Animal Farm (SparkNotes Literature Guide) by George Orwell, SparkNotes Editors

Whats it is all about
Alyx Fisten, a student, 12/17/2007

“Animal Farm” seems like it was a critique against Soviet communism, which it is and was clearly meant to be. It is a warning that all who want to be a political leader are suspect. Most events in the book are taken from the Russian experience. The animals all call each other “comrade”, for example. And the fight between Napoleon and Snowball seems to mirror that of Stalin and Trotsky. But others seem to be taken directly from the American experience. The animals are Irish and English, kicking out their English overlord. The story is set it in England, not Eastern Europe, tries to stay far away from the Russian experience in my opinion, and to set it in his readers’ home country. While on one level it was important to him to let the socialist movement know that Russia was not a successful in its implementation of socialism, I think he also wanted to warn all of us of the dangers of politicians who claim to have our best interests at heart. I would have to guess that the attack on the animal’s windmill seems to me to apply more to the English attack of 1812 on the American capitol, burning it to the ground, than it does to Hitler’s attack on Russia. The Russians never had the opportunity to restore friendship with Hitler, and as Communists never restored friendship with West Germany and obviously not by 1945, when Orwell finished “Animal Farm”. There are the seven commandments, the things that separate animals from tyrants, that make all animals equal. During the course of the novel, each of the commandments gets reinterpreted, much in the same way that seemingly obvious parts of the United States The story, however, is that after any revolution, some group will try to take power again. Some people will desire to be politicians, and re-institute a privileged class. In Russia it was the communist party. In the United States, it was the two-party system. There is, especially, the fear of a government-controlled education system, which by its nature will indoctrinate the young in a manner that perpetuates the weaknesses of the government. The animal government can rewrite the seven commandments with impunity, because the animals don’t pay close attention to either the commandments or the government. Orwell’s deep mistrust of political power is clear in this Novel. “Animal Farm” is a critical look at anyone who wants to keep us down “for our own good”. I believe it should be required reading in any government-controlled school in any English-speaking democracy it’s a good insight to good and evil.

WOW
Amit Vira (amitvira@hotmail.com) , a student who loves this book!!!!, 03/07/2002

This is a great book. It helps you study and learn the book Animal Farm more in deepth. It's a wonderful studing tool !!!!!!!

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