slowly to grow in Animal Farm. In the end, it is no longer possible to tell pigs and men apart.
Animal Farm is a nice short story that is very easy to read but, at the same time, full of meaning. George Orwell, pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair, wrote this book in 1945 as a satirical allegorical novel to criticize the Russian Revolution of 1917 and Stalin. I particularly enjoyed the style and the way Orwell played with the words: on the one hand, he used a very straightforward style; on the other hand, he showed how easy words can be used to deceive and confuse. My historical knowledge of the Russian revolution is limited but I could still enjoy this book and I think its insights can be applied to any situation of abuse of power.