The warning of 'Animal Farm' remains relevant today

Seventy-five years ago, almost to the day, a slim book replete with meaning was published, captivating the minds of readers worldwide. Even today, George Orwell’s Animal Farm remains relevant.

When I first read the book, I found it interesting, humorous, a simple tale of animals managing themselves after rebelling against their masters. Later, at a seminar on Orwell’s works, I discerned what a powerful book it was -- a biting satire on totalitarianism, written in the wake of World War II and published amidst the rise of the Soviet Union.

Animal Farm is a story told through animals living in a barn. The animals are treated harshly, leading to a widespread rebellion in which they overthrow their human masters. The motive being that the animals must reap the benefits of their labours, create a society where all animals are equal, free and happy, and lead a life of their own

Following the rebellion, the pigs in the farm become more educated, even learning to read and write and formulating a legal code (including one that says “All animals are equal”), that all must follow. In time, the pigs become powerful, corrupt and change the legal code for their own benefit (“…some animals are more equal”), betraying the rebellion, thus taking the farm life to its former state under the dictatorship of a pig named Napolean.

When the book was published, reviewers didn’t think it was a simple, straight-forward story, terming it a “caustic satire”, a “gentle satire on a certain State,” etc.

Since then, the book has been subject to much critique. More than a fairy tale, it is about human nature, social systems and more.

Orwell himself noted that the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era. Orwell was a critic of Joseph Stalin and his brutal dictatorship, built upon a personality cult and enforced by a reign of terror. In fact, Orwell, in his essay, ‘Why I write’ wrote that Animal Farm was the first book in which he tried, with full consciousness, “to fuse political and artistic purpose into one whole.”

Indeed, the book may be an allegory for Communism in the Soviet Union, with the then Soviet leaders depicted as animals and demonstrating how revolutions usually freed the oppressed only for the new leadership to then create its own form of oppression. Crucially, it tells of power and corruption and how a democratic farm turns into a dictatorship by using propaganda, fear and force.

We live in similar times and it is precisely at these times that books like Animal Farm become relevant and merit reading regularly to remind us how dictators take advantage of the human desire for a better world for their own selfish interests. And thus for people to be alert to question power, hold leaders and the government accountable, and put society into perspective.

Orwell cleverly used the key characters in the book to take a dig at what every dictatorial regime, whether Stalinist USSR or regimes of our own times, looks like.

‘Napoleon’, the farm’s power-hungry Pig-In-Charge is full of lies, distorts reality and lacks empathy for those he rules. ‘Squealer’, Napoleon’s ‘mouthpiece’ has no qualms of the conscience in perpetuating the lies of Napoleon to distort the truth to control. ‘Snowball’, Napoleon’s lieutenant is an intelligent pig, gifted with oratory skills and thinks of his own gain, only to be exiled by Napoleon. ‘Benjamin’ is a donkey who thinks rationally but is unwilling to speak up or stand up against wrongdoing. Do not the brilliant analogies bring to mind some present-day charismatic leaders of our world? Don’t we recognise a Napoleon, a Snowball, a Squealer, a Boxer or a Benjamin in some regime or the other?

As one of the significant socio-political works of all time, the book is a true reflection of the political system across the world. It depicts human beings at their best and their worst and the demons within them -- how good intentions can be subverted into tyranny and the betrayal of the hopes of the masses.

There are messages in the book that ring true even today. One of the most well-known quotes is “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” A rule that was conveniently changed from the initial “all animals are equal.” A telling comment on how leaders change the rules to suit their own agendas, on governments guaranteeing equality to all but ensuring power and privileges to a select few.

Orwell, through his characters, shows how those in power get corrupt by abusing it for personal gain and how they try to control the people to remain in power.

In the final analysis, one can only doff one’s hat to Orwell for his incredible foresight and writing such a remarkable allegory to highlight issues such as greed, betrayal, inequality, deceit, oppression, manipulation, corruption, hunger for power and a warning that history can repeat itself.

It is also an eye-opener for the masses not to be brainwashed by the ruling class; not to remain neutral or silent and to be wary of false propaganda of any new leadership that might take control over personal freedoms and liberties.

Aptly enough, the happenings in Animal Farm need not be confined to just politics but to businesses, corporates, institutions, even families where people in power could be manipulative and employ various ways and means for their own selfish ends. All in all, a powerful book that is as relevant today as it was 75 years ago.

(The writer is a senior journalist and author/editor of three books on Bengaluru)