Animal Farm and Related Readings

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Summary: The Book Is Not About Farming or Animals...It Is About Power
Review: This is a very interesting book that should be read along with the author's other book 1984. I read the book and saw the VHS which is mostly a faithful representation of the book - and a good movie in color - but not for the faint of heart unless you like slime and grease covered pigs talking like people.

The basic plot is essentially about some farm animals that have a revolution, throw out the owner, and then run the farm themselves in a mini Utopian socialist state.

In Orwell's 1984 the system is corrupted by the "inner party members" of the socialist state INGSOC - in the country of Oceania. Here in Animal Farm the Utopian system is corrupted by a group of pigs that have goals for more power and material wealth at the expense of the other animals. It is a simple case study in human greed for power and wealth. Here the pigs attempt to change the rules as they go along to justify their actions and impose their will on the other animals such as horses, sheep, various birds, dogs, etc, i.e.: all animals are equal but some more than others say - somewhat appropriately - the pigs who try to get more than a simple share.

The animal farm revolution starts out with much happiness and cooperation among the animals, but eventually we have too much abuse by one group of animals, i.e.: the pigs, who seize control. Like other socialists states where a Stalin or Mao or Castro emerges as a totalitarian ruler, we have one power group emerge. Then we have arbitrary decisions by the pigs who have seized power. Like the socialist states gone wrong we have one set of laws for the rulers and a much harsher set of laws for the masses. Like a socialist state gone wrong the leaders have behind the scenes corrupt business deals while the masses starve. Like a socialist state gone wrong we have transparent propaganda and public works projects that are little more than monuments to the rulers. Eventually this triggers a counter revolution and the animal farm revolution collapses.

Like the book 1984 a small group attempts to manipulate the masses - here the masses are the other animals - and to set the social laws essentially to help the pigs take control. It is similar in ideas to 1984 but obviously low tech as opposed to the futuristic 1984, for example the pigs do not use mind control the same way as rulers in 1984. Also the farm setting has the friendlier and informal atmosphere as opposed to some cold and gray socialist state of 1984, and the plot it is less chilling. It is entertaining but in a different fashion. Still this is a story about how a society can take a wrong turn and how leaders are corrupted by absolute power.


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Summary: Animal Farm Review: By this kid from this place
Review: In a place witch no name is given it would seem all should be well. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. The book takes place on a farm. The owner of the farm, Farmer Jones, Neglects his responsibilities and allows his animals to starve. He also does little work around the farm as he lets his crops rot away. Most of this is caused by his excessive drinking problem.
After being convinced by a respected speaker of the farm, Napoleon and snowball, rebel against the has been farmer and set their own standards for living. Although Napoleon leads the farm into a new revolution it isn't necessarily a good thing. Napoleon turns the farm into a dictatorship with him as the totalitarian.
The turning point of the book is when the animals are no longer blinded by Napoleons deceiving ways. The animals started keeping apples and milk for themselves instead of sharing with the communist community. The entire book seemed to be based on the Russian revolution. The books moral is to teach against communism in a new innovated way never seen before. It is a very clever way to get the point across. The book is short and somewhat enjoyable to read. This concludes a summary on George Orwell's, "Animal Farm."


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Summary: Politics in Disguise
Review: What would seem to be a story of farm life,and a farmer manning his crops and animals,author,George Orwell, will take farming to a whole new level.Farm Animals are used to represent people in the time of the russian revolution. Such as the pig Napoleon, he would be the farms,Josef Stalin.This book is based on trials of Farmer Jones.He's the type of farmer who's irresponsible. He lets his crops die, and starves his animals.Most of this lack of care is due to his alchohol obsession. Little does he know, while he's drinking himself into oblivion, his animals are planning on moving forward to a new life.The animals,led by Napoleon the pig,start living a communist lifestyle. Once the animals realize what Napoleon is doing, they start stashing food such as apples and milk for themselves. This book was a fascinating read, and gives you a really cool look oncommunist countries, yet by an animals view. I would definitely recommend it.

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Summary: Two Thumbs Up for Animal Farm!
Review: Animal Farm takes place on a farm in England. An old pig tells all of the farm animals that they need to revolt one day and take over control of the farm. It starts out well, the animals are all equal and work together for the common good. But the pigs slowly take over absolute control of the farm. One pig, named Napolean, becomes the farm's dictator, executing animals, rewriting history, and slowly becoming more like the humans that they overthrew in the first place. The story is modeled after that of The Soviet Union. The conflict is unfornuately, not resolved. This is because the book was written before the Soviet Union was defeated and overthrown. If the book had been written after the USSR's downfall, however, I am positive the ending would be similiar to that of the Soviet Union in 1991.

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Summary: This isn't just about Soviet Communism, it is about USA.
Review: I read this book from the American perspective, and I think this perspective too, fits perfectly.

The colonists overthrow Britian (corrupt and evil enslaving power), we establish our utopia. Our utopia is a Constitutional Republic.

At first, everthign works great. We have freedom, we have respect for rights, and we have an honest money and trade system. All people are equals, and each is free to produce and live an abundant life.

But, slowly, over time, the principles (the commandments) are abused. The treachery is hidden from public view. The pigs (congressmen) treat themselves to extravagant spending. The executive wages war and rallies support for its stupidity initiatives (space flight, war, socialism). Congress, in alliance with the money/banking powers, establishes fradudlent paper money, illegal and fradulent banking systems, and our economy is reduced to a unproductive series of accounting gimmicks. When times get bad, we go to war.

Now we are left with a system of government far worse that that of the original England. We embrace socialism with a eagerness not even shown in Russia.

We THINK we're free, we think we have justice, we think we have open and free elections, we think we have a real economy. All lies, all told to keep up the morale of the working class for the benefit of the elite. The business of the government in America has been to (unconstitutionally) wage war, and to lie to the most people in a believable way. The government views it's function as a propaganda mnachine, to keep people believign in the fantasy, for the benefit of the fradulent financial elite. All while the underlying "doctrine" is ignored. All while the judiciary looks the other way regarding the "commandments", the
constitution. Today, judges view their role as social engineers (for the greater good), not as their oath would imply- keepers and defenders of the "commandments".