When addressing a sensitive topic like tyrannical governments, it is important to speak with conviction and power in my opinion. To speak out against an entity that is so significantly large that they become undefeatable is an incredible feat. Being crushed by this same entity is not only sad to see but also completely realistic which is why tales like David and Goliath are so popular. We all strive to be or to witness the small and seemingly weak entity defeat an overwhelming superpower. That is the reason George Orwell stands out as an author. In a world where many a David conquers a countless Goliath, the general public seems to forget that this is not the norm, thus they set an expectation of a happy outcome without being conscious of doing so. This spell that people place on themselves when reading a novel that has the same principles as David and Goliath drive home the ending to an impactful book like Animal Farm.

In a sea of novels high schools shoved down the throats of tired teenagers, Animal Farm shines bright not only in storytelling, adaptations, and narration but in relevance as well. No matter where you, you are likely very familiar with an overbearing government. I am suggesting whether you have read this book before or not, to read it today. As a second time reader of this novel, it was so inviting to reconnect with Boxer, the mighty horse and famous motto, “I will work harder”. I realized how much of myself I saw in characters like Boxer contributed to my immersion in the story. From Napoleon’s selfish actions to Snowball’s innovation and desire for improved freedoms and even Molly’s strong desire to wear bows in spite of them being considered a tool for oppression, the reader is constantly drawn towards the inspiring and flawed actions of all characters.

We are motivated by boxer waking up earlier than everyone else to help build the windmill. We are inspired to do our part around the farm when we read about even the hens assisting in harvesting the crops. We are frustrated when Molly always has an excuse to leave work early. This level of connection becomes the double-edged sword that pierces us when the windmill comes crashing down. This was the first book that took such a long time to read due to these connections made with characters. There were many moments where I couldn’t cope with what had happened and needed time to process the events in the novel just to continue reading and see whatever was around the corner.

The critique I have for this novel is how some of the characters are written away without further context. Compared to the disappearance of various characters in modern media such as Sam Witwicky dying off screen in the Transformers series or Bryan Cranston’s character, Joe Brody dying in the first 10 minutes of the 2014 Godzilla movie, George Orwell’s writing is second to none. However, I still feel the disappearance of certain characters in the novel without the closure of seeing where their story ends pulls me out of the immersion character development works so hard to establish in the first place. This leaves the reader with a sense of longing for how their story ended and also takes away from character development for all characters we considers significant. However, I acknowledge that even this critique is likely the result of emotions the author meant to instill in readers. It was likely to goal of George Orwell to convey the harsh realities of life, such as how often we may never receive closure from someone regardless of how important they are to us.

In conclusion, the book is a reminder that Goliath is meant to win the fight. The underdog may be someone we would like to win, but that is because they were never actually meant to succeed. In a world where the biggest dreams seem to come true simply because we believed hard enough that they would, the reader is reminded that reality is significantly crueler. I rate this novel a 9 out of 10. If you would like a reminder of what oppression of the masses looks like, please give this novel a read. Just be warned that this isn’t the kind of world to expect beauty and happy endings from.