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“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”
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It is extraordinary how current this book is for the modern day Russian situation and not only.
It left a powerful impression on me even if I knew all about the plot and message before starting the book. I thought (and I was right) that I should do some research before reading this book regarding the Russian Revolution, Stalin, Strosky in order to understand the historical context in which the book was written.
I believe this book should be read by everybody as it is perfect allegory about the dangers of power, how socialist ideals are so easily corrupted and how dictators can transform into capitalists (I can think of some current examples). The most heartbreaking characters, the Horse Boxter represent the uneducated masses that are so easily fooled to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the leaders. That reminds me of all the brainwash that is done in the communist countries and not only.
It left a powerful impression on me even if I knew all about the plot and message before starting the book. I thought (and I was right) that I should do some research before reading this book regarding the Russian Revolution, Stalin, Strosky in order to understand the historical context in which the book was written.
I believe this book should be read by everybody as it is perfect allegory about the dangers of power, how socialist ideals are so easily corrupted and how dictators can transform into capitalists (I can think of some current examples). The most heartbreaking characters, the Horse Boxter represent the uneducated masses that are so easily fooled to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the leaders. That reminds me of all the brainwash that is done in the communist countries and not only.
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George Orwell's Animal Farm is undeniably one of the best short novels ever written in the English language. It is a deceptively simple tale, which even older children could read. About an animal uprising, it is written in the style of a fable, and yet it can be read on so many levels. It is clearly both a satire and an allegory, a dystopian tale, and its author George Orwell made no secret of what regime, and which politicians, he was so mercilessly parodying. Yet as with all great novels, it speaks to us today and holds many timeless truths. It is the sort of novel where a reader will find new depths in each rereading.
The inspiration for the novel came from a real-life episode. Orwell had just left the BBC, in 1943, and was uneasy about some propaganda he could see distributed by the then "Ministry of Information". He says,
"I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge carthorse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat."
George Orwell wrote Animal Farm between November 1943 and February 1944, but the novel was not published straightaway, because of the USSR's status as an ally in the Second World War. George Orwell was a socialist writer, so the fact that he chose to do such a savage critique of the Soviet Union may come as a bit of a surprise to a present-day reader. One might have expected him to choose the far right, rather than the far left. But he personally felt that the Soviet Union (now Russia) of that time had itself become a brutal dictatorship, and that its original ideals had become perverted.
Animal Farm was subsequently published in England in 1945, just after the war, and ironically it quickly became a great commercial success when it did finally appear, partly because the Cold War so quickly followed the Second World War. However the book was immediately banned in the USSR and other communist countries. To this day it is still banned or censored in some places; the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, North Korea - and China, until almost the beginning of the 21st century.
In his story George Orwell chronicles the rising to power of Joseph Stalin, who is depicted by the pig "Napoleon" in the novel. The story parallels his emergence as a natural leader, and gradually follows his rise to power as a dictator. Near the beginning of the novel, the farm animals overthrow their oppressor, the farmer "Mr Jones". This is a direct analogy to the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917, when the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who had abdicated in February, was executed by the Bolsheviks along with the rest of his family, in July 1918. Interestingly, Orwell said the drunken farmer Jones, who neglects his animals, was based on the real life Tsar Nicholas II.
But their democratic coalition of animals, all with a vision of independence, comfort and freedom from constraints, is gradually broken down. There is straightaway a consolidation of power among the pigs, who do no work because they are the "brainworkers" with what is tacitly agreed as superior intelligence. Just as the Soviet intelligentsia did, the pigs establish themselves as the ruling class in the new "free" society. In Animal Farm they then immediately begin to manipulate and control the new state for their own benefit.
At the start of the novel, "Major" a middle white boar, has a dream, which he relates to all the animals, in a lengthy impassioned speech. It is a dream of the future, and of freedom for all creatures. It captures their imaginations, and inspires their actions from then on. Major is based on a combination of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Just as Lenin's embalmed body was put on display for the people, Major's skull is initially mounted as an emblem for the animals to revere, although by the end this is removed, and the animals are expected to worship Napoleon. Major's principles provide the foundation for the code of the revolution and the philosophy of "Animalism".
The other main character at the start of the novel is the pig, "Snowball" who is based on Leon Trotsky. Just as in the Soviet Union, these two characters vie for power, with "Napoleon" using subterfuge and manipulation to his own ends. He arranges false confessions, show trials and executions to enforce his power, frequently changing history as the story unfolds. "Squealer" is a pig who works on behalf of Napoleon, employing various devious means to misrepresent and confuse the animals. He is apparently based on Molotov. Squealer speechifies, using elaborate philosophical ideas which the animals cannot really follow, often using the Socratic dialogue to get the answer he desires. And this is always used to justify the pigs' greedy and unprincipled behaviour; anything which is self-serving and goes against the original ideas of fairness. George Orwell is keen to show the corruption of "Animalist" ideals by those in power, not that the ideals themselves were wrongly held. In 1947, George Orwell wrote,
"For the past ten years I have been convinced that the destruction of the Soviet myth was essential if we wanted a revival of the socialist movement ... I thought of exposing the Soviet myth in a story that could be easily understood by almost anyone and which could be easily translated into other languages."
For instance, Squealer works on the animals so that they accept a slogan which is almost the direct opposite of its original, "Four legs good, two legs bad" becomes "Four legs good, two legs better" overnight, as bleated by the impressionable, keen to follow, sheep. The reason for this is clear from the story. And "Snowball" (based on Trotsky) is thus expelled from the revolutionary state by a malicious comrade eager to dominate, using any violent means available to achieve his ends. Nobody knows who they can trust any more.
The irony is at its highest in the depiction of corruption; the tyranny and hypocrisy of the pigs as led by Napoleon. The food rations get increasingly smaller, yet it is "proved" to them that they are all much better off than they were formerly under Farmer Jones. The animals' ideology of liberation and equality gradually disintegrates. The rules change secretly, slowly and silently, so nobody is sure what is really the truth any longer. History is rewritten; memories become unreliable; the brainwashing is slow and subtle. The animals can read, but there is little documentation, except for seven commandments, painted on the barn wall,
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
Yet over time, each of these is amended, to the advantage of the pigs, until in the end there are no words showing at all, and the final famously nonsensical maxim is spouted without question,
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
The rousing song "Beasts of England", which all the animal took as their National Anthem at the beginning of the story, is banned. The symbol depicting the horn and hoof, on their green flag, which indicated their Animalism philosophy and power, is obliterated. (This was similar in real life to the hammer and sickle on the Soviet flag.) The novel is a dual critique against the Stalinist regime of violence, but also against the imposed rhetoric, against the language employed, logic and ideals.
