Animal Farm

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Since this essay is suppose to be quite short and mostly about the quotes, I’ve chosen a couple of big, fat ones that caught my eye while I was reading the book. There were, of course, lots of probably better chapters in the book that described the authors intentions more accurately, but I chose these three because I stopped and thought when I red them.

The language in Animal farm is quite advanced compared to my previous encounters. But somehow one could always follow the plot anyway, since the writer has a way of putting the words and phrases so that they become understandable for everyone. The animals in the book are also described very characteristic and funny, with the easily scared hens and ducks, the stupid cheep and short-tempered dogs. All this creates an even more horrible, but effective mood swing later when the animals suddenly start to kill each other.

I don’t think that the purpose of the novel is just to criticise the Soviet Union, as is soon understood from the catchy parallels from the book to reality, but also to explain how something that started out as something good could go so very, VERY wrong. And also how people in touch with power often get corrupted.
All together I thought it was a very good and thought-through book with many memorable lessons to teach us that lives today. We must always be on our guard against dictators and injustice and never let someone else make our decisions for us.

Quotes
“At the foot of the end wall of the big barn, where the seven Commandments were written, there lay a ladder broken in two pieces. Squealer, temporarily stunned, was sprawling beside it, and near at hand there laid a lantern, a paint-brush, and an overturned pot of white paint. The dogs immediately made a ring round Squealer, and escorted him back to the farmhouse as soon as he was able to walk.” (Page 67-68)

After I had read this episode of the book, I got very concerned about the mental health of the animals at the farm. They seemed unable to comprehend what was going on, even thou they saw it with their own eyes. But then, as the writer had probably intended, I started to think more closely about it. And after a while I realised that the same phenomenon existed amongst us humans. We tend to shut our eyes to things that we don’t want to happen, because it makes us feel insecure and confused.
It also describes the mistrust the pigs host against their fellow “comrades” and the fact that the pigs have abandoned the original cause of the whole rebellion and become as corrupt and false as their neighbouring farms (or countries, if you like). They try to cover up what they’re doing to the other animals by deceiving them into believing that they’re still fighting four the same ideals and standards as always. They have the power to change the past.

“Comrades!” he cried. “You do not imagine I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this had been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the wellbeing of a pig. We pigs are brain workers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,” cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail,” surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones back?” (Page 22)

This episode clearly shows how cleverly the pigs toy with the subjects feelings and use their fear of Jones against them as a mean of control. They describe themselves as the only thing standing between the animals and their former master. And being as important and hard-working as they are, they naturally need certain favours and advantages over the other animals.

“Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No questio...