Animal Farm 5 Essay, Research Paper
Animal Farm
The novel, Animal Farm , tells a story of communism as well as a fairy tale. Farmer Jones owns the farm, which he named Manor Farm. One evening, Old Major, the leader of the animals called for a special meeting. Old Major is a boar and is known as the brains of the pack. As he is giving his speech about a revolution, he is shot and killed by Farmer Jones. After this grievous event, the animals decide to act upon Old Major s words and start a revolution. The animals come up with a plan to take over the farm. They drive out all humans and take control over their farm, Animal Farm. Snowball becomes leader of the animals in place of the late Old Major.
Snowball is driven out of office by Napoleon, a two-faced pig. After Snowball is driven out of the farm he is never seen again. Napoleon acts like a totalitarian. He forces animals to do hard labor. He disobeys the Seven Commandments. He trades goods with humans. Napoleon works with his partner in crime, Squealer. Together they are unstoppable. Boxer is sent to a horse slaughterer after he is no longer strong enough to work on the farm. After many years of hiding in the woods, Jesse and other animals come back to the farm where there are few survivors.
Communism and totalitarianism are the main themes brought up in the novel. Constantly they are used to portray both man and animal. Napoleon was the leader and forced animals to do work or else they would be murdered. Voting was not an option after both Old Major and Snowball was gone. Napoleon just made judgements on his own in his communist world. People and animals were forced into manual labor and one person or animal made decisions.
Napoleon was a character that could easily be portrayed by any evil actor or actress. I think that the penguin, in Batman Returns fit Napoleon s characteristics perfectly. Danny DeVito plays the penguin in the movie. The penguin helps out the city in many ways, while trying to run out the infamous Batman. Napoleon helps out Animal Farm, by suggesting many good ideas while he throws Snowball out of the farm. They both intertwine with one another s personalities and traits.
I saw Squealer as being a tag along with Napoleon. Number Two in Austin Powers, was the same type of character. Robert Wagner played Number Two. He was the brains and did everything that Dr. Evil ordered him to do. Napoleon ordered Squealer to do many things. Squealer was known as a brilliant talker. Number Two did most of the talking on behalf of Dr. Evil. Squealer explained most of the things happening on the farm on behalf of Napoleon.
Boxer was a horse that respected his job and worked until he collapses from age and overwork. Dr. Malcolm Crowe, played by Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, shadows the character of Boxer. Bruce Willis works just about everyday of his working career as a psychologist until a former patient murders him. Boxer works almost everyday
The most intriguing part in the novel that interested me most was the Seven Commandments made by Old Major. The Seven Commandments of Animalism painted on the barn wall were:
I. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. II. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
III. No animal shall wear clothes. IV. No animal shall sleep in a bed. V. No animal shall drink alcohol.
VI. No animal shall kill any other animal. VII. All animals are equal.
I have chosen this segment out of the book for various reasons. The basis of the novel revolved around these seven commandments. This passage made me think about what animals think about humans. I actually wonder if animals have a way of talking to each other. In most religions there are the Ten Commandments. People abide by them just like the animals in Animal Farm, did. Napoleon broke most of the commandments as do people nowadays do to the Ten Commandments. If the Seven Commandments did not exist in the novel than there would be no real story with a proper plot.
I have already recommended this book to numerous friends. It s a classic that everyone should read sometime in his/her lifetime. The book tells about the history of Stalinism in a more relaxed, humorous, yet honest way. Animal Farm tells the perspective of life from the point of view of a dog living on a farm. People interested about farms, history, and animals will surely love the novel because it goes into detail about each. I do not like reading novels, but this sure changed my mind.
Animal Farm has political significance to our society today. Our government is democratic, which means the people have a say in what goes on in the country. In the novel their government was totalitarian. Napoleon running the farm was an example of totalitarianism in the novel. Farmer Jones ordering the animals to do work on the farm was another sign of totalitarianism. Society today in the United States is run the complete opposite way of the way it was run on Animal Farm. However, in Cuba communism/totalitarianism still exists in their society. The book makes its issues relevant to today s society.
Revolution was another political issue brought up in the novel. Whenever someone tries to change the system of government there was always revolution. That is why the government it has been on the rise in the last three hundred years of human history. When the animals in the novel revolted against their leader, government, it s started a revolution. The animals disagreed with the farmer and vice versa which caused total chaos within the revolution. Since revolution isn’t expected to occur anytime soon in the United States, reading Animal Farm is a unique way to see what happens in a revolution.