Another character indicated by George Orwell is his depiction of Adolf Hitler, as one of the farmers, "Mr Frederick", who wants to take over the renamed "Animal Farm". But there are many minor characters whom we all recognise in our own lives. Take the cat, who votes for both sides at the same time. Who has never come across a "two-faced" person? Or the pony "Mollie", the stereotypically vain and lazy original Essex girl, with her penchant for wearing ribbons in her hair and looking at herself in a mirror, regardless of any greater good which may come about by a little hard work. The story of the carthorse "Boxer" will break your heart. His courage, his steadfastness; with his personal motto, "I will work harder!" he is the archetypal salt of the earth. But he is naïve and gullible, and the reader fears that he will be taken advantage of to a devastating conclusion. You will cry, internally at least, but you will also laugh with this book. Here is an extract from the pompous poet pig, Minimus's, eulogy about Napoleon.
"Friend of the fatherless!
Fountain of happiness!
Lord of the swill-bucket!"
The conclusion of the book is predictable, but perhaps not in quite the simple way the reader expects. Yes, the oppressees become the oppressors, but in a fiendishly clever denouement.
All the political manipulations of the novel are recognisable today. Wherever you live, you will not have to look very close from home to find such a regime. And also, the brilliance of this novel is that those characteristics of scheming, dishonesty, cynicism, and underhanded ways of achieving a particular end, are not confined to politics. Who has never watched a skilled manipulator diverting attention from one major problem by concentrating on a minor one? It may have been in politics - or it may have been in a committee meeting - or even, dare it be said, around your own dinner table. Large or small scale, these observations by George Orwell are, sadly, truths about the human condition and human behaviour. They are timeless, and present in any institution, cooperation, business, family - in fact any group of people. One critic has even suggested that Orwell has put himself in the novels as Benjamin, the donkey, a wise old creature who is the only one who pessimistically repeats, "Life will go on as it has always gone on - that is, badly."
Have you actually read Animal Farm? No? Then please do. You read it years ago? Then try reading it again. It is an outstanding novel, with the hallmarks of a true classic; it is both entertaining and profound.
The inspiration for the novel came from a real-life episode. Orwell had just left the BBC, in 1943, and was uneasy about some propaganda he could see distributed by the then "Ministry of Information". He says,
"I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge carthorse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat."
George Orwell wrote Animal Farm between November 1943 and February 1944, but the novel was not published straightaway, because of the USSR's status as an ally in the Second World War. George Orwell was a socialist writer, so the fact that he chose to do such a savage critique of the Soviet Union may come as a bit of a surprise to a present-day reader. One might have expected him to choose the far right, rather than the far left. But he personally felt that the Soviet Union (now Russia) of that time had itself become a brutal dictatorship, and that its original ideals had become perverted.
Animal Farm was subsequently published in England in 1945, just after the war, and ironically it quickly became a great commercial success when it did finally appear, partly because the Cold War so quickly followed the Second World War. However the book was immediately banned in the USSR and other communist countries. To this day it is still banned or censored in some places; the United Arab Emirates, Cuba, North Korea - and China, until almost the beginning of the 21st century.
In his story George Orwell chronicles the rising to power of Joseph Stalin, who is depicted by the pig "Napoleon" in the novel. The story parallels his emergence as a natural leader, and gradually follows his rise to power as a dictator. Near the beginning of the novel, the farm animals overthrow their oppressor, the farmer "Mr Jones". This is a direct analogy to the Bolshevik Revolution of October 1917, when the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who had abdicated in February, was executed by the Bolsheviks along with the rest of his family, in July 1918. Interestingly, Orwell said the drunken farmer Jones, who neglects his animals, was based on the real life Tsar Nicholas II.
But their democratic coalition of animals, all with a vision of independence, comfort and freedom from constraints, is gradually broken down. There is straightaway a consolidation of power among the pigs, who do no work because they are the "brainworkers" with what is tacitly agreed as superior intelligence. Just as the Soviet intelligentsia did, the pigs establish themselves as the ruling class in the new "free" society. In Animal Farm they then immediately begin to manipulate and control the new state for their own benefit.
At the start of the novel, "Major" a middle white boar, has a dream, which he relates to all the animals, in a lengthy impassioned speech. It is a dream of the future, and of freedom for all creatures. It captures their imaginations, and inspires their actions from then on. Major is based on a combination of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Just as Lenin's embalmed body was put on display for the people, Major's skull is initially mounted as an emblem for the animals to revere, although by the end this is removed, and the animals are expected to worship Napoleon. Major's principles provide the foundation for the code of the revolution and the philosophy of "Animalism".
The other main character at the start of the novel is the pig, "Snowball" who is based on Leon Trotsky. Just as in the Soviet Union, these two characters vie for power, with "Napoleon" using subterfuge and manipulation to his own ends. He arranges false confessions, show trials and executions to enforce his power, frequently changing history as the story unfolds. "Squealer" is a pig who works on behalf of Napoleon, employing various devious means to misrepresent and confuse the animals. He is apparently based on Molotov. Squealer speechifies, using elaborate philosophical ideas which the animals cannot really follow, often using the Socratic dialogue to get the answer he desires. And this is always used to justify the pigs' greedy and unprincipled behaviour; anything which is self-serving and goes against the original ideas of fairness. George Orwell is keen to show the corruption of "Animalist" ideals by those in power, not that the ideals themselves were wrongly held. In 1947, George Orwell wrote,
"For the past ten years I have been convinced that the destruction of the Soviet myth was essential if we wanted a revival of the socialist movement ... I thought of exposing the Soviet myth in a story that could be easily understood by almost anyone and which could be easily translated into other languages."
For instance, Squealer works on the animals so that they accept a slogan which is almost the direct opposite of its original, "Four legs good, two legs bad" becomes "Four legs good, two legs better" overnight, as bleated by the impressionable, keen to follow, sheep. The reason for this is clear from the story. And "Snowball" (based on Trotsky) is thus expelled from the revolutionary state by a malicious comrade eager to dominate, using any violent means available to achieve his ends. Nobody knows who they can trust any more.
The irony is at its highest in the depiction of corruption; the tyranny and hypocrisy of the pigs as led by Napoleon. The food rations get increasingly smaller, yet it is "proved" to them that they are all much better off than they were formerly under Farmer Jones. The animals' ideology of liberation and equality gradually disintegrates. The rules change secretly, slowly and silently, so nobody is sure what is really the truth any longer. History is rewritten; memories become unreliable; the brainwashing is slow and subtle. The animals can read, but there is little documentation, except for seven commandments, painted on the barn wall,
1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
3. No animal shall wear clothes.
4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.
5. No animal shall drink alcohol.
6. No animal shall kill any other animal.
7. All animals are equal.
Yet over time, each of these is amended, to the advantage of the pigs, until in the end there are no words showing at all, and the final famously nonsensical maxim is spouted without question,
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
The rousing song "Beasts of England", which all the animal took as their National Anthem at the beginning of the story, is banned. The symbol depicting the horn and hoof, on their green flag, which indicated their Animalism philosophy and power, is obliterated. (This was similar in real life to the hammer and sickle on the Soviet flag.) The novel is a dual critique against the Stalinist regime of violence, but also against the imposed rhetoric, against the language employed, logic and ideals.
