Animal Farm - A review

This is the central premise of Animal Farm by George Orwell. The book opens on a farm where the animals gather for a meeting. Old Major, the boar, urges them to revolt against Mr. Jones. Humans, he argues, are unproductive and parasitic, yet they dominate the hardworking animals. The animals labour tirelessly while humans reap the rewards, offering little more than temporary shelter in return , and only for as long as the animals remain useful.

Taking Old Major’s words to heart, the animals overthrow Jones, drive him off the farm, and take control themselves, proclaiming that all animals are equal.

Thus begins Orwell’s satirical allegory, a story that exposes the follies of human behaviour, particularly within political systems rooted in communism. When the book was first published, it was met with hesitation due to its sharp critique of Soviet Communism. However, rather than focusing solely on its political implications, it is worth examining the broader patterns of human behaviour it reveals.

Two central figures emerge: Napoleon and Snowball — leaders with opposing ideologies and personalities, both eager to guide the farm despite the principle that all animals are equal. Their power struggle highlights the greed that often accompanies ambition. The pursuit of authority becomes more important than the ideals that sparked the revolution. Napoleon not only drives Snowball out with the help of his trained dogs but also appropriates his ideas, presenting them as his own. Throughout the novel, misfortunes are conveniently blamed on the exiled Snowball — a reflection of how leaders often retain power not by elevating themselves, but by discrediting others.

Orwell also illustrates how ordinary individuals become pawns in the maintenance of authority. The animals are constantly distracted, entangled in conspiracies, endless labour, and manufactured crises — all presented as necessary for their own improvement. This relentless cycle leaves little room for critical thought. Fear, peer pressure, and manipulation prevent them from questioning the gradual alteration of the commandments they once agreed upon. Most famously, the original maxim “All animals are equal” quietly evolves into “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Orwell masterfully portrays the fragile balance — or imbalance — of power. The true takeaway lies in recognising how easily ideals can be corrupted. In our pursuit of justice and equality, we risk becoming what we once resisted. As the chilling transformation suggests: “Four legs good, two legs better.”