Animal Farm 778

The short novel “Animal Farm” by George Orwell (1903— 1950) is an allegory about the 1917 revolution and further events that marked the formation of Stalinism in the USSR in the run-up to World War II. With bitter irony and sarcasm, the writer depicts the community of animals who together bravely rose up against human tyranny and ended up under total domination by a gang of pigs led by Napoleon, a voracious boar. One by one the Seven Commandments of Animalism disappear from the wall of the barn, and even the last, the most fundamental one — “All animals are equal” — now reads: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others”. Orwell’s parable is poignant up to this day. It is a reminder for us all that a community should be attentive. After all, modern history has many instances where cruel tyrants seized power by promising equality and bright futures.