Another character indicated by George Orwell is his depiction of Adolf Hitler, as one of the farmers, "Mr Frederick", who wants to take over the renamed "Animal Farm". But there are many minor characters whom we all recognise in our own lives. Take the cat, who votes for both sides at the same time. Who has never come across a "two-faced" person? Or the pony "Mollie", the stereotypically vain and lazy original Essex girl, with her penchant for wearing ribbons in her hair and looking at herself in a mirror, regardless of any greater good which may come about by a little hard work. The story of the carthorse "Boxer" will break your heart. His courage, his steadfastness; with his personal motto, "I will work harder!" he is the archetypal salt of the earth. But he is naïve and gullible, and the reader fears that he will be taken advantage of to a devastating conclusion. You will cry, internally at least, but you will also laugh with this book. Here is an extract from the pompous poet pig, Minimus's, eulogy about Napoleon.
"Friend of the fatherless!
Fountain of happiness!
Lord of the swill-bucket!"
The conclusion of the book is predictable, but perhaps not in quite the simple way the reader expects. Yes, the oppressees become the oppressors, but in a fiendishly clever denouement.
All the political manipulations of the novel are recognisable today. Wherever you live, you will not have to look very close from home to find such a regime. And also, the brilliance of this novel is that those characteristics of scheming, dishonesty, cynicism, and underhanded ways of achieving a particular end, are not confined to politics. Who has never watched a skilled manipulator diverting attention from one major problem by concentrating on a minor one? It may have been in politics - or it may have been in a committee meeting - or even, dare it be said, around your own dinner table. Large or small scale, these observations by George Orwell are, sadly, truths about the human condition and human behaviour. They are timeless, and present in any institution, cooperation, business, family - in fact any group of people. One critic has even suggested that Orwell has put himself in the novels as Benjamin, the donkey, a wise old creature who is the only one who pessimistically repeats, "Life will go on as it has always gone on - that is, badly."
Have you actually read Animal Farm? No? Then please do. You read it years ago? Then try reading it again. It is an outstanding novel, with the hallmarks of a true classic; it is both entertaining and profound.
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This is a book I've been meaning to read for ages but never got around to - last week I not only read it but gave a lesson on the historical context for the grade 8 class, who will be reading this book and The Wave. As I found, out of the class of 24, about 20 of them had already read the book, and at least one kid knew it was an allegory of the Russian Revolution. Still, my lesson wasn't totally redundant :)
For anyone who isn't familiar with the story, Animal Farm is about the animals on a farm in England rising up against the incompetent, cruel farmer (Mr Jones, who represents the deposed Tsar, Nicholas II) and taking over the farm, renaming it Animal Farm (USSR) and - so the glorious vision intended - running it for themselves, so their lives would be better.
The vision is given to them by a pig, Old Major, who dies not long afterwards. Old Major probably represents Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and it's not the socialist ideal put forward that is critiqued by this book but how that vision is corrupted by certain other characters, namely another pig called Napoleon, who represents Joseph Stalin. Napoleon chases a pig called Snowball (Leon Trotsky) off the farm with his personally trained dogs (while still just the General Secretary of the Party, Stalin recruited people who would follow him blindly, so that when Lenin died in 1924 he was able to defeat Trotsky for the leadership position and his "dogs" kept everyone else in line).
The pigs then take charge, and with their literacy skills keep changing the rules the animals established in order to suit themselves, using a pig called Squealer to convince the other animals that their memories are faulty. After all, as the drafthorse Boxer keeps saying, "Comrade Napoleon is always right".
Boxer is - for me - the most heartbreaking character in the novel. He represents the peasants, and is the most hardworking animal on the farm. He has utter faith in the leadership of Napoleon and works himself to the bone - literally. His reward is very telling, though I don't want to give it away. Most of the characters represent either a person, several people or groups of people, and for the complete list you can check it out on Wikipedia.
Orwell, while a socialist, was very cynical about Stalin's communist USSR - and for good reason! Animal Farm is a very well-written critique of how socialist ideals are corrupted by powerful people, how the uneducated masses are taken advantage of, and how the dictator or communist leaders turn into capitalists (just look at China). It's a wonderful example of how effective the allegorical style/format can be, and a well-deserved classic.
For anyone who isn't familiar with the story, Animal Farm is about the animals on a farm in England rising up against the incompetent, cruel farmer (Mr Jones, who represents the deposed Tsar, Nicholas II) and taking over the farm, renaming it Animal Farm (USSR) and - so the glorious vision intended - running it for themselves, so their lives would be better.
The vision is given to them by a pig, Old Major, who dies not long afterwards. Old Major probably represents Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx, and it's not the socialist ideal put forward that is critiqued by this book but how that vision is corrupted by certain other characters, namely another pig called Napoleon, who represents Joseph Stalin. Napoleon chases a pig called Snowball (Leon Trotsky) off the farm with his personally trained dogs (while still just the General Secretary of the Party, Stalin recruited people who would follow him blindly, so that when Lenin died in 1924 he was able to defeat Trotsky for the leadership position and his "dogs" kept everyone else in line).
The pigs then take charge, and with their literacy skills keep changing the rules the animals established in order to suit themselves, using a pig called Squealer to convince the other animals that their memories are faulty. After all, as the drafthorse Boxer keeps saying, "Comrade Napoleon is always right".
Boxer is - for me - the most heartbreaking character in the novel. He represents the peasants, and is the most hardworking animal on the farm. He has utter faith in the leadership of Napoleon and works himself to the bone - literally. His reward is very telling, though I don't want to give it away. Most of the characters represent either a person, several people or groups of people, and for the complete list you can check it out on Wikipedia.
Orwell, while a socialist, was very cynical about Stalin's communist USSR - and for good reason! Animal Farm is a very well-written critique of how socialist ideals are corrupted by powerful people, how the uneducated masses are taken advantage of, and how the dictator or communist leaders turn into capitalists (just look at China). It's a wonderful example of how effective the allegorical style/format can be, and a well-deserved classic.
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This book is featured on Shabby Sunday @ https://readrantrockandroll.com/2018/...
I read Animal Farm when I was in college and it was one of those reads where you think it’s going to be boring, but it turns out to be a favorite. It’s an allegorical tale representing the Russian Revolution where the characters in the book represent people during this time.
