Animal Farm

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a razor-sharp political allegory that lays bare the corrupting nature of power. When the mistreated animals of Manor Farm revolt against their human oppressor, Mr. Jones, they establish a new order founded on the principles of equality and solidarity. Led by the visionary pigs Snowball and Napoleon, they adopt the creed of Animalism, dreaming of a fair and self-governing utopia. But as the pigs consolidate control, their revolutionary ideals are twisted into a chilling new tyranny—one far more sinister than the humans they overthrew.

With biting satire and devastating simplicity, Orwell crafts a timeless fable about the betrayal of revolutions. The pigs’ gradual takeover—marked by propaganda, rewritten history, and brute force—mirrors the rise of totalitarian regimes in the real world. Characters like the cunning Napoleon (a stand-in for Stalin), the eloquent but exiled Snowball (Trotsky), and the loyal, exploited horse Boxer embody the forces of manipulation, idealism, and blind obedience. As the farm’s founding commandments are altered to suit the rulers’ greed, Orwell exposes how power corrupts and how easily the oppressed can become oppressors.

More than just a critique of Soviet communism, Animal Farm is a universal warning about the dangers of unchecked authority and the fragility of freedom. Orwell’s clear, forceful prose turns a seemingly simple barnyard tale into a profound exploration of political deceit, class struggle, and the ease with which language can be weaponized. Decades after its publication, the novel’s message remains terrifyingly relevant—a reminder that revolutions often devour their own, and that tyranny can wear many faces. A masterpiece of moral clarity, Animal Farm is as essential today as the day it was written.

About the author

George Orwell (1903–1950), born Eric Arthur Blair, was one of the 20th century’s most influential political writers. A former colonial policeman in Burma, soldier in the Spanish Civil War, and chronicler of poverty in Europe, Orwell developed a searing critique of totalitarianism and social injustice. His experiences shaped masterpieces like Animal Farm and 1984, which remain essential warnings about power, propaganda, and the defense of truth. Orwell’s clear prose and moral courage established him as literature’s conscience against oppression.