Animal Farm

Animal Farm

By: Cristiana Guevara-Mena

Animal Farm is a satirical novel of social complaint, written by George Orwell in 1945. It's about a group of animals on a farm that expel a very drunk Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm, who did a poor job managing the farm. They later create a system of self-government that ends up becoming a brutal tyranny. It begins with a wise old pig, Major, that encourages the neglected animals to rebel and run the farm themselves, saying that everyone should be equal. Then he dies. Everyone is excited about the rebellion except Benjamin, a cynical donkey whose main role in life is to be cynical. Then the animals rebel and the pigs end up playing the role of leaders, and eliminate Major’s first ideal of equality.

Moreover, a conflict between two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, immediately arises. Following that conflict, Napoleon, in order to become Almighty, employs and trains nine fierce and huge dogs that he stole when they were puppies, and separates himself from Snowball. The pigs end up destroying everything. They break all the rules and take advantage of the other animals. Life on the farm gets worse by the day, the animals forget the original dream of Major, and pigs make one bad decision one another. The lowest point is when the pigs send Boxer to die (a loyal working horse that is ready to retire). In short, the pigs begin to closely resemble the former owner, only worse. Eventually Benjamin, the cynical old donkey, is proven right.

Orwell's story reminds us of our Nicaraguan reality, especially when July 19 is celebrated. Our first owner of the farm was Anastasio Somoza García. With his repression and not so good management of the farm, he caused dissatisfaction and intolerance among the animals. This situation gave place for a leader to emerge, that would comparatively be Augusto Cesar Sandino, the people’s leading pig with proposals of freedom, who encourages the rest of the inhabitants of the farm to rebel against the tyranny and to govern themselves. Unfortunately, the legendary leader dies.

Of the nine pigs/commanders who led the last rebellion, only two pigs are left. One is in government surrounded by the National Police and the Army, which act like the stolen and trained dogs since they were puppies. The other pig, of intellectual trend, which today is called "renovator" and has no dogs, has been expelled and removed from power. Let’s not be mistaken, in the end all of them are the same. We can say that, as in the novel, the pigs are to blame for the destruction of the farm. This has caused increasing poverty in the lives of the inhabitants, with the natural exception of those who are related to those in power. All the pigs have forgotten the message of Major. Now the farm is worse than when the white man was around.

Let’s also remember the death of Boxer, the loyal and hardworking horse that was sent to die, just like our air force that has been mysteriously killed in a helicopter crash. Nobody knows why they died, like the horse Boxer. Also, the cynical donkey never agreed with anything, just like the unhappy sectors who have always been opponents. Nobody paid any attention to the donkey or to the opponents, but in the end, they were right. Let’s see if this time the residents of the farm will listen.

Our Nicaragua, like the novel, needs a new kind of rebellion that represents the awakening of our citizens who are oppressed under a brutal tyranny of pigs. This rebellion must be optimistic and full of new ideas that represent the popular welfare. Those of us on the farm still believe in liberty and justice for all, just as old Major would say. Now is the turn of the rest of the people to take charge of a new leadership for a better country, that is, a better farm. The time is now, only this time, let’s not take into account any pork, since we know what they are capable of. If we do take them into account, let it be to extract fat to feed the rest of the farm that has been hungry for too long.