I won’t go into the plot too much, but in a nutshell, this story is about a group of farm animals who rise up against the evil farmer who cares for them. They basically take over the farm by cause of Old Major (Marx/Lenen), the pig all about change. He get’s all the animals together into an uprising against Mr. Jones, the farmer (Tsar Nicholas II). The animal characters then run the farm themselves and develop their own hierarchy being lead by Snowball (Trotsky) and Napoleon (Stalin). In a way, the story reminds me of an Aesop’s Fable because the animal characters in the book have human characteristics and there are morals and messages that are quite obvious. Young readers can read it and they won’t pick up on the meaning–they’ll just think it’s a story about a group of rebellious farm animals against humans, but I believe the message that Orwell wanted to express is that power corrupts. Also that people need to think for themselves, educate yourself and make your own decisions. Don’t let others think for you.
Someone recently asked me who my favorite character was in the book which is a really difficult question to ask, in my opinion. I liked a handful of the characters including Boxer, Snowball, Benjamin, and Clover, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would have to be Snowball. Snowball’s ideas were in the best interests of the animals and he was always fair. He wanted to educate the other animals and make life easier for them. He was intelligent, brave, and stood up for his beliefs which is why he’s my favorite character in the book.
I’m not sure exactly how old my edition of Animal Farm is because no publication date is given, however, Goodreads seems to have this Signet Classic published in 1956. This thin paperback is in great shape for it’s age with clean, crisp pages.
My rating on this one is 5*****
I read Animal Farm when I was in college and it was one of those reads where you think it’s going to be boring, but it turns out to be a favorite. It’s an allegorical tale representing the Russian Revolution where the characters in the book represent people during this time.
I won’t go into the plot too much, but in a nutshell, this story is about a group of farm animals who rise up against the evil farmer who cares for them. They basically take over the farm by cause of Old Major (Marx/Lenen), the pig all about change. He get’s all the animals together into an uprising against Mr. Jones, the farmer (Tsar Nicholas II). The animal characters then run the farm themselves and develop their own hierarchy being lead by Snowball (Trotsky) and Napoleon (Stalin). In a way, the story reminds me of an Aesop’s Fable because the animal characters in the book have human characteristics and there are morals and messages that are quite obvious. Young readers can read it and they won’t pick up on the meaning–they’ll just think it’s a story about a group of rebellious farm animals against humans, but I believe the message that Orwell wanted to express is that power corrupts. Also that people need to think for themselves, educate yourself and make your own decisions. Don’t let others think for you.
Someone recently asked me who my favorite character was in the book which is a really difficult question to ask, in my opinion. I liked a handful of the characters including Boxer, Snowball, Benjamin, and Clover, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would have to be Snowball. Snowball’s ideas were in the best interests of the animals and he was always fair. He wanted to educate the other animals and make life easier for them. He was intelligent, brave, and stood up for his beliefs which is why he’s my favorite character in the book.
I’m not sure exactly how old my edition of Animal Farm is because no publication date is given, however, Goodreads seems to have this Signet Classic published in 1956. This thin paperback is in great shape for it’s age with clean, crisp pages.
My rating on this one is 5*****
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Like many teenagers, I was diametrically opposed to the literary fiction foisted upon me by teachers I hated. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of books I read in high school that I actually enjoyed: this is one of them. I read a lot of what people consider "junk" on this website but I spent two years reading most of the classics. My go-to stance on the subject is that reading some books over others doesn't make you a smarter human being, but even if you don't like the classics, you should probably at least give the Cliff Notes a look-over just so you understand the literary references when they're mentioned in other books. ANIMAL FARM in particular is mentioned a lot in other books and the rise and fall of the Russian Revolution is such an important moment in global history that it's important to understand why it happened, and reading this book makes it so much easier to understand the timeline.
I've seen some people saying that they chose to read this book without taking into account the historical context but since this is both an allegory and a roman à clef, this is one of the few novels where it really isn't possible to separate it from its broader context. As a "talking animal" book, I will admit it is not the best (if that's what you want, I'd recommend RATS OF NIMH or WATERSHIP DOWN instead), although I do think the animals have pretty strong characters. I will never not cry at the final scene with Boxer and Benjamin. It's like chopping onions.
ANIMAL FARM is about a farm called "Manor Farm" that is lorded over by Mr. Jones (an allegory for Czar Nicholas II). After Old Major (Karl Marx) gives his vision for a future in which animals are free and work together to achieve common goals together without the yoke of tyranny, the animals find and take an opportunity to rebel and claim the farm as their own, renaming it "Animal Farm." (Hence the title.) At first, everyone is happy. The gambol and skip around the fields, burn the bridles and the whips, and rejoice in their brotherhood, their comradeship. These are the glory days when all seems possible.
The animals possess various degrees of intelligence, with the pigs and the dogs being among the smartest and the geese and the sheep and the chickens being the stupidest. Two pigs take charge, Snowball and Napoleon, who represent Trotsky and Stalin, respectively. When Snowball runs off, this is meant to represent Trotsky fleeing from Russia, but he was later assassinated in Mexico (with an ice-axe-- yikes!), which is never mentioned in the book. Likewise, Czar Nicholas was assassinated with a gunshot to the head, but Jones, his allegory, is only run off. Perhaps because the alternative was deemed too brutal. I suppose there are only so many gory murders one can stomach in a 100-page short story.
Squealer goes around telling the other animals warped versions of reality to reflect the pigs' constant edits to the original Animal Farm tenets to benefit themselves. He represents the U.S.S.R. propaganda, Pravda, and all of the other organs that disseminated propaganda at this time. Ironically, pravda means "truth" in Russian when the things that it was reporting often reflected anything but.
The farm animals represent various strata within the construction of the new Soviet society. Boxer and Clover, the draft horses, represent the proletariat, or the working class. Boxer's ultimate demise at the hands of the pigs represents how the working class suffered under the Czar and continued to suffer under the Communists, some dying in poverty believing their conditions would better. Mollie represents the White Russians of the former noble class who fled with their jewels after the fall of the Czar (which is why she takes off so early in the book). Benjamin represents the intellectuals. The dogs represented the KGB, or the secret police. The pigs represent the Communist party, in general. At one point, when the chickens revolt, they represent the farmers in Ukraine (called "kulaks"), which resulted in the holodomor. Stalin starved peasant farmers into a widespread famine with executions and impossibly high grain quotas. It is now considered an act of genocide by many governments. The execution of the chickens by Napoleon is combined with the death of the four dissenting pigs, who represent Bolsheviks who were killed by Stalin in what is called the Great Purge.
The two neighboring farmers, Pilkington and Frederick, represent the United Kingdom and the allies and Germany, respectively. Since much of the events in the book take place during WWII, "Germany" as it is portrayed here is probably meant to be an allegory for Hitler and his interactions with the Soviet government during WWII.
At the end of the book, when the animals see the pigs with the humans and cannot tell them apart, it is meant to show that they did not cast of the yoke of oppression after all, but merely traded one oppressor for another. It's one of the most chilling endings in literary fiction that I remember reading because it's so powerful, and honestly, the fact that Orwell does all of this in less than one hundred pages is truly amazing. For some reason, I remembered this being a longer story than it was, but my edition clocked in at just shy of one hundred pages. Despite this, it reads as being a complete story, regardless, and I definitely recommend it.
