Animal Farm

Animal Farm

by George Orwell

101 pages

Fiction

 
This week, I reread a classic novel: Animal Farm. I've been reading lots of nonfiction lately and I was overdue for some fiction! I selected Animal Farm for two main reasons:
 
     1.      It was short. Seriously. 

     

      Do not underestimate the value of short quality literature to reinvigorate reading. Lately, I’ve been reading several books and not finishing anything. Short books give the reader an easy win and an instant sense of accomplishment which kickstarts more reading. At least, it does with me. Short books are also incredibly useful when you are in a busy season, but want to feel like you are still accomplishing reading goals. Hooray for short books!

 
     2.      We live in weird times.

      I sometimes feel like I'm living in a weird mix of Animal Farm and The Emperor Has No Clothes. Rereading these works has the effect of inoculating me from the craziness around me, so that I can see and perceive reality as it is… at least somewhat.

 
So, back to Animal Farm. Published in 1945, this allegorical short story satirizes the development of soviet communism with a group of animals who successfully revolt against their human masters only to be enslaved by the ruling pigs.

      I appreciated the short chapters and easy language. It was an easy and compelling read. And, I greatly respected that it made a sharp political point without being crass or vulgar. It was a simple tale that didn't pull punches.

      I briefly considered reading it to my young children. After all, it was a tale about animals, albeit with political undertones. But I quickly reexamined that possibility as animals openly kill each other and other quietly devastating things occur. I would save this book until middle school or high school.

      What can I say about Animal Farm that hasn’t already been said? It reminded me so much of things we see in politics today. Amateur leadership errors and ‘learning on the job’ masking true hidden agendas. Social manipulation through repeated virtue signaling. Manipulating history, laws and language to justify actions.

I was frustrated as the animals go from bad to worse, like a lobster in the pot, without putting up any significant fight. It didn’t help that sheep repeatedly drown out the possibility of protest or debate by chanting slogans. Sadly, true to life. It frustrates me that the modern culture allows itself to be browbeaten into submission to things that fly in the face of basic common sense. How are we so complacent and accepting? It is maddening.

It was confusing when animals voluntarily stepped forward and confessed to false crimes while seeing others being slaughtered for confessing in chapter 7. I understand this is a reference to real-life events in soviet Russia, but it didn’t make sense to me within the context of a stand-alone novel. Why would this happen? Would a modern day equivalent be people voluntarily confessing to imaginary social crimes in a plea to stay ahead of the cancellation culture? This classic book provokes modern day pondering.

Interestingly, the author was devoted to democratic socialism and wrote this book to oppose only soviet socialism. But this book stands as an unintended scathing criticism of all socialism. It felt devious to read in the modern culture… and frustratingly applicable. 

      When will we learn our lesson about would-be liberators who use idealistic totalitarianism? When will we realize the true nature of political uplift and special interests? What will we pay for our political ignorance and non-resistance?

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL

BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

RECOMMENDED FOR: Readers who could benefit from a high quality and short book! Readers interested in politics, political systems and/or soviet history.