Eric Arthur Blair was born in India in 1903. As he was an excellent student, he was offered a scholarship on a prestigious university in England. However, he refused to continue his studies. Since 1922 he had been living in Burma, where he worked as a police officer. After his return to Europe, he settled down in an industrial suburb of London which influenced his social compassion. This period of life resulted in publishing a socially-aimed novel The road to Wigan Pier in 1937. Orwell also took part in Spanish civil war, in course of which he was wounded. His memories are summed up in Homage to Catalonia released in 1938. During the second world war he worked for BBC as a journalist. A great success came in 1945 after publishing Animal Farm, which reflected his negative attitude to the Soviet regime, followed by another allegoric novel called 1984. One year after publishing this legendary novel, Orwell died, aged 47.
Despite being published in 1945, this exquisite piece of political satire remains topical even nowadays. The novel embodies the idea of a society where all people are equal, yet some of them are more equal than the others.
The story begins with a revolution of humiliated animals who had long suffered under the tyranny of man. Soon after the revolution, two pigs – Napoleon and Snowball set themselves in the role of leaders. To imprint the basic rules into animals´ minds, Seven Commandments (a sort of constitution) are written on the wall. After a certain period of time a coup d´état took place, establishing Napoleon as a new leader. With a guard of fierce-looking dogs, he keeps other animals in fear and obedience. Step by step the pigs are acting more like human beings including money trade, wearing clothes etc. The happening culminates, when the pigs started to walk on theirs hind legs, using a whip to keep other animals at work.
In my opinion, Animal farm is a very well written compelling story. Everything is said straight and clearly. Although the book deals with such a serious topic, it always keeps the reader entertained yet awared of what´s really happening.
25. září 2007