Avery's First Review

Animal Farm
by George Orwell
Reviewed by Avery Waterman

I have never thought about animals running a farm by themselves, but in George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, I feel like it is now possible. This book takes place in England, a long time ago. The Manor Farm is where all the animals are living, and they are very unhappy with the owner, Mr. Jones. The animals get so mad that they want to start a revolution. They force Mr. Jones off the farm, but Mr. Jones is not giving his farm up that easily to a bunch of animals. He’ll be back, but as of right now, the animals are trying to figure out who will lead.

The pigs take on this lead roll, but two in particular, Snowball and Napoleon, can not agree on anything. Napoleon soon runs Snowball out with deadly force, which becomes a part of Napoleon’s power. After this confrontation, Napoleon becomes the supreme leader of the farm. The animal’s government makes rules and seven commandments, but since most of the animals can not read, the pigs change them to what suits them best. The pigs soon become more privileged than all the other animals on the farm.

In life, people use the metaphor “you're a pig” for a negative reason, but actually pigs are very smart animals. I think this is why he made the pigs in control. Pigs are perfect for this roll, because in the world there are lots of greedy leaders out there, and a pig is greedy and takes all the food and supplies, but yet they are actually very cleaver animal. The sheep in this story just do what they are told, like in real life where they need to be herded, so in the story they do what the leaders say. The horses plan and are simply power houses, brave and can take care of themselves, hard workers. The goats are stubborn, like they would be if you had goats on your farm.

Whenever anything goes wrong on the farm, Snowball is blamed. When something right goes down on the farm, it is because of “leader Napoleon.” Other farmers become aggravated with the animal farm and get angry about the farm and the animals and how it is run. Rumors, lies and suspicions arise among the other farmers. They want to plot an attack on the farm.

The animals on the farm are hard at work building the windmill which Napoleon has claimed will generate heat and light to the farm houses, but during a nasty storm the windmill blown down. Determined, the animals start the windmill over again, only this time they will make the walls thicker and stronger than last time. The horse, Boxer, the worker, labors night and day on the windmill and any other jobs that need to be done. He is the roll model worker on the farm, but sometimes he works him self too hard. This eventually catches up to him as he gets older and older.

The neighboring farmers finally plot another attack, and ruin the animals’ hopes and dreams. But still the animals will not give up. The farm turns into a republic, which Napoleon won, because he was the only animal to run for president.

The ending of this book is sad, but yet peaceful and happy in some ways. It has very clear and subtle ending. It will not disappoint and is an easy, yet fun book to read, you will soon not be able to put it down.