Animal Farm by George Orwell - A Communist Parody

Animal Farm is a novel first published by George Orwell in 1945. According to Orwell, the story was loosely based on the events leading up to the Russian Revolution in 1917 and the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union. In the stories, each animal represents a stereotype of people in the society. For example, the pig Squeaker is a epitome of a propaganda minister whose job is to wash away people's protests and doubts. The horse Boxer resemble a dedicated, hardworking, loyal but gullible working person. The cat is similar to an opportunist, a lazy but sweet-talk person. In the story, you can relate to all kinds of people that you might encounter in the society.

While it is quite an oversimplification of life, I recognize from the book some issues of tyranny and authoritarian in a real society. The authority uses lies and fake statistics to back up its claims, and utilizes brutality to silence any opposition.

When everybody around you thinks something is true, you start believing that it is true and questioning your own intelligence.

When you leave yourself vulnerable to the mercy of the state, more often than not, you will be exploited and taken advantage of.

Life is obviously more complicated than what the book has to say. Most animals in the book are either the villain or victims, who are unable to think for themselves or defend themselves. This is not the case in real life though since there are not just black and white but the whole shades of color. Nonetheless, the lesson I learn from the story is to become more critical and believe in my own ability to think for myself.