George Orwell’s Animal farm: Notes and Quotes.

“The only good human being is a dead one."

George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ is a brilliantly crafted and influential novel, first published in 1945.

This engaging political satire offers a perfect read for a lazy Sunday afternoon. It transports readers to a countryside farm where a group of animals, tired of their oppressive treatment under Mr. Jones, launches a rebellion to fight for equality and freedom. The animals’ dream is to liberate themselves from human tyranny and shape their own destiny.

The story revolves around Manor Farm, previously owned by Mr. Jones, but renamed ‘Animal Farm’ after the animals’ successful uprising. Initially, the animals work together, with the intelligent pigs assuming leadership roles and delegating tasks according to each animal’s abilities. Their efforts lead to prosperity and abundance.

However, as time passes, the dynamics on Animal Farm begin to shift. The pigs, in their position of power, start emulating human vices, and the original principle of “four legs good, two legs bad” evolves into the corrupted slogan “four legs good, two legs better.” Eventually, the pigs become indistinguishable from their former human oppressors, and the farm regresses into its former state, even taking back its original name, ‘Manor Farm.’

Through this delightful story, Orwell skillfully portrays the cycle of revolutions: their origins, how they are sustained, how they can be corrupted by those in power, and the questionable benefits they may bring.

‘Animal Farm’ remains a timeless and thought-provoking masterpiece that continues to resonate with readers, offering valuable insights into the complexities of power, governance, and human nature.

I read this novel a year ago and since then I’ve been revisiting my notes and all the quotes that I have highlighted. It was indeed a delightful and thought provoking read. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this masterpiece.

“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself.”

“Let’s face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short.”

“If liberty means anything at all it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”

“Man serves the interests of no creature except himself.”

“The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.”

“Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers.”

“And remember also that in fighting against the man we not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices.”

“Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.”

“The distinguishing mark of man is the hand, the instrument with which he does all his mischief.”

“There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word — Man.”

“Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.”

I would love to know which one is your favorite quote. Do comment down below👇