George Orwell's Animal Farm

George Orwell's Animal Farm

George Orwell's political fable, "Animal Farm", portrays a re-enactment of the Russian Revolution, with it's major characters cast as farm animals, and communism renamed "Animalism." True to the historical story, the aristocratic players manipulate the proletariat, deluding them with illusions of dignity and improved living conditions, while masterfully holding all of the power for themselves.

As the story opens on Mr. Jones's farm, the farm animals are preparing to meet after Mr. Jones goes to sleep, to hear the words that the old and well-respected pig, Old Major, wants to say to them. The animals gather around as Old Major tells them that he had a dream the previous night and senses that he will not live much longer. Old Major explains his dreams and ideas to all the animals.

"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plow, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits.

Another version of the flag of Animal Farm, based ...

Version of the flag of Animalism, in Animal Farm, ...

Napoleon Crossing the Alps

Yet he is lord of all the animals."

Before he dies, Old Major wants to tell the animals what he has observed and learned in his twelve years. Old Major goes on to say that animals in England are cruelly kept in slavery by man, who steals the animals' produce and is the only creature that consumes without producing. He describes his vision of an England in which animals are free and live in complete harmony and cooperation, free of the tyranny of man and his evil habits.

Old Major tells the animals that they must all band together to fight the common enemy, Man, and rise up in rebellion when the opportunity comes. He exhorts them to remain true to their animal ways.

This speech gets all the animals...