4 stars
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Like many teenagers, I was diametrically opposed to the literary fiction foisted upon me by teachers I hated. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of books I read in high school that I actually enjoyed: this is one of them. I read a lot of what people consider "junk" on this website but I spent two years reading most of the classics. My go-to stance on the subject is that reading some books over others doesn't make you a smarter human being, but even if you don't like the classics, you should probably at least give the Cliff Notes a look-over just so you understand the literary references when they're mentioned in other books. ANIMAL FARM in particular is mentioned a lot in other books and the rise and fall of the Russian Revolution is such an important moment in global history that it's important to understand why it happened, and reading this book makes it so much easier to understand the timeline.
I've seen some people saying that they chose to read this book without taking into account the historical context but since this is both an allegory and a roman à clef, this is one of the few novels where it really isn't possible to separate it from its broader context. As a "talking animal" book, I will admit it is not the best (if that's what you want, I'd recommend RATS OF NIMH or WATERSHIP DOWN instead), although I do think the animals have pretty strong characters. I will never not cry at the final scene with Boxer and Benjamin. It's like chopping onions.
ANIMAL FARM is about a farm called "Manor Farm" that is lorded over by Mr. Jones (an allegory for Czar Nicholas II). After Old Major (Karl Marx) gives his vision for a future in which animals are free and work together to achieve common goals together without the yoke of tyranny, the animals find and take an opportunity to rebel and claim the farm as their own, renaming it "Animal Farm." (Hence the title.) At first, everyone is happy. The gambol and skip around the fields, burn the bridles and the whips, and rejoice in their brotherhood, their comradeship. These are the glory days when all seems possible.
The animals possess various degrees of intelligence, with the pigs and the dogs being among the smartest and the geese and the sheep and the chickens being the stupidest. Two pigs take charge, Snowball and Napoleon, who represent Trotsky and Stalin, respectively. When Snowball runs off, this is meant to represent Trotsky fleeing from Russia, but he was later assassinated in Mexico (with an ice-axe-- yikes!), which is never mentioned in the book. Likewise, Czar Nicholas was assassinated with a gunshot to the head, but Jones, his allegory, is only run off. Perhaps because the alternative was deemed too brutal. I suppose there are only so many gory murders one can stomach in a 100-page short story.
Squealer goes around telling the other animals warped versions of reality to reflect the pigs' constant edits to the original Animal Farm tenets to benefit themselves. He represents the U.S.S.R. propaganda, Pravda, and all of the other organs that disseminated propaganda at this time. Ironically, pravda means "truth" in Russian when the things that it was reporting often reflected anything but.
The farm animals represent various strata within the construction of the new Soviet society. Boxer and Clover, the draft horses, represent the proletariat, or the working class. Boxer's ultimate demise at the hands of the pigs represents how the working class suffered under the Czar and continued to suffer under the Communists, some dying in poverty believing their conditions would better. Mollie represents the White Russians of the former noble class who fled with their jewels after the fall of the Czar (which is why she takes off so early in the book). Benjamin represents the intellectuals. The dogs represented the KGB, or the secret police. The pigs represent the Communist party, in general. At one point, when the chickens revolt, they represent the farmers in Ukraine (called "kulaks"), which resulted in the holodomor. Stalin starved peasant farmers into a widespread famine with executions and impossibly high grain quotas. It is now considered an act of genocide by many governments. The execution of the chickens by Napoleon is combined with the death of the four dissenting pigs, who represent Bolsheviks who were killed by Stalin in what is called the Great Purge.
The two neighboring farmers, Pilkington and Frederick, represent the United Kingdom and the allies and Germany, respectively. Since much of the events in the book take place during WWII, "Germany" as it is portrayed here is probably meant to be an allegory for Hitler and his interactions with the Soviet government during WWII.
At the end of the book, when the animals see the pigs with the humans and cannot tell them apart, it is meant to show that they did not cast of the yoke of oppression after all, but merely traded one oppressor for another. It's one of the most chilling endings in literary fiction that I remember reading because it's so powerful, and honestly, the fact that Orwell does all of this in less than one hundred pages is truly amazing. For some reason, I remembered this being a longer story than it was, but my edition clocked in at just shy of one hundred pages. Despite this, it reads as being a complete story, regardless, and I definitely recommend it.
4 stars
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I revisited Animal Farm recently and my opinions remain the same.
George Orwell leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. This is a blatant political statement. There’s no reading between the lines in order to ascertain the meaning, it’s all here on the page. After around page twenty it was very obvious how this book would end. History repeats itself and in this case it goes full circle. Nothing changes. And a wise old Donkey was the only one in the piece aware of this. We can presume he has seen it before, though, on a character level he was a bit of an ass not to tell anybody what was coming. See what I did there? I’m good. I know.
The problem I had with Animal Farm is that I could not engage with it. The characters aren’t really characters. The setting isn’t really a setting. And the plot isn’t really a plot. They are all mere devices, a means for Orwell to blurt out his political statement. The entire book is one big author filibuster, an entire situation and a group of characters created for the simple reason of showing Orwell’s opposition to communism and, more specifically, the Stalin regime. It’s cleverly written, and it is funny at times, but such direct authorial intention took something away from the reading experience. I couldn’t lose myself within the writing.
The pigs were used as an insult to mankind. Their leader Napoleon (aptly named?) slowly distances the pigs from the animals of the revolution. They begin to take on the traits of humans, and after a few chapters they have set themselves up as the thing they originally usurped. They become corrupt and driven by money and profit. They’re above their peers, ultimately, destroying their own aims. By doing this Orwell is calling humans pigs; he is calling post-revolutionaries pigs. For me reading this, this was more of an insult to pigs than humans. Pigs are lovely animals. (Nicer than humans?) The metaphor certainly relies much on the reader’s interpretation of what a pig is.
That’s me just being pedantic and silly, but I guess I just like pigs. And I feel like I’ve read Animal Farm before. I feel like I know this story, and that’s because it is the history of mankind; it is the history of revolution. So, needless to say, Orwell has captured a large sense of this on the page. When it has been read, it is definitely something that cannot be unread. The allegory is pertinent and, in a sense, an almost pessimistic truism, though the inner romantic in me finds such a defeatist attitude, well, defeating.
It’s undoubtedly very intelligent writing, but I just didn’t enjoy it. When I read literature, whether it be poetry, play or novel, I like imagining things; I like coming up with my own interpretation, meaning, or criticisms. With this, Orwell has said it all. I feel like I didn’t need to read it, a plot summary would have given me everything the writing did.
- This is the first book I read on my 2017 reading challenge, I hope I enjoy the others more!
