AP English Literature Blog Entry #2

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL

BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS

Nothing about Animal Farm would ever be complete without dissecting this quote and all the quote entails. I believe this quote is the absolute best lingual representation of the completion of the transformation of the pigs. Near the beginning of the story, Seven Commandments were outlined for all animals to follow. The last commandment on the list, when it was originally painted on the side of the barn, read “All animals are equal.” I believe this was listed last, perhaps because the commandments were simply listed in the given order to offer a rough foresight of the order in which the commandments were each changed or broken, but more likely it was to symbolize its lacking importance. I was also surprised, after all I read about Animal Farm, how late in the story the actual addition of “but some animals are more equal than others,” had occurred. I believe this delay was an intentional stylistic choice to make the transformation of the pigs blatant and evident, to dispel any doubt of it. It was through the action of the reading of the quote that even Benjamin the donkey, who would not previously participate in the political happenings around the farm or do so much as reveal his true opinion of the happenings at all beyond an obscure and enigmatic statement, finally made his political debut. I think Orwell did this also to symbolize one of his messages: no one will be able to avoid the consequences of allowing communism to gain power. I believe it is in this scene Orwell is especially attempting to convey his warning and the call to action against communism and Stalin. Orwell also does not finish with this addition. No chance of ambiguity is left when the pigs invite a deputation of neighboring farmers to the farmhouse, announce the changing of the name of the farm from “Animal Farm” to “The Manor Farm,” and end the story with a quarrel after Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington both play an ace of spades simultaneously. The transformation is complete.