Animal Farm

            Although "Animal Farm- is only ten chapters in length, it is extremely thought-provoking and it represents a milestone in satirical literature.
             Because it is a story about a revolution betrayed, George Orwell's main concerns here are both political and satirical. However, I didn't find the book as totally profound and serious. As a matter of fact, there are certain scenes which are truly comical ¾ you wouldn't notice that you are actually already smiling or even laughing as you read along. Orwell's style is simple and concise. With a minimal straightforward string of words, you can easily paint a picture of the scene in your mind. Believe me, the actions of the human-like animals and their funny dialogues can certainly pass for a cartoon.
             When I first learned about "Animal Farm- being a famous classic fable, I was instantly intrigued by its story. I even laughed at its title, thinking that it's some story composed of hilarious animal characters intended for kids, much like an Aesop fable. Then I read somewhere that it's actually a political satire. That was the main reason why I chose this classic for my book report. It is quite interesting to know how a writer was able to address the public his criticisms and judgment of a social upheaval through a tale of animals, yet with a dash of charm and humor.
             I can view George Orwell as Jose Rizal during his time. He wrote "Animal Farm- with the purpose of awakening his audience, just as Rizal wrote his novel "Noli Me Tangere- and its sequel, "El Filibusterismo- to spark the Philippine Revolution. Both used symbolism in his work, and both had difficulty distributing the material. Many publishers did not agree to circulate Orwell's book, because they saw it as an attack on the Soviet. Early readers of the "Animal Farm- viewed Orwell to be against socialism. They believed that he was pro-bourgeoisies and pro-capitalists. But he is not. He made it clear that what he was in opposition to is Soviet Communism and not socialism itself.