George Orwell leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. This is a blatant political statement. There’s no reading between the lines in order to ascertain the meaning, it’s all here on the page. After around page twenty it was very obvious how this book would end. History repeats itself and in this case it goes full circle. Nothing changes. And a wise old Donkey was the only one in the piece aware of this. We can presume he has seen it before, though, on a character level he was a bit of an ass not to tell anybody what was coming. See what I did there? I’m good. I know.
The problem I had with Animal Farm is that I could not engage with it. The characters aren’t really characters. The setting isn’t really a setting. And the plot isn’t really a plot. They are all mere devices, a means for Orwell to blurt out his political statement. The entire book is one big author filibuster, an entire situation and a group of characters created for the simple reason of showing Orwell’s opposition to communism and, more specifically, the Stalin regime. It’s cleverly written, and it is funny at times, but such direct authorial intention took something away from the reading experience. I couldn’t lose myself within the writing.
The pigs were used as an insult to mankind. Their leader Napoleon (aptly named?) slowly distances the pigs from the animals of the revolution. They begin to take on the traits of humans, and after a few chapters they have set themselves up as the thing they originally usurped. They become corrupt and driven by money and profit. They’re above their peers, ultimately, destroying their own aims. By doing this Orwell is calling humans pigs; he is calling post-revolutionaries pigs. For me reading this, this was more of an insult to pigs than humans. Pigs are lovely animals. (Nicer than humans?) The metaphor certainly relies much on the reader’s interpretation of what a pig is.
That’s me just being pedantic and silly, but I guess I just like pigs. And I feel like I’ve read Animal Farm before. I feel like I know this story, and that’s because it is the history of mankind; it is the history of revolution. So, needless to say, Orwell has captured a large sense of this on the page. When it has been read, it is definitely something that cannot be unread. The allegory is pertinent and, in a sense, an almost pessimistic truism, though the inner romantic in me finds such a defeatist attitude, well, defeating.
It’s undoubtedly very intelligent writing, but I just didn’t enjoy it. When I read literature, whether it be poetry, play or novel, I like imagining things; I like coming up with my own interpretation, meaning, or criticisms. With this, Orwell has said it all. I feel like I didn’t need to read it, a plot summary would have given me everything the writing did.
- This is the first book I read on my 2017 reading challenge, I hope I enjoy the others more!
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A masterpiece !!! One of my all time favourite
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فى هذه الرواية حكايةً ساخرة ممتعة على ألسنة الحيوانات ليكشف عن التناقض الحاد بين الشعارات الثورية وممارسات الحكام بعد الثورة.
أورويل" كتب الرواية لتكون صرخة ساخرة بفهم عميق للواقع، ونقد لاذع للظلم السياسى والحكم الجائر الذى يعلى من شأن فئة قليلة على حساب المجتمع كله، لكنه على الطرف الآخر انتقد النفوس البشرية التى تتحول هى أيضا لتفعل نفس ما كانت تستنكره من قبل فى بنى جلدتها، ولتثبت أن بعض الضعفاء المقهورين يظلون ضعفاء.
يحاول أورويل أن يعطي تحليلا واقعيا للثورة، حيث أنها يمكن أن تؤدي إلى تغيير نظام الحكم، لكن قد تغيره إلى أسوأ مما هو عليه، خصوصا عندما لا تكون هناك ضوابط وقواعد ومبادئ تحدد مسار هذه الثورة، الشيء الذي يُعجِّل بفشل الأهداف المتواخاة منها، ويصبح الواقع أسوأ من ذلك الذي كانت تهدف إلى تغييره.
رواية مزرعة الحيوانات مليئة بالدروس المتعلقة بما يدور في عالم السياسة، وخصوصا في الجانب المتعلق بالثورة، ومن خلالها يدرك القارئ أن المسائل لا تسير بالشكل الذي تظهر عليه، بل هناك خبايا تتحكم في زمام الأمور. ويستنتج القارئ أن الثورة التي تأتي بدون تخطيط مسبق، يمكن أن تكون عواقبها وخيمة. كما أن الثقة العمياء في القائد بمثابة استسلام وخضوع له.
تعتبر الثورة أحد أهمّ التيمات الرئيسة الأخرى التي تناولها أرويل في هذه القصة، موضّحاً كيف تنهزم الشعارات البرّاقة أمام مكر الثوّار أنفسهم وقَولبتهم لعقول العامّة وأحاسيسهم عن طريق ما يسمّى بالثورة المضادة، وكما أوضح أرويل نفسه: "هذا هو تاريخ الثورة التي استغلّت بشكل خاطئ
إن مزرعة الحيوانات مازالت حيّة تقرأ وتناقش وتترجم إلى جميع اللغات، ومازالت تستشف منها الدروس والعبر، لأنها كما قلنا جسدت هموم الإنسان في العيش الكريم والحرية، وهي المعارك التي ماتزال ترافق الإنسان المعاصر، وبلا شك ستكون معركته الأبدية والمصيرية.
أورويل" كتب الرواية لتكون صرخة ساخرة بفهم عميق للواقع، ونقد لاذع للظلم السياسى والحكم الجائر الذى يعلى من شأن فئة قليلة على حساب المجتمع كله، لكنه على الطرف الآخر انتقد النفوس البشرية التى تتحول هى أيضا لتفعل نفس ما كانت تستنكره من قبل فى بنى جلدتها، ولتثبت أن بعض الضعفاء المقهورين يظلون ضعفاء.
يحاول أورويل أن يعطي تحليلا واقعيا للثورة، حيث أنها يمكن أن تؤدي إلى تغيير نظام الحكم، لكن قد تغيره إلى أسوأ مما هو عليه، خصوصا عندما لا تكون هناك ضوابط وقواعد ومبادئ تحدد مسار هذه الثورة، الشيء الذي يُعجِّل بفشل الأهداف المتواخاة منها، ويصبح الواقع أسوأ من ذلك الذي كانت تهدف إلى تغييره.
رواية مزرعة الحيوانات مليئة بالدروس المتعلقة بما يدور في عالم السياسة، وخصوصا في الجانب المتعلق بالثورة، ومن خلالها يدرك القارئ أن المسائل لا تسير بالشكل الذي تظهر عليه، بل هناك خبايا تتحكم في زمام الأمور. ويستنتج القارئ أن الثورة التي تأتي بدون تخطيط مسبق، يمكن أن تكون عواقبها وخيمة. كما أن الثقة العمياء في القائد بمثابة استسلام وخضوع له.
تعتبر الثورة أحد أهمّ التيمات الرئيسة الأخرى التي تناولها أرويل في هذه القصة، موضّحاً كيف تنهزم الشعارات البرّاقة أمام مكر الثوّار أنفسهم وقَولبتهم لعقول العامّة وأحاسيسهم عن طريق ما يسمّى بالثورة المضادة، وكما أوضح أرويل نفسه: "هذا هو تاريخ الثورة التي استغلّت بشكل خاطئ
إن مزرعة الحيوانات مازالت حيّة تقرأ وتناقش وتترجم إلى جميع اللغات، ومازالت تستشف منها الدروس والعبر، لأنها كما قلنا جسدت هموم الإنسان في العيش الكريم والحرية، وهي المعارك التي ماتزال ترافق الإنسان المعاصر، وبلا شك ستكون معركته الأبدية والمصيرية.
