Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a political fable that tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebel against their cruel human master, hoping to create a society where all animals are equal, free, and happy. Inspired by the dream of the wise old pig Old Major, the animals overthrow the farmer Mr. Jones and take control of the farm, renaming it Animal Farm.

At first, the animals work together to build an egalitarian community based on the principles of Animalism, summarized in the Seven Commandments painted on the barn wall. However, over time, the pigs—led by the cunning and power-hungry Napoleon—begin to seize control. They gradually assume privileges, manipulate language and truth, and use fear and propaganda to maintain power. Eventually, they become indistinguishable from the humans they once overthrew.

This allegory clearly reflects the events of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of Stalinism. The animals represent different social and political groups, while the pigs symbolize the revolutionary leaders who, after gaining power, become as oppressive as the regime they replaced. The rebellion, which initially stands for workers taking control of their destiny—as occurred in the early days of the Soviet Union—ultimately fails due to the animals' lack of education, critical thinking, and social awareness.

The fable illustrates the cyclical nature of tyranny: revolutions may begin with ideals of equality and justice, but without vigilance, they can easily result in new forms of oppression.

In the supposedly equal society of Animal Farm, all animals work tirelessly for the common good, believing in the revolutionary dream. However, one day, they are shocked by an unexpected and deeply disturbing sight: the pigs are walking on two legs, just like humans. This moment marks the complete betrayal of the revolution’s ideals. All animals, except the sheep, are horrified and on the verge of protesting.

Instead, the pigs parade through the yard in a grotesque parody of military ceremonies, symbolizing how they have fully embraced the authoritarianism and elitism of their former enemies. The message is unmistakable: the revolutionary leaders have become the very tyrants they once opposed.

This transformation is personified in Napoleon, whose name alludes to Napoleon Bonaparte, a revolutionary leader who crowned himself emperor. Orwell uses this reference to show how revolutions often lead to new dictatorships.

The sheep represent the unthinking masses in totalitarian regimes: they mindlessly repeat slogans such as “Four legs good, two legs better!”, a distortion of the original revolutionary motto “Four legs good, two legs bad.” Their blind obedience helps maintain the regime and silence dissent.

In the end, all the ideals of equality are erased. The final version of the Seven Commandments is reduced to a single chilling phrase:

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

This cynical rewording reflects the hypocrisy of totalitarian regimes, where equality exists only in theory, while in practice, power is concentrated in the hands of a privileged few.