Please Note: Due to unforeseen technical issues my blog post on Orwell’s Animal Farm has been permanently lost in the depths of the webiverse. While I like to kid myself that I’m a consummate professional, not only did I fail to back up my work but I also can’t be bothered to write the whole damn thing out again.
So I’ll make Dystopic Dares: Animal Farm 2.0 a little snappier than it was previously. My sincerest apologies.
Animal Farm by George Orwell
Orwell’s classic dystopian novella is set on Manor Farm, a relatively small plot of land that houses a handful of farmyard animals. These animals are fed up of working hard only to be treated poorly or killed by the farmer, Mr Jones, and so a rebellion is formed fronted by the pigs. What ensues is a plot rich in complex allegories pertaining to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the aftermath of World War Two.
I enjoy reading Orwell’s view of (what were) current events, which in essence is what Animal Farm is; a hypothetical essay. It is very heavy on political statement but quite light in terms of characterisation and development. It is a snapshot of history and society which, although interesting and compelling to read, fails in terms of providing the sort of entertainment achieved with fiction.
There is no doubt that Animal Farm is one of Orwell’s masterpieces. It manages to convey convoluted political situations simply, which I assume was the motive for it, but you will not favour one character over another and will definitely feel uncomfortable reading something so close to the bone. A must-read, although I’m sure you’ve all studied it already at GCSE or A Level English…
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