In the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, the reader experiences combined aspects of a book about communism and one simply about an animal’s tale. This novel chronicles the lives of a group of animals that live on a farm together, and how they defeat humanity to make the farm their own. The plot then reels in communism, which is portrayed through a pig named Napoleon that gradually becomes the sole animal that holds power, while the other animals are forced to wallow in an overbearing workload, poverty, and starvation. Through the use of direct and implied allusions, George Orwell reveals the shocking similarity between Animal Farm and the Soviet Union and leaves the reader with a prophecy regarding the well-being of citizens in a real-world Communist country. The overarching message that the reader receives from the passage is the weight of corruption that takes place in a communist society, as well as society’s gullibility towards dictators, and essentially that no matter how aware societal members believe they are, leaders are led towards power.
I found Animal Farm to be an essential read with a riveting plot concept. Though the main plot of the book appears fairly simple-minded, the underlying significance is what causes this book’s rating to shoot from a 1 to a 4.5. I must admit, I was originally tricked by the clearness of Animal Farm, and when I became aware of the so-called “dig-deeper,” I was truly mesmerized by George Orwell’s subtle diction that makes this book a “classic” and a “must-read.” The reading itself was quite a process, as there was a definite “tug-of-war” between curling up on the couch to read for hours on end, and inching my way through the pages due to a myriad of immediate homework assignments and extracurriculars. While other authors are equally successful in publishing books of equivalent fame, none can surpass the talent that Orwell clearly possesses for every word he wrote. Each page I read presented me with something new to be discovered, and I couldn’t help but reach for my post-it notes during the most pivotal sections. Overall, I enjoyed this book immensely and would definitely recommend it.
Honestly, I’ve had Animal Farm on my Summer Reading List for several years, but it has always remained in the “Later” section, and with a student’s busy life, that clearly meant never. Flipping to page one of Animal Farm, the pages containing not a single crease, I was skeptical that this classic book would be one that was just that, something you read in English class, but will never think about once the unit is over. In fact, Orwell’s masterpiece was so much more, and I am still astonished by the clarity of his predictions regarding Communism. Essentially, Animal Farm was a refreshingly pleasant novel that anyone looking for a book to actually change their life should read immediately.
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