I've restarted my reading spree.
It was a decision I planned to start on October since the first of September but I just didn't know which book to use and begin it.
I wanted a fresh start, not some of my old series and preferably maybe even a standalone novel.
Well my mind was made up yesterday after I watched this video one of my friends posted on their WhatsApp Status.
I was piqued, I didn't even know what I was going into, but the sheer power of the literary arts moved me to go into allegories using animals.
And thus, from the comments, I heard about the tale of the animal farm.
The Animal Farm
Plot
This book tells the story of the farm animals who overthrow their human owner to create a dream place of equality.
Yet their dream is warped and corrupted when the pigs, led by Napoleon, seizes control and not long after, it becomes clear that they are still slaves, just with different masters.
This book was an easy, short yet very very chilling read.
I wouldn't lie, after watching the video above, I was expecting an allegory of sorts; something that has a deeper meaning and after the reviews online about this novella, I knew that it would be one that'll leave me stunned.
Yet what I felt when I came across this passage isn't something I can fully express in words.
The usurping was just so shocking. I had to stop reading for a few minutes to fully understand what had happened. Why it had happened?
Was the voice of reason, enlightenment and progress that much of a threat?
Was this something earlier planned when Napoleon took the puppies away from their parents?
Surely enough, with Napoleon in charge and his competitor gone, the entire narrative began to change.
And what made them able to get away with this?
The fear of a common enemy.
To the farm animals, the idea of "Mr Jones Coming Back." was so frightening that it was a worse option than anything that could have happened.
After Napoleon had figured a way of control, with physical fear of his dogs and mental fear of the return of Mr Jones, his tyranny began.
It was incredible, fascinating and horrifying to read how subtly his actions became more and more human like. The pigs were a major part of this novel.
Yet I think another major part are the animals ruled by the pigs. In particular the 3 stable animals; Boxer, Clover and Benjamin.
They could be said to be the three main characters and the protagonists to the pigs antagonism.
Clover with her unshakeable faith but poor sight, Boxer with his small mind but strong body and Benjamin with his strong brain but unbothered mindset.
The two horses and a donkey.
Since this book is an allegory of the Russian Revolution and Soviet Unions thus showing how a movement for equality strays towards corruption, oppression and totalitarianism. It's good to nite and accept that amongst the public there would have been some that weren't fully onboard.
Some that knew how this was going or at the very least noticed when it stayed and have the power to try and carry it back
That's what these 3 stable animals were. They knew what they wanted and could identify that something went wrong.
Regardless for different individual reasons, they didn't realize and disagree.
At this point they were already gone. Napoleon had won and had proven that it was his farm to control.
The ending of the book was crazy too. After seeing all that Napoleon has done. How he had made and break rules before making a final one.
Now it was clear to everyone what has happened, to both us the readers and to the farm animals who are seeing it before their eyes.
They were under the reign of a new Mr Jones once an animal that worked and slept with them in the barn, now wore clothes, drank liquor and sold their eggs for money and timber.
I rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars and I totally encourage everyone to read it!
There are numerous morals to pick, but I guess the most glaring one is the corruption of power, because the pigs did indeed have a goal before the rebellion started, yet now they've gone a full circle and the farm despite being more prosperous is worse than before the rebellion began.
Header Image was created using Canva.
Image of the animal farm has its link embedded in it.
Image excerpts of the story are screenshots from my ebook reader.
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