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سيظل دائما جميع الحيوانات سواسية..الا ان بعض "الخنازير" ستري دائما انها "متساوية" اكثر من الاخرين
جورج اورويل عام 1943 يقدم لنا نموذج لثورة
ثورة حيوانات علي "صاحب العزبة"..عشان حقوقهم
ثورة زي اي ثورة في تاريخ الانسانية..ثورة زي الثورة الروسية ولا الرومانية ولا ....أهي ثورة
حكاية مكررة، تقريبا بنفس النهاية..فإننا لم نتعلم من التاريخ، فهل سنتعلم من الرمز؟
الحكاية هنا حكاية ثورة
ثورة ما من اجل عيش يتناسب مع العمل..من اجل حرية حقيقية
ثورة ما من اجل الكرامة..ثورة من اجل العدالة الاجتماعية
ثورة نجحت في ازالة الضاغية...ثورة نجحت في جعل الارض كلها حقا للثوار
صارت ارضهم وملكهم..صار خيرها كله لهم..صاروا يملكون زمام امورهم
صاروا يتغنون نشيد نصرهم...فرحين بحريتهم..يرون في المستقبل فقط رخائهم
آل التنظيم الي جماعه من الخنازير..يقودها اثنان
الاول اختار مصلحة باقي الحيوانات واراد تطوير حياتهم بما يحقق اهداف ثورتهم
والثاني اختار الكسل..اختار التراخي
اختار ان يطلق علي الاول كلابه ليتلاشي
واختار ان ينفيه ويعلنه خائنا للبلاد..لاختلاف سياسة الاصلاح التي يريدها الاول بسياسته
شوه سمعته ومحا بطولته..بإستخدام خنزير اعلامي "يقلب الحق باطلا" ايضا يعمل تحت سياسته
اختار ان يغير
وصار الثاني هو الحاكم الرسمي للبلاد..الحاكم الشرعي..الوحيد ..الجمهوري المنتخب..بما لا يتعارض مع سياسته
صار الاول خائن...واي من يظهر عليه علامه تمرد فإنه خائن مثله ويعدم فورا..لا يتعارض هذا مع القانون..فقد غطي عليه بسياسته
عاد الظلم..عاد القهر..عاد الفقر وقله العيش
عاد التمييز الاجتماعي
وكيف له الا يعود وهناك قطيع من
يرددون الافكار المحرفه..يعلون بها صوتهم فوق اي صوت للمعارضه
ستتأثر بحق بمشهد اجتماع الناس بعد بضع شهور..يتذكرون ما كان ..ويقارونه بالان
كيف ضاعت ثورتهم...كيف ضاع حلمهم..وكيف خفت صوت نشيدهم
يحاولوا التغني بنشيدهم مره اخري ...لربما بعث لهم الامل مجددا
ليفاجأوا بمنع الخنازير للنشيد..فالثوره انتهت بالنسبه للخنازير بحكمهم..وباعدامهم اخوانهم..المعارضون الخونه
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ركب الخنازير الثورة وحموا حكمهم بالكلاب الشرسة
وغطوا علي اخفاقاتهم وسرقاتهم بخنزيرهم المحنك اعلاميا يحيل الحق باطلا والباطل حقا
تعاونوا مع الغراب الذي يدفع بغطاء
ثم تحالفوا مع عدوهم الاصلي ليحكموا قبضتهم علي الحكم
وضعوا يدهم في يد الاعداء...حتي صار لافرق بين خنزيرا وانسان
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لا اعتقد ان هذا ريفيو اساسا لروايه رائعه صاغها برمزيه وبراعه جورج اورويل
هذا مجرد تلخيص ردئ
لقد عرفت الان لماذا لم تكتب احد اصدقائي هنا في الجودريدز ريفيو عن ذلك الروايه -بالرغم من غزاره ريفيوهاتها-..الروايه لا تستحق ريفيو اساسا
هي تقرأ وتستوعب فحسب
ولكن لنصارح أنفسنا ... أننا لم نتعظ من التاريخ بشكل مباشر...فكيف ان نتعظ من صورة رمزية له وإن كانت بمنتهي الأتقان
فلنحاول
ربما ننجح يوما في ثورة لا تنتهي ب
مزرعة الحيوانات
محمد العربي
فقط في 24 يونيو 2013
"ملحوظه"
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قرأت تلك الرواية قبل احداث 30 يونيو 2013
والغريب جدا ان بعد أعادة قراءتي للريفيو أجد أنها تصلح لنفس الحال بعد سنتين..نفس الريفيو الرمزي يصلح لأي وقت...بالضبط كالرواية..وسعدت أني كتبت الريفيو بالرمز مثلها
العجيب فعلا ان الرواية تصلح لكل العهود السياسية التي أتت علينا
مصر قبل 25 يناير وبعدها
مصر قبل 30 يونيو وبعدها
وبمجرد ان قرئتها..شعرت ان هذه الرواية يجب ان يتم تدريسها بالمدارس..فكل الاجيال تستحق هذا الوعي السياسي
الا اني رايت سببا -وان اكاد ان اجزم انه ليس السبب الرئيسي لهذا- ان نهايتها المقبضه لا تتناسب لصغار السن
ولكن هذه النهاية المقبضة للاسف...واقعية
جورج اورويل عام 1943 يقدم لنا نموذج لثورة
ثورة حيوانات علي "صاحب العزبة"..عشان حقوقهم
ثورة زي اي ثورة في تاريخ الانسانية..ثورة زي الثورة الروسية ولا الرومانية ولا ....أهي ثورة
حكاية مكررة، تقريبا بنفس النهاية..فإننا لم نتعلم من التاريخ، فهل سنتعلم من الرمز؟
الحكاية هنا حكاية ثورة
ثورة ما من اجل عيش يتناسب مع العمل..من اجل حرية حقيقية
ثورة ما من اجل الكرامة..ثورة من اجل العدالة الاجتماعية
ثورة نجحت في ازالة الضاغية...ثورة نجحت في جعل الارض كلها حقا للثوار
صارت ارضهم وملكهم..صار خيرها كله لهم..صاروا يملكون زمام امورهم
صاروا يتغنون نشيد نصرهم...فرحين بحريتهم..يرون في المستقبل فقط رخائهم
آل التنظيم الي جماعه من الخنازير..يقودها اثنان
الاول اختار مصلحة باقي الحيوانات واراد تطوير حياتهم بما يحقق اهداف ثورتهم
والثاني اختار الكسل..اختار التراخي
اختار ان يطلق علي الاول كلابه ليتلاشي
واختار ان ينفيه ويعلنه خائنا للبلاد..لاختلاف سياسة الاصلاح التي يريدها الاول بسياسته
شوه سمعته ومحا بطولته..بإستخدام خنزير اعلامي "يقلب الحق باطلا" ايضا يعمل تحت سياسته
اختار ان يغير
وصار الثاني هو الحاكم الرسمي للبلاد..الحاكم الشرعي..الوحيد ..الجمهوري المنتخب..بما لا يتعارض مع سياسته
صار الاول خائن...واي من يظهر عليه علامه تمرد فإنه خائن مثله ويعدم فورا..لا يتعارض هذا مع القانون..فقد غطي عليه بسياسته
عاد الظلم..عاد القهر..عاد الفقر وقله العيش
عاد التمييز الاجتماعي
وكيف له الا يعود وهناك قطيع من
يرددون الافكار المحرفه..يعلون بها صوتهم فوق اي صوت للمعارضه
ستتأثر بحق بمشهد اجتماع الناس بعد بضع شهور..يتذكرون ما كان ..ويقارونه بالان
كيف ضاعت ثورتهم...كيف ضاع حلمهم..وكيف خفت صوت نشيدهم
يحاولوا التغني بنشيدهم مره اخري ...لربما بعث لهم الامل مجددا
ليفاجأوا بمنع الخنازير للنشيد..فالثوره انتهت بالنسبه للخنازير بحكمهم..وباعدامهم اخوانهم..المعارضون الخونه
