Animal Farm is a dystopian science fiction novella that draws inspiration from the Russian Revolution. The author George Orwell depicts a world in which the animals on the farm overthrow the farmers. The pigs are the leaders of the “coup” in which they create the Seven Commandments of Animalism, the most crucial being “all animals are equal”.
Life without the humans starts off well, but as the story continues it shows the descent of the original beliefs. The animals build a windmill to create their income and fund the farm. By the end of the story, the pigs are drinking amongst other human farmers. I found this concept very interesting. The idea is that in an attempt to create a better situation, the pigs became just like the people they despised. As even their motto got changed to “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”.
Orwell perfectly illustrates how as the oldest members of the original coup die, the younger ones begin to abuse their power. The symbolism of animals on a farm representing people in a society is truly brilliant. I read this for the first time in 7th grade. This classic is a 10/10 and I highly recommend it.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is available to check out from the Mission Viejo Library. It is also available to download for free from Libby.
Mission Viejo Library Teen Voice 