Animal Farm

by Tony Buzan and Lona MacGregor

Book Overview

If you're looking for an explanation of Animal Farm's themes, plot points, character actions and motivations, plus discussions of George Orwell's unique literary style and point of view, reach for the Literature Made Easy Series.

This enlightening guide uses meaningful text, extensive illustrations and imaginative graphics to make this novel clearer, livelier, and more easily understood than ordinary literature plot summaries...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0764108190
• ISBN13: 9780764108198
• Release Date: April 1999
• Publisher: Barrons Educational Series
• Length: 86 Pages
• Weight: 0.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 5.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

The power of words ...

"Animal farm" is to this day one of the best attempts to criticize a totalitarian regime through the means that literature provides: the power of words. George Orwell (1903- 1950) wanted to help others to realize things that for him were evident, and attempted to do so by writing a fable that can easily be read as a satire of the Russian Revolution. Orwell said in an article that "Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic Socialism, as I understand it. It seems to me nonsense, in a period like our own, to think that one can avoid writing of such subjects. It is simply a question of which side one takes and what approach one follows". Orwell also pointed out that "Animal Farm was the first book in which I tried, with full consciousness of what I was doing, to fuse political purpose and artistic purpose into one whole". He succeded beyond his wildest expectations, even though at first nobody wanted to publish this work because it was too controversial. The plot of this book is relatively easy to grasp, and I think that is probably one of the reasons why it is so popular. Some animals decide to take over the conduction of a farm, because they believe there is too much injustice, and that they would improve the situation if they had the power to do so. They make a revolution, and end up evicting Mr. Jones, the owner of the farm. From that moment onwards, the farm is called "Animal farm"... The animals establish seven "commandments", that they are supposed to obey at all moments in the new "Animal farm": 1- Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, 2 - Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend, 3- No animal shall wear clothes, 4 - No animal shall sleep in a bed , 5 -No animal shall drink alcohol, 6 - No animal shall kill another animal , 7- All animals are created equal. At the same time, all commandments can be comprised in a maxim: "Four legs good, two legs bad". Everything seems all right for sometime, and all the animals work together for the success of the revolution, obeying the commandments and striving for a new order of things. However, after a while the pigs begin to think that being part of the animal revolution is not enough: they want to dominate it. After that first realization things take a quick turn for the worse, and we cease to be in the presence of a "wannabe utopical society", having instead to be unwilling witnesses to the birth of a new totalitarian society. At that moment, the pigs even change some of the commandments. For example, the fourth commandment turns into "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets", and the sixth commandment says "No animal shall kill another animal without cause". Now, the commandments can be reduced to "Four legs good, two legs better". Finally, all the commandments will be replaced with one: "All animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others". All in

"Four legs good, two legs bad!!!"

"Animal Farm" by George Orwell was never required reading for me when I was in school, so it took me some time to finally get around to reading it. I found it to be a complete and enjoyable read that had me hooked from the very first sentence. It is an excellent exercise in symbolism and creative imagination. While the book may be a very short read, it brings a whole lot to the table by giving you an interesting take on how history can be reenacted in the most imaginative ways. The animals on Mr. Jones' farm have had enough of what they deem to be slavery. They're tired of being ordered around by humans while they see no benefits in their daily work. This is all sparked by a dream that the boar, Major, had about a unique place where animals called the shots and never had to be ordered around by humans ever again. He tells them a revolution is very much needed. When Major dies, the animals act quickly and are able to overthrow the alcoholic farmer and his thugs from his very own farm. The pigs are in charge now, as they claim that they are much smarter than the others and know how to lead. What seems to be paradise quickly transforms into another form of slavery altogether enforced by propaganda and threats from the pigs. And yet, the animals do not know any better, as they are deceived by the new system that gives them the illusion that they are better off than they were with Mr. Jones calling the shots. The book is greatly inspired by real events that went down during the era of communism in Russia, using animals as the actual people. While it helps to know about that time period, the book is written so well that it is easily understood even if you only know a little about what happened during that time. The use of animals was a very creative way to tell this story, as it gives you a big incentive to actually care for these characters. Had this just been about real people, then it would've just sounded like anything you could find in your history books. Orwell finds a much more interesting way of tackling the topic. He gives life to every one of his characters and they all elicit some kind of a feeling from you. There are times when the book is funny, and then there are times when it is just downright chilling (the last chapter will stay in your head for more than a few hours). George Orwell's "Animal Farm" is a genuine masterpiece that quickly hooks the reader from the very beginning. It's an extremely easy read as well as an enjoyable one--not enjoyable in the sense that this is a "happy tale," but enjoyable in the sense that you really feel like you're reading something great. If you haven't had the chance to check it out, make sure you add this to your reading list. It is something that should be read by everyone at least once in their life, even if they don't end up enjoying it as much as others. I loved every single word that was written in the extremely creative read. This is an important classic in literature that shouldn't be m