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ركب الخنازير الثورة وحموا حكمهم بالكلاب الشرسة
وغطوا علي اخفاقاتهم وسرقاتهم بخنزيرهم المحنك اعلاميا يحيل الحق باطلا والباطل حقا
تعاونوا مع الغراب الذي يدفع بغطاء
ثم تحالفوا مع عدوهم الاصلي ليحكموا قبضتهم علي الحكم
وضعوا يدهم في يد الاعداء...حتي صار لافرق بين خنزيرا وانسان
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لا اعتقد ان هذا ريفيو اساسا لروايه رائعه صاغها برمزيه وبراعه جورج اورويل
هذا مجرد تلخيص ردئ
لقد عرفت الان لماذا لم تكتب احد اصدقائي هنا في الجودريدز ريفيو عن ذلك الروايه -بالرغم من غزاره ريفيوهاتها-..الروايه لا تستحق ريفيو اساسا
هي تقرأ وتستوعب فحسب
ولكن لنصارح أنفسنا ... أننا لم نتعظ من التاريخ بشكل مباشر...فكيف ان نتعظ من صورة رمزية له وإن كانت بمنتهي الأتقان
فلنحاول
ربما ننجح يوما في ثورة لا تنتهي ب
مزرعة الحيوانات
محمد العربي
فقط في 24 يونيو 2013
"ملحوظه"
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قرأت تلك الرواية قبل احداث 30 يونيو 2013
والغريب جدا ان بعد أعادة قراءتي للريفيو أجد أنها تصلح لنفس الحال بعد سنتين..نفس الريفيو الرمزي يصلح لأي وقت...بالضبط كالرواية..وسعدت أني كتبت الريفيو بالرمز مثلها
العجيب فعلا ان الرواية تصلح لكل العهود السياسية التي أتت علينا
مصر قبل 25 يناير وبعدها
مصر قبل 30 يونيو وبعدها
وبمجرد ان قرئتها..شعرت ان هذه الرواية يجب ان يتم تدريسها بالمدارس..فكل الاجيال تستحق هذا الوعي السياسي
الا اني رايت سببا -وان اكاد ان اجزم انه ليس السبب الرئيسي لهذا- ان نهايتها المقبضه لا تتناسب لصغار السن
ولكن هذه النهاية المقبضة للاسف...واقعية
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“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”
Those damn PIGS.
I can't even.
Those damn PIGS.
I can't even.
...
Show More
The only good pig is a dead pig.
Yeah, yeah, everyone claims Orwell wrote this as about the Russian Revolution, Stalin, and the rise of Communism.
Pshttt. Whatever.
You know what I think he was really saying?
n Beware the Other White Meat!n
Ok, maybe not.
Look, I know what you're thinking, That pig looks adorable!, but the next thing you know, that piggy is all grown up and stealing your cookies!
And you'll let it steal your cookies because Mr. Pig has convinced you that giving up your cookies every day was a part of the original agreement! Besides, what do you know, you're just a stupid sheep...
Plus, it's just a cookie, where's the harm?
Not to mention, the last guy who complained about giving up his cookie ended up mauled by that dog. Probably just a coincidence, though.
Right?
But it's ok because pigs are smart. That's what everyone says, right? Smarter than you are, at any rate. And if the pig says it's ok, then it's ok.
I mean look at it! It couldn't possibly have anything but your best interests at heart!
Alright, I'm outta pig gifs.
So, I thought this was a pretty cool book. Sure, it's supposed to be about Russia, but it could just as easily be about the working class in my country.
Bottom line?
We need to stop listening to the spin doctors on the boob tube and start thinking for ourselves. Question everything, especially the things we think we know are true. It might be a good idea to teach our kids that it's ok to not blindly believe everything we tell them, too. Besides, if we're right, then our ideals can stand up to the scrutiny of children. Otherwise, we risk raising a generation of idiots.
Oh! I found one more pig gif!
Yeah, yeah, everyone claims Orwell wrote this as about the Russian Revolution, Stalin, and the rise of Communism.
Pshttt. Whatever.
You know what I think he was really saying?
n Beware the Other White Meat!n
Ok, maybe not.
Look, I know what you're thinking, That pig looks adorable!, but the next thing you know, that piggy is all grown up and stealing your cookies!
And you'll let it steal your cookies because Mr. Pig has convinced you that giving up your cookies every day was a part of the original agreement! Besides, what do you know, you're just a stupid sheep...
Plus, it's just a cookie, where's the harm?
Not to mention, the last guy who complained about giving up his cookie ended up mauled by that dog. Probably just a coincidence, though.
Right?
But it's ok because pigs are smart. That's what everyone says, right? Smarter than you are, at any rate. And if the pig says it's ok, then it's ok.
I mean look at it! It couldn't possibly have anything but your best interests at heart!
Alright, I'm outta pig gifs.
So, I thought this was a pretty cool book. Sure, it's supposed to be about Russia, but it could just as easily be about the working class in my country.
Bottom line?
We need to stop listening to the spin doctors on the boob tube and start thinking for ourselves. Question everything, especially the things we think we know are true. It might be a good idea to teach our kids that it's ok to not blindly believe everything we tell them, too. Besides, if we're right, then our ideals can stand up to the scrutiny of children. Otherwise, we risk raising a generation of idiots.
Oh! I found one more pig gif!
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