Animal Farm-George Orwell

Great blast from the past in Georgfe Orwell's Animal Farm. This 131 page Time Reading Program Special Edition was published in 1965. This tale of animals on a farm is an allegory for totalitarianism, reflecting the events before and after the Russian revolution of 1917. First published in 1945, just after the Second World War, it was written at a time when England and the Soviet Union were allied against Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich. While these two nations worked together to bring Europe to peace, our author (George Orwell) remained critical of Joseph Stalin and his socialist agenda. It was only after the hot war in Europe ended, and the Cold War began, that public sentiments towards the Soviets began to change and this book found its audience. This allegorical novel starts with a call for revolution by an old white boar on the farm, someone whom all the other animals respect. Feeling mistreated by their human farm owner, the animals do revolt, and suddenly find themselves in possession of all the land. What first is a happy moment of freedom quickly spirals out of control as a new order is set up by the ‘smart’ animals, which are the pigs. The two most influential pigs are modeled after Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, with the Trotsky-pig chased away rather quickly (Trotsky was murdered in real life) and a dictatorship set up by the Stalin-pig in his wake.At first, things are good. Everybody receives plentiful portions of food and no longer feels the whip on their backs while they work. When the humans return to retake the farm by force, the animals work together to fight back and win, with honors bestowed upon their bravest warriors. The rules of the new society are written on the barn in white paint, clearly defined and agreed to by all. Yet, as soon as precedent is set, things begin to change. The surplus milk that the cows were promised to keep for themselves goes missing, and it has been given to the pigs in charge. The apples are soon delegated to the pigs as well, and the eggs are taken from the chickens. The animals are asked to work extra hours to build a windmill that will benefit them all, but those who decline the work are also declined their rations of food. The rules on the barn are edited and repainted. The Stalin-pig demands to be referred to as the Leader, and before they know it, a new dictatorship has taken hold of the farm.All the classic authoritarian abuses of society are present in these pages. Most important is the use of information and the psychological reprogramming of the less-educated farm animals. The pigs in power rewrite the history of the revolution and use propaganda to convince the other animals that life is better now than it was before. The sheep believe the pigs right away. As time passes, the other animals progressively forget more and more of their life on the farm before the revolution, and eventually come to believe the propaganda as well. The use of scapegoats is also present, as everything that goes wrong is blamed on the Trotsky-pig, despite the fact that he has not been seen in years. Having a recognizable enemy makes consolidating power easier. By the end, nobody remembers the past, all the rules have all been changed, and the pigs are wearing human clothing and using whips just like the human farmers before them. They take everything produced by the farm for themselves and allow the rest of the animals to have just enough to survive and work. This, of course, sets the stage for another revolution. Great, great reading in this book in acceptable condition. Previous owners name on back cover and about a three inch scratch. The covers are paperback but stiff and the front has cracked and been taped. Shipping and handling 4.60 Media mail to US destinations. Canadian residents 23.40 First Class mail. All others welcome but extra postage required and shipped entirely at your risk.