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George Orwell's "Animal Farm" appears to be a simple tale about animals, but it is a political allegory that portrays the history of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union. It was translated into Burmese as "The Four-legged Revolution" by Thakin Ba Thaung.
Plot Summary
A man named Mr. Jones owns a property called Manor Farm and keeps animals there. One night, an old pig named Old Major calls all the animals together to tell them about a dream. In his dream, all the animals are free from human exploitation and rule themselves. Old Major urges the animals to rebel and shares his ideology called "Animalism".
Old Major's Main Teachings
All humans are enemies.
All creatures with four legs or wings are friends.
The revolutionary song, "Beasts of England".
A few days later, Old Major dies. But his words are carried on by other pigs named Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer. They further develop "Animalism" and prepare for a secret revolution.
One day, Mr. Jones gets drunk and fails to feed the animals, instead beating them. The animals, unable to tolerate it any longer, revolt and drive Mr. Jones and his men off the farm. The animals seize control and change the name of the farm from "Manor Farm" to "Animal Farm".
After the successful revolution, the pigs draw up the "Seven Commandments". They are as follows:
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal.
These commandments are written in large black letters on the barn door, and Snowball makes the illiterate animals memorize them.
In the early days after the revolution, Animal Farm is successful. All the animals work together and enjoy a better life than before. Snowball tries to improve the animals' lives with literacy classes and plans to build a Windmill. Meanwhile, Napoleon mostly remains silent, plotting in secret.
In the "Battle of the Cowshed", where Mr. Jones and his workers attempt to reclaim the farm, the animals are victorious and drive the humans out once again. Snowball leads the animals heroically in this battle.
Shortly after, a power struggle begins between Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball proposes a plan to build a Windmill, which would reduce the animals' working hours and provide electricity. Napoleon opposes this plan, arguing that the animals should focus only on finding food.
During a meeting where Snowball is explaining the benefits of the Windmill, Napoleon calls his trained dogs to attack Snowball. The dogs chase Snowball off the farm, and Napoleon takes complete control.
After gaining power, Napoleon cancels the animal meetings. He announces that all decisions will be made and announced by a committee of pigs. Strangely, he then decides to build the Windmill, claiming that the idea was his all along and Snowball had stolen it from him.
The pig Squealer, Napoleon's propaganda chief, works to manipulate the animals, accusing Snowball of being an agent of Mr. Jones and an enemy. Snowball, who was once a hero, is now portrayed as a traitor, and history is rewritten.
Napoleon and the other pigs begin to secretly change the commandments. For example:
"No animal shall sleep in a bed" becomes "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets".
"No animal shall drink alcohol" becomes "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess".
"No animal shall kill any other animal" becomes "No animal shall kill any other animal without cause".
The illiterate animals do not notice these changes. They remember things as they were before, and Squealer always tells them they are mistaken and do not remember the original commandments.
Napoleon gradually becomes more dictatorial, breeding a pack of dogs as his personal bodyguards. He starts a practice of forcing "confessions" from the animals for crimes they didn't commit. The animals who "confess" are then killed by the dogs.
The horse Boxer is a dedicated worker whose mottoes are "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right." But when he grows old and falls ill, Napoleon pretends to send him to the hospital for his own good. In reality, he sells Boxer to the slaughterhouse to be killed.
The pigs gradually start to wear clothes and walk on two legs. They begin trading with humans and take up drinking alcohol and gambling. At the same time, the other animals' conditions worsen. They face more starvation and forced labor.
Finally, the last commandment, "All animals are equal," is changed to "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
In the end, the pig leaders and the neighboring human farmers hold a party together. The animals watching from outside the window can no longer distinguish between the pigs and the humans. The final sentence of the book is a powerful conclusion: "The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
Characters and Their Allegories
"Animal Farm" is not a simple animal story. It is an allegory of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Soviet Union. The characters are closely related to historical political figures.
Old Major = Karl Marx and Lenin
Snowball = Leon Trotsky
Napoleon = Joseph Stalin
Boxer = The Soviet working class
Squealer = The Soviet propaganda system
Mr. Jones = Tsar Nicholas II
Windmill = The industrialization plans
Key Lessons
George Orwell shows how revolutions can be corrupted and how movements that start with good intentions can lead to tyranny. Although the book was published in 1945, its themes remain relevant today.
1. The Corrupting Nature of Power
The first notable lesson in "Animal Farm" is the corrupting nature of power. The pig leader Napoleon, once a "hero of the rebellion," changes his behavior after gaining power, becoming just like the human masters he fought against.
"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
We must not forget that "those who hold power can be corrupted by its pressures, no matter how noble their initial intentions."
2. The Importance of Education and Knowledge
In Animal Farm, the sheep, hens, and cows are illiterate. Because of this, they cannot understand the "Animal Law" that the pig leaders manipulate. As a result, the pigs secretly change the law and seize privileges for themselves.
"An uneducated public is easily manipulated. Education is the main weapon for liberation."
Orwell warns us of this. We must learn to think and question. It is not enough to simply listen without understanding.
3. The Abuse of Propaganda and Language
In Animal Farm, the pig Squealer serves as the chief of propaganda. He uses distorted words, lies, and misinformation to deceive the animals and conceal the truth.
"The use of language as a weapon is the most dangerous. Rewriting history and changing meanings are methods used to control the public."
We should be aware of this.
4. The Gap Between Ideology and Reality
In Animal Farm, the pig leader Snowball had plans that could have brought genuine success for all the animals, but Napoleon removed him. After this, all the good intentions of "Animalism" were corrupted.
"Beautiful ideologies are often corrupted in practice. The original intention and the final outcome can sometimes be completely different."
This is what the book reveals.
5. The Need to Scrutinize Leaders
In Animal Farm, the animals do not dare to question or criticize Napoleon. They simply say "yes" to whatever he says. Because of this, they gradually lose their rights.
"Accepting those in power without questioning is dangerous. For democracy to survive, leaders must always be scrutinized."
This is the lesson we learn.
6. The Rewriting of History
In Animal Farm, Napoleon rewrites history and erases his enemy, Snowball, from it. He takes credit for Snowball's good deeds and blames him for all the negative things that happen.
"He who controls the past controls the future. Therefore, it is important to know and record the true history."
This is a crucial point to remember.
7. The Corruption of Revolutionary Ideals
The greatest tragedy of "Animal Farm" is how the good intentions of "Old Major" gradually become corrupted. The animals' lives end up being even worse than they were before the revolution.
"Revolutions often deviate from their original purpose. One group simply replaces another, and no real change occurs."
This is a warning from the book.
Although this book was published in 1945, its truths remain relevant in today's world. Therefore, it is hoped that learning and understanding the lessons of "Animal Farm" will help to build a better society.
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