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Ida Nasatir book review

Animal Farm by George Orwell

March 13, 1947: Book Review—Animal Farm by George Orwell—Southwestern Jewish Press, page 6: George Orwell's keen satirical new book, Animal Farm, does not have a Jewish name, but its contents will appeal to all thinking people. Orwell has been likened to Switf and Voltaire, since this book has the same double meaning, the sharp edge, and the lucidity used so masterfully by those two literary figures. Animal Farm is a neat little book.  Once having started it, you will read it through in one sitting. At least, you will want to. The writing is sharp and as clear as clean glass. His central thesis is that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. He illustrates this by use of animals, the latter he turns into caricatures of Russian leaders. It appears that the animals of Manor Farm, the cart-horses Boxer and Clover, Benjamin, the wise old donkey, the wily pigs, the hens and geese, have long been underfed and mistreated by Mr. Jones, their drunken owner. So, when Old Major, the prize boar, now in his twelfth year (he is supposedly Lenin) feels the approach of death, he calls the comrades to him, lectures them on their stupidity, fires them with the thought of rebellion that is coming, and then, clearing his throat, begins to sing a stirring song, "Beasts of England." Sung to the lively tune of "La Cucaracha," it has many verses, the first two of which are: Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland/ Beasts of every land and clime,/Hearken to my joyful tidings/ Of the golden future time./ Soon or late the day is coming/ Tyrant Man shall be overthrown,/ And the fruitful fields of England/ Shall be trod by beasts alone... Soon after teaching the animals this song of liberation, Major dies. The animals then organize under the leadership of the pigs. Two pigs stand out—Napoleon, "not much of a talker, but with a reputation of getting his own way (this is supposedly Stalin), and Snowball, more vivacious and eloquent, but "not considered to have the same depth of character. (Snowball is a caricature of Trotsky.) One weekend , Farmer Jones, drunk and sleepy, forgets to feed the animals, and almost before they know it, the animals have chased Jones off the farm.  The pigs become the leaders. Once Jones tries to come back, but the animals, led by Snowball, rout him at the famous "Battle of the Cowshed." For his heroism, Snowball receives a clover citation, "Animal Hero, First class." But shortly thereafter, Napoleon drives Snowball off the farm, and he tells the rest of the animals, that far from being a patriot, Snowball has been a traitor all along, plotting against the security of animal Farm. Thereafter, everything that goes wrong on the farm, is ascribed by Napoleon to the infamous plotting of Snowball.  Slowly Napoleon consolidates his tyrannical hold over the bewildered animals, who can never quite understand what is happening to them. Those who wonder too much are executed as traitors in league with Snowball. After the great purge, the singing of "Beasts of England" is forbidden because it "expressed our longing for a better society  in days to come. But that society has now been established.  Clearly, the song has no longer any purpose." The pigs move into Farmer Jones' house and adopt his human habits; Napoleon makes deals with neighboring farmers, and more and more the just and decent principles of animalism are being destroyed. The commandment, "All animals re equal," is now changed to: "But some animals are more equal than others," and their sacred slogan, "Four legs are good, two legs bad!" is suddenly changed, one terrible day, as the pigs begin to walk erect, to "Four legs good, two legs BETTER!" Sad indeed is the fate of Boxer, the strong, kind, slow-witted horse, who is heroic in any emergency, who gives all of his brute strength, his tears, and some of his blood to THE CAUSE. Easy to mislead, but fundamentally decent, Boxer represents the Common Man, who is getting more and more frightened of the century which Mr. Henry Wallace dedicated to him.  Becoming old, ill, and exhausted, Boxer, instead of being given the promised pension of rest, and care, and good abundant food, is sent off to be slaughtered and turned into dog food and bone meal, under the pretext that he is being hospitalized. This allegorical fable ends with a party thrown by the pigs for the farmers in the neighborhood. There is much eating and drinking of strong liquor. The humans congratulate Napoleon on his control of Animal Farm, the lower animals there, they say, do more work and receive less food and privileges than any animals in the country. Meanwhile, the other animals, tired, underfed, overworked, gather around the house of Mr. Jones, and peer into the windows to watch the gala party. What they see amazes them, for they look "from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it is impossible to say which was which."  This is a simple story perhaps, but a story of deadly simplicity. The qualities of pathos in the tale of the betrayal of the animals, would compel the attention of persons who never heard of the Russian Revolution. Orwell's wit is merciless; his pen has the razor's edge of a surgeon's knife.