Banned Books: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Animal Farm by
George Orwell
It all started with an emotional and moving speech by the
old boar Major. A rebellion was necessary. The animals of the Manor Farm needed
to rebel against the humans and work for themselves. Major believed that
animals should benefit from their labor not humans. Man was the root of all
their problems. The animals could work together, oust the humans and run the
farm themselves. Major died, but leaders emerged in two boars, Snowball and
Napoleon. Through meetings in the barn they created Animalism, based off
Major’s teachings, and eventually the animals banded together and rebelled
against the humans taking the farm as their own. The pigs, who learned how to
read and write, created seven commandments for the animals to live by. All
animals were equal. All decisions were to put to a vote. The farm was
prosperous. Then greed and opportunity stepped in and those who could take
power did. The commandments slowly began to change. Accusations and fear ran
rapid throughout the farm. What was a democracy became a dictatorship.
Animal Farm is an amazing, well written
novel that examines how decisions made under the most honorable conditions can
eventually lead to destruction. The first phrase that came to mind while
reading this book was “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” and I
can not find one more fitting. When the idea was originally formed for the
animals to rebel, Major imagined a world where animals were self sufficient and
in no way were dependent on man. After his death, Snowball and Napoleon took
those ideas and created a system that would benefit the animals. They worked
together to make the farm work to provide for all. They were successful. All of
the animals trusted each other and worked together. Then one animal stepped
forward and took power. He manipulated the other animals, playing on their
fears and capitalizing on their ignorance. Eventually he held all the qualities
that the animals rebelled against in the first place, Man.
This is
an incredibly thought provoking novel that reflects, in more ways than can be
measured, the downfall of society. It is all too easy to imagine the events
described in this novel, taking place today in our own society. When ignorant
we forget what it is was we were fighting for. When uneducated we have no means
to defend ourselves. When too trusting we can be neglected and led into harms
way. Animal Farm elegantly, but
simply, put into words how society loses its strength when it trust too much in
the leaders whose greed have taken them away from caring about society.
Animal Farm, according to the American
Library Association, has been banned numerous times for reasons ranging from
George Orwell being a communist, to the political theories in the novel. I
believe that because of its political theory and the style used to deliver its
message that we should encourage more people to read this book. Many high
schools have this book on their required reading list and its obvious why. We
should want to teach our youth to examine their world and think for themselves!
I applaud George Orwell for writing such a wonderful and yet solemn novel that
reflects many societies so vividly.
Banned and/or Challenged Books from the Radcliffe Publishing
Course Top 100 Novels of the 20th Century. Retrieved January 31,
2014 from http://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/classics/reasons
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