Animal Farm ... Principles do not always come true!
The animals of Manor Farm - owned by Mr. Jones - rebelled against the human control. The pigs led the animals to run the farm which became Animal Farm. They had seven principles which were the commandments of animal behaviour based mainly on the equality of animals. Gradually, some pigs got power over the farm animals. They violated the seven principles and changed them in many ways to keep power.
Major was an old boar at Manor Farm. He held a meeting for the farm animals to tell them about their difficult life under the human control. He talked about a dream of animals' rebellion against man. He taught them the song "Beasts of England". Major died, but two young boars called Snowball and Napoleon led the animals and kept the idea of rebellion. On Midsummer's Eve, the animals attacked the grain bins and drove Mr. Jones - the owner of Manor Farm - and his hired hands off the farm. Manor Farm became Animal Farm which the animals controlled and ran by themselves. They worked and got the crops and products for themselves. They established Sundays for rest, meetings and singing "Beasts of England." The pigs taught themselves to read and write, but other animals could not learn to read or write. The three young pigs Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer stated the philosophy of animalism in seven main principles that were written on the wall of a barn. The principles were " whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend, no animal shall wear clothes, no animal shall sleep in a bed, no animal shall drink alcohol, no animal shall kill any other animal and all animals are equal." The equality of animals was the most important principle. Most of the animals could not memorize the seven principles, so they were reduced to a simple one "four legs good, two legs bad."
There was plenty of food and the farm was prosperous. The pigs got power. They were allowed to have special food like apples and milk that were produced in the farm to be healthy. They reminded the animals of the threat of Mr. Jones's return. Napoleon trained some puppies privately to be attack dogs later. Snowball led the animals to defend the farm against Mr. Jones's attempt to retake it. Snowball, the horse Boxer and a sheep were awarded medals for their bravery when they had defended the farm in the battle of the cowshed. The horse, Mollie was seen as a friend of humans as they gave her sugar as a pet. So she left the Animal Farm. There was a leadership struggle between the two rival pigs; Napoleon and Snowball. Napoleon disagreed on Snowball's plan to build the windmill as he thought that it was more necessary to increase food production. Snowball made a speech to defend his plan of the windmill that would provide animals with electricity, heat and water in their stalls. Napoleon's attack dogs chased him off. The absence of Snowball was a chance for Napoleon to get power as a sole leader. No more meetings would be held and a committee of pigs would run the farm. Napoleon told the animals that building the windmill was his own idea. He claimed that Snowball stole his idea. Squealer convinced the animals to believe that with the help of the attack dogs. The half-built windmill was constructed by the animals, but destroyed by a strong storm. Napoleon and Squealer told lies when they persuaded the animals that Snowball destroyed it. In fact, the windmill's walls were very thin. The animals started to rebuild it during winter. The animals were happy to work hard despite the threat of losing half rations in case of not working on Sundays. Boxer got up earlier to work harder as he was hard-working. He believed in two mottoes: "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right". The pigs began trading with humans. They claimed that trade with humans had not been banned.
Napoleon misused his power, so the life of the animals became harder. The pigs got more control over the animals that had to work hard sixty hours a week including Sundays afternoon. The pigs became distinct from other animals. Thus, the most important principle was violated. They rewrote the history to glorify Napoleon and to disgrace Snowball. Squealer used deceptive propaganda to justify Napoleon's statements and changing principles. The pigs found and drank whisky. They changed the fifth principle into "no animal shall drink alcohol to excess." So drinking alcohol could be lawful if it was limited. They forbade the song "Beasts of England". They replaced it by a song that praised Napoleon. They moved to live in the farmhouse and began to sleep in beds. Squealer claimed that the fourth principle referred to sheets. The pigs blamed Snowball for anything that went wrong and they claimed that he was helpful to Mr. Jones. Squealer used the attack dogs and Boxer's belief that Napoleon was always right to convince the farm animals that Snowball was a traitor. Napoleon used the attack dogs to kill some animals, including four pigs that protested against Snowball's accusation. Under pressure, Napoleon made them confess to spying for Snowball. The sixth principle was changed into "no animal shall kill any other animal without cause." So killing could be acceptable if it was reasonable. Squealer abused animals' poor memories and learning to persuade them that their life improved falsely. Napoleon told the animals that true happiness meant working hard and having necessary food.
A neighboring farmer called Mr. Fredrick deceived Napoleon. The farmer gave forged money to Napoleon who sold him the old wood. He attacked the Animal Farm using explosive powder to destroy the windmill. The animals won the battle. Some animals - like the loyal horse Boxer - were wounded. Napoleon told lies when he said that he called a vet van to take Boxer to get medical care. The donkey Benjamin noticed that the van belonged to a horse slaughterer. Benjamin and some animals tried to rescue Boxer, but they failed. Squealer went on telling lies when he told the animals that the van belonged to the vet, but its painting belonged to the old owner; the horse slaughterer. He told them that Boxer got good medical care. He told them that he died and he was buried in town. In fact, the pigs sent Boxer to death to get money for whisky regardless the animalism principles.
Years passed and the pigs began to walk upright, carry whips and wear clothes like the humans they had rebelled against. Besides violation, the seventh principle was changed into "all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." It became the main principle that justified the pigs' ongoing change of the principles. Thus, the distinction of the pigs became legal. Napoleon held a dinner party for the pigs and some neighboring humans. The humans thought that Napoleon had hard-working animals for less food. Napoleon declared cooperation with humans who had been enemies before. He ended the rebellion practices and changed the name of Animal Farm back into Manor Farm; its original name under the human control. The farm became a Republic and Napoleon was elected President. He played a card game with Mr. Pilkington; one of the human enemies. The animals overheard the conversation and noticed that the pigs were not different from humans.
Theoretically, the principles were great rules and perfect laws to start an ideal farm of equal animals. But in practice, they did not come true. Napoleon became a leader and the pigs attained and maintained power. The absolute power turned Napoleon into a dictator that had complete power over the farm and the animals. He made use of propaganda, threats, terror and animals' poor memories and learning to support his dictatorship. Squealer persuaded the animals that the pigs did not like apples or milk, but they had them to stay healthy for the sake of animals. He said that the windmill was Napoleon's idea. He persuaded them that Snowball fought in the battle of the cowshed bravely, but he was a friend of humans. He claimed that there were secret documents to prove that claim. He said that Snowball was coward. He always threatened the animals with the possibility of Mr. Jones's return in order to keep them frightened and obedient all the time. The pigs maintained power. The dictator Napoleon became a tyrant that used his absolute power cruelly and unfairly. He controlled food and banned debates, so the farm animals got the least food and no chance to express themselves. He managed all sources of information, so he was able to keep his control over all animals. He used murder to frighten the farm animals in order not to oppose his ideas, plans or decisions. He rewrote history because he wanted to get a better portrait of himself as an ideal leader! He made use of Squealer, his right-hand pig that did his best to persuade the animals that Napoleon was always right.
Briefly, the animals began with a dream of rebellion that was based on pure principles. However, they ended with a nightmare of evil practices. George Orwell's Animal Farm is not just a story of the conflict between animals and humans symbolizing different ideologies. It is clearly an example of how principles do not always come true because of getting power in any way and keeping it at any cost.
Samir Mohamed Yousef Omara
