Animal Farm is a novel written by George Orwell, who is known for this work and another novel named 1984, which depicts a relatively darker society where brainwashed citizens live under the control of the Big Brother. In comparison, Animal Farm is relatively shorter, which makes it easier to read. However, the story Animal Farm describes is more realistic, with confirmed allusions to history, making it deeper and meaningful. Nonetheless, both works often insinuate the ugly sides of political bodies, a recurring theme that shows Orwell’s attitude towards these systems of government.

Animal Farm depicts the story of how animals, tortured by the human master of the farm, fight back and takes over the farm, renaming it Animal Farm. Among the animals, the pigs are the cleverest ones, especially two named Napoleon and Snowball. Snowball is the one who leads the animals against the first attack of the former master and sets up seven rules for animals to follow in order to create an equal animal society. However, Snowball does not survive for very long on the farm. After a winter, Snowball suggests for the animals to work more and eat less in order to obtain electricity, but he was opposed by the animals. With Napoleon, his rival, fanning the flames, Snowball is killed by Napoleon’s dog troop, solidifying Napoleon’s leadership. From then on, the regular animals begin living in poor conditions, while the pigs move into the former master’s house, becoming their superiors. The pigs also begin trading crops and eggs for snacks and food from humans. Furthermore, when the horse Boxer weakens, the pigs sell him to the humans for wine. In the end, the animals decide to start a new revolution against the pigs, and the story ends.

In Animal Farm, George Orwell illustrates a very imaginative story with anthropomorphic animals. Nonetheless, this kind of fable gives the audience the feeling of enjoyment, as if we were reading a fantasy novel. At the same time, he can explore the problems with governments and the problem of true equality between individuals. The setting of the farm and the characters all shadow what happened in the Soviet Union: the farm is just like Soviet society, and Napoleon is the incarnation of Stalin. Like the revolutionaries in Russia, the animals get rid of the former farm master and work hard together to have food for all of them equally. However, the utopian communist society eventually corrupts, as it did in Soviet Union—an ideal equal society that was doomed from the start. The pigs, especially Napoleon, stop working and begin exploiting the work of the other animals. One of Snowball’s original 7 rules in the story’s beginning, “All animals are equal,” become “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” at the end. With the exception of the pigs, the other farm inhabitants are tortured. tired of heavy farm work, and sometimes killed by Napoleon’s dog troop. The “equal” society becomes just another kind of hierarchy, implying that there will always be some who see themselves superior to others, a historically proven social problem in human development George Orwell highlights vividly through his tale.

Overall, Animal Farm is quite interesting to read. Through his absurd and exaggerated way of humanizing the story, George Orwell is able to successfully convey crucial contemporary political issues in a light-hearted, but memorable manner. He is also able to provide insight on why individuals can never be “equal” in a society, even though governments often suggest otherwise. Instead, there will always be someone more equal than others, a topic Animal Farm fully welcomes readers to ponder about. Therefore, Animal Farm can be a novel that is both amusing and thoughtful, as readers deliberate the story from different perspectives.