Animal Farm by George Orwell is a playful yet thought-provoking interpretation of one of the most defining events of modern history.                                                       

The story takes place on a small farm in England filled with farm animals disgruntled with their low standard of life, the blame of which is put on their owner Mr. Jones. Two very intelligent pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, lead the animals in their overthrowing of their human overlords and the creation of a sovereign animal republic. The rest of the book deals with the trials and tribulations that come in the aftermath of a revolution, among other issues, and how it affects the individual lives of every animal on the farm.

The most pressing issue in Animal Farm is the corruption of the pigs as the self-appointed leaders of the animals. Orwell exquisitely emulates the

 events of the Russian Revolution in this novel. In both Animal Farm and the historical period it’s based on, the idea of absolute power corrupting absolutely is extremely palp
able. However, one of the most important goals that Animal Farm achieves that many accounts of the Russian Revolution do not is show interest in the lives of the average citizen of a country in the wake of a revolution. For example, one character, a horse named Boxer, blindly devotes himself to the ideals of the revolution at the expense of his physical well-being.

One of two things that Animal Farm does best is explain what happens immediately after a revolution, which is something not explored very much in media. However, Orwell’s crowning achievement in the novel is the concept of the corruption of the ruling class. Mr. Jones, the original owner of the farm, treated the animals harshly. After the revolution, the pigs begin treating the other animals unfairly. A quote from the story that strongly reinforces this idea is “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 90). For these reasons, Animal Farm is a riveting mock of the Russian Revolution that also succeeds in making reader sympathize with the plight and perils of the average citizen, whether they be man or beast.