Animal Farm: Thoughts

This is a legendary classic book—one that has been kept immortal by its countless readers and, most of all, by remaining the greatest satire that is still freshly valid today as it was decades ago.

This book is many things: a classic, a legend, a "fairytale". But to me, it is an inspiration and a reminder to modern society, to you and to me.

This anthropomorphized farmyard allegory is the perfect illustration of the cliché "history repeats itself". The ending "the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which" left readers' breathing on halt as we eventually witness the plain and obvious truth"—that the revolution was doomed before it ever began. That the true enemy was never the humans, nor was it the pigs. It is human nature—greed, wickedness, betrayal. It is our unending desire for power, which inevitably blinds our vision and ties our heart into a knot.

Still, what crept its way onto my mind as I flipped through the pages was the reminder of the importance of education and wisdom.

In Animal Farm, the animals were mindful enough of the edited Seven Amendments and the "strange" appearances of the pigs. In spite of it, they could not manage to collect their memory of the true version of the Amendments and decipher the difference, let alone come up with solid arguments against the coup and the manipulation of Squealer—even as he was caught red-handed. In the animals' defense, they did receive education, yet were simply not intelligent enough to make use of it.

Still, one cannot deny the power education, wisdom and memory hold. Old Benjamin, the donkey, was the most intelligent of the animals. He alone broke free of the pigs' manipulation and held the power of reminding the animals the tragic truth of Boxer's death simply by being able to read and think. Though physically abused, he was never enslaved.

You may argue about the fact that Old Benjamin, alone, with all his knowledge, silently stood by as his helpless comrades were being exploited then slaughtered. He had grown numb witnessing, for years, the wickedness and greed overwhelming the Farm.

Yet, the truth is knowing does not make one indifferent to all the injustice circulating around oneself. The truth is though discouraging, it could also empower the fire within us, be the spark that unleashes it to building a better society.

The truth is knowledge is our greatest weapon against the towering wall of bricks threatening to crash upon us. It is on us to decide when and how to wield it.

History repeats itself. That I have absolutely no doubt. Yet I do not believe in fate. I do not accept the predetermined and somehow unalterable path one has no choice but to embark on and continue to trot through no matter how hard one tries to turn away. We choose who we are, every day, every moment.

And nothing could ever take that away from us.

(Picture from https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/716691131/animal-farm-napoleon-print)