Book Report Spring Break

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. Harcourt Brace & Company: 1946


Reason, Type and Setting: Explain why you selected this book. Explain what type of book it is? (For instance, Western, adventure novel, teen romance, action, mystery, etc.) Where does you novel take place? In what time period does your book take place?

I chose this book because I remember that it was a choice to read during the 10th grade, and I heard that it was really good so I decided to read it. It is a novella with direct relation to the Russian Revolution that happened during 1917-1945

Animal farm is mainly about a group of animals that are tired of opression by the farm owner Mr. Jones, and decide to chase away the human residents of Manor Farm and the main character Napoleon the pig ultimately take over the farm for his personal interests at the expense of the other animals. As soon as the farm is free from Mr.Jones's posession Napoleon and Snowball are the two characters in the story that ultimately try to run the country as the leader. Snowball is seen with good intentions but doesn't have the forcible personality to take over Napoleon, while Napoleon soon takes over with brute force and assures the other animals that he knows whats best for the farm. At first the farm starts out hopeful, peaceful and happy, but as soon as Napoleon takes over the farm, the farm gradually gets worse and worse.

One character that I want to give an analysis of is Boxer the horse. Boxer throughout the story has incredible strength and works hard for the farm in belief of his two mottos, "I will work harder", and the key quote "Napoleon is always right". Out of context, Boxer can be seen as the Russian public because they assume that whatever the pigs do they are right. The pigs in the story are the leaders of the farm, and make decisions for Boxer in the story because he is slow witted and doesn't think about what goes on at the farm independently. Boxers personality can be accounted for driving most of the other animals to continuously follow Napoleon despite the circumstances, eventually as Boxer ages and gets sick, he get shiped by Napoleon for slaughter at a meat factory.

Overall I liked the book very well, and knowing that this has genuine real world connections to events in history it made me think about how the government can go seriously wrong in the right situations. It was entertaining to see how Napoleon twists the rules of Animal Farm to eventually making him the dictator. Though that Snowball was fated to never become leader of Animal Farm, I kind of regret that Snowball doesn't become the leader because I would've liked to see how Napoleon react when the majority of the animals approve of Snowball's actions.

I think that if I read this book as I was learning about the Russian Revolution in 10th grade would've made the book a lot more interesting to read.

If I was put in the context of Animal Farm and compared with Boxer, I think I would be almost the complete opposite, and I would've fled as Muriel the attention craving mare in the story. I overall liked how the ending came full circle as Napoleon became increasingly similar to Mr.Jones in the beginning of the story and how he ultimately becomes a human being.

George Orwell was born in England in 1903 and I know that he attended private school and knows the social elitist and social class system and how it is so skewed. He has written a futuristic novel, 1984, besides Animal Farm. I've read 1984, and I honestly like Animal Farm more than 1984, just because there are historical facts tied in to the book so well.