Has Lost None of Its Power

Animal Farm is, quite simply, one of the best and most powerful books ever written. I first read it at 12 years of age but couldn't appreciate the author's entire message, not having the requisite knowledge of the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. Reading it again, however, I came to understand and fully appreciate the genius of George Orwell.Animal Farm is a scathing criticism of Communism, or more specifically, the Communist system of the former USSR. Himself a Socialist, Orwell detested the way in which its ideals were twisted and manipulated by those in power in the USSR, resulting in a terrible fate for the common people. The story pulls no punches; although Orwell uses the fictional setting of a farm with talking animals, his aim is to expose the reader to the hypocrisy of the Soviet regime. The figure of Josef Stalin is easily identified in the character Napoleon, one of the leaders of the animal rebellion. The leaders were first inspired by Major, an aging boar on the farm who clearly represents Karl Marx. Major had given the farm animals the idea that they should strive for a better life than their current plight . After his death, Napoleon and Snowball, another character representing Vladimir Lenin, lead the overthrow of the human-run farm and establish "Animal Farm." But Napoleon later assumes complete control over the Rebellion, and, as Stalin did, betrays virtually all aims and maxims originally put forth by the rebellion founders. The story ends with the common farm animals in a far worse state of affairs than when the story began.Orwell used his "fairy story," published in 1945, to remind people of the dangers of Soviet Russia, and to differentiate it from the idea of Socialism. It is also a condemnation of totalitarianism in general (one can clearly see Joseph Goebbels in the character of Squealer, the mouthpiece of the rebellion).These messages are just as powerful today as they were when Orwell first wrote them over half a century ago.To paraphrase the chilling Commandment from the last chapter: "All authors are equal, but some authors are more equal than others."Read, and understand. Orwell achieved a perfection rarely matched in literature.Five stars.

Brilliant Metaphorical Work

Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a brilliant metaphorical work that conveys a message of the ruling classes versus the working classes. This "Fairy Story" of animals rising against their oppressive leader is symbolic of the communist movements in Europe and Russia and reflects the characteristics of a society ruled by a dictatorship. The book demonstrates how power can gradually corrupt an individual and lead to a system which may or may not be favorable to the masses. Animal Farm is a story that takes place on a farm in England. It begins with the boar, Old Major, at a meeting which includes all the animals on the farm, telling them of a dream he had about an animal rebellion against their care giver, Mr. Jones. Upon contemplation, the animals decide to rebel. Through key characters such as Snowball, Napoleon, and Boxer, Orwell intertwines their important characteristics and delivers an important message about the effects of a Totalitarian ruled society, its consequences, and the fate of this type of society. Orwell depicts many relevant scenes that contain betrayal, heroism, cowardice, loyalty, and friendship, which are all important in reflecting the nuances and characteristics attributed to a totalitarian-ruled society. Animal Farm, in my opinion, is a truly wonderful book. It deals with many complicated issues, but through the easy writing of Orwell, the reader can understand the issues of communism, capitalism, and the many aspects of a totalitarian dictatorship. The symbolism of each character in the story is clear. The reader sees, for example, that Napoleon represents Stalin, that Snowball represents Trotsky, and that Boxer represents the proletariat. The book blends humor with tragedy. Animal Farm deals with issues of inequality versus equality and the importance of education in determining whether or not one is being unfairly treated. Naivete can be a dangerous characteristic, and Orwell conveys this idea in his story. I strongly recommend this book. It is an easy read compared to other books which try to explain and discuss the same subject matter. With Animal Farm, one can grasp the concepts of Totalitarianism, due to the brilliant writing style of Orwell.

So Who's Who?

A quite excellent book and the best political satire I have ever read. Can only be fully appreciated if the reader is familliar with the history of the Russian Revolution. For those who aren't, here is a list of who, or what, I thought the various animals and events represented.Jones:= The Aristocracy. The Old Major:= Lenin. Napoleon:= Stalin. Snowball:= Trotsky. Squealer:= Beria?. Boxer:= The male Peasants. Dolly:= The female Peasants. The Pigs:= The Communist Party. The Dogs:= The NKVD. The Sheep:= The Army. The Raven:= The Clergy. The Donkey:= The Intellectuals, maybe the Jews. The Windmill:= Stalin's 5 year plans. Frederick`s Farm:= Germany. Pilkington Farm:= The West. The Counterfeit Money:= The Molotov-Rippentrop Pact.Hope this is useful.