Given events taking place in modern-day Russia, it is timely to revisit this classic political satire from George Orwell. Included in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 best English language novels, the story is an allegory of the 1917 Russian Revolution and rise of Stalinism. Major themes (and the reasons for its relevance today) are the lust for and corrupting effect of power, and how an unenlightened populace can be manipulated into continued acceptance of a failed/corrupt political system. Other themes: idealism, political transition (autocracy→ socialism→ communism→ autocracy), class, animal cruelty (= exploitation of the working class).
Original Text / PDF / Audio (30,099 words)
Video Version
Produced in the heart of the Cold War and secretly funded by the CIA, this 1954 animated version of the story departs from the original in two notable ways. The most significant is the ending, where the other animals revolt against the pigs. Additionally, “Snowball” (the allegorical Leon Trotsky) is deliberately painted as a far more sinister and dangerous character than that portrayed by Orwell. Watch and enjoy!