In five words: masterpiece, Stalin, dystopia, idealism, satire
I have reread Orwell’s 1984 more times than I can admit. I think it (and he) is what started my lifelong love of dystopian fiction. Even though Animal Farm is much shorter, and I’m sure I read it in high school (only because it lives on my bookshelves in the “stuff from high school” area) I didn’t remember much about it. My kiddo came home with it from 9th grade and I grabbed my copy, ready to do a read along. (Well not really a read along, because he doesn’t really talk about it with me, but a “I’m going to read it just in the hopes that he might bring it up.” Reading as preperation for possible teen convo: I’ve read books for sillier reasons, to be sure.)
The first thing I said to him about it was, “I’m not feeling great about these pigs.” Suffice it to say, it all came back to me pretty fast. For those unfamiliar, this story was originally conceived by Orwell based on the events of Russia’s Bolshevik revolution in 1917 and the betrayal under dictator Joseph Stalin. It’s amazing how even if you know nothing of that history, this book is just as relevant and timeless today. In fact, Andy Serkis looks to be adapating it into a new film to be released in 2025.
In America, we are gripped by polarization and struggle to define and make progress on the concepts of equality and inclusion so this book serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of who is “allowed” to make decisions and policy on the very essence of humanity. The line “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” struck me in particular. I was also particularly gutted by the horse Boxer’s refrain of “I will work harder” as the answer to his reduction in status, resources, etc. Not everyone can achieve the same, no matter how much they will it and work for it if everyone is starting out on unequal footing.
It’s astonishing that Orwell did so much with so little, with this book coming in at an astonishly short 141 pages. I’m glad I had occassion to revisit it.