Book Review: Reviewing George Orwell’s Animal Farm

Animal Farm

The first time Animal Farm by George Orwell is usually read, it often happens in a school setting. It is part of a literature syllabus, studied with the aim of passing exams, writing essays, and understanding the basic themes required for assessment. At that stage, the focus is usually on identifying the allegory, remembering key events, and learning what the text represents in a broader political sense.

Because of that, the book can initially feel simple. It reads like a straightforward story about animals on a farm, and most readers are guided toward the idea that it is a political allegory. The deeper meaning is often already explained in class discussions, so the book is approached more as a text to analyze than a story to experience.

What Happens in the Story

Animal Farm by Animal Farm begins on Manor Farm, where the animals are living under the harsh rule of Mr. Jones, their human owner. The animals are overworked, underfed, and frustrated with the way they are treated. There is a clear sense of imbalance, where the animals do all the labour but receive very little in return.

One night, an old pig named Old Major gathers the animals in the barn. He shares a speech about his vision of a world where animals are free from human control. He describes humans as the root of their suffering and encourages the animals to imagine a life where they work for themselves and share the results equally. This speech becomes the foundation of what later turns into a rebellion ideology known as Animalism. Shortly after, Old Major dies, but his ideas remain behind and begin to spread quietly among the animals.

As the animals become more aware of their conditions, resentment toward Mr. Jones grows. Eventually, the situation reaches a breaking point, and the animal’s revolt. They manage to drive Mr. Jones and his workers off the farm, taking control of it themselves. This moment feels like a turning point. The farm is renamed Animal Farm, and the animals believe they are entering a new era where they will finally live with fairness and equality.

At first, the changes seem positive. The animals work together, harvest the farm, and begin organising their new society. The pigs, being considered the most intelligent, take on leadership roles. Snowball and Napoleon emerge as the main leaders, with Snowball focusing on ideas and organisation, while Napoleon appears more reserved but observant. Together, they help establish rules for the farm, the most important being that all animals are equal.

To preserve these principles, the pigs create a set of commandments that are painted on the barn wall. These rules are meant to guide life on the farm and ensure that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. For a while, things appear to function under this system. The animals work hard, and there is a shared belief that they are building something better than what existed under human rule.

However, tensions begin to rise between Snowball and Napoleon. They disagree on how the farm should be run, especially when it comes to plans for a windmill that Snowball proposes. One day, Napoleon suddenly turns against Snowball. Through a group of trained dogs he has secretly raised, he forces Snowball to flee the farm. After this, Napoleon declares himself the sole leader.

From this point onward, the structure of the farm begins to change in subtle but significant ways. The pigs begin to take more privileges. They move into the farmhouse, start sleeping in beds, and gradually separate themselves from the rest of the animals. The original commandments are quietly altered to justify these changes, even though the animals do not fully realise it at first. The famous rule “All animals are equal” slowly becomes distorted over time.

The animals who work the hardest, especially Boxer the horse, continue to believe in the ideals of the revolution. Boxer is strong, loyal, and deeply committed to the farm. His personal motto reflects his mindset: he will work harder for the benefit of Animal Farm. Even as conditions become more difficult, he continues to trust the leadership and push himself beyond his limits.

As time passes, the differences between the pigs and the other animals become more obvious. The pigs begin making decisions that benefit themselves while the rest of the animal’s struggle with labour and shortages. The promises of equality slowly fade into a system where power is concentrated in the hands of a few. Language is also used as a tool of control, with explanations and justifications given whenever the pigs’ behavior begins to contradict the original principles of Animalism.

By the final stages of the story, the farm has changed so much that the original vision feels distant. The animals can no longer clearly distinguish between the pigs and the humans they once rebelled against. What began as a revolution against inequality ends in a structure that mirrors the same kind of control they initially tried to escape.

Themes

What makes Animal Farm by George Orwell stand out is not just the story itself, but how clearly it shows the way power can change over time. On the surface, it is a simple story about animals taking over a farm. But as the events unfold, it becomes clear that the focus is really on how systems of control develop and how easily original intentions can be reshaped.

One of the strongest ideas in the book is power and how it shifts after the rebellion. At the beginning, the animals believe they are creating a fair society where no one is above anyone else. But once the pigs take leadership, especially Napoleon, power slowly becomes concentrated in one group. What starts as organization gradually turns into control. Decisions are no longer made for everyone’s benefit, but for the benefit of those in charge.

Closely connected to this is the idea of corruption. The changes on the farm do not happen all at once. They happen in stages, and each stage is small enough to seem acceptable at first. The pigs begin by taking slightly better food, then more comfortable living conditions, and eventually full privileges that separate them completely from the other animals. What makes this more striking is that none of it is presented as a sudden betrayal. It happens gradually, in a way that feels almost normal as the story progresses.

Language also plays a major role in how control is maintained. The rules that were once clearly written on the barn wall begin to change over time. Instead of being completely rewritten at once, they are quietly adjusted so that they still appear to match the original principles. This use of language makes it difficult for the other animals to fully recognize what is happening. Even when things feel wrong, the explanation given is often enough to calm doubt.

Another important theme is inequality. Even though the revolution was built on the idea that all animals are equal, the farm slowly becomes divided. The pigs separate themselves from the others, not just in terms of comfort, but also in decision-making and authority. The working animals, especially Boxer, represent those who continue to believe in the system even when it no longer benefits them. Their loyalty keeps the system running, even as inequality becomes more obvious.

There is also a strong sense of manipulation throughout the story. The animals are not forced into submission all at once; instead, they are guided into accepting changes through persuasion, repetition, and reassurance. When confusion arises, it is often redirected or explained away. Over time, this creates a situation where the animals begin to doubt their own memory and judgement, relying instead on those in power to define what is true.

By the end of the novel, these themes come together in a way that reflects how systems can evolve without anyone fully noticing the exact moment they change. The farm no longer resembles the original vision the animals fought for. Instead, it mirrors many of the same structures they once believed they had escaped.