Morale is low on Manor Farm. The animals are overworked and underfed. That’s just how life is, or so the animals thought until Old Major told them of a life without so much pain.

George Orwell’s classic novel Animal Farm, published in 1945, is truly a one-of-a-kind book. It highlights so many different topics that authors are often too wary to discuss. Orwell covers topics like corruption, abuse of the working class, ideals, and totalitarianism all through the perspective of farm animals.

Despite all the different themes in the book, the main reason it was banned in Russia is that the novel is essentially an allegory for the Russian Revolution. The book was seen as a heavy criticism of the communist party by the Soviet Union, according to CMU Libraries. Its ban in Russia was lifted in the 1980s.

Considering how the book is one of the hundreds of banned books in some states of the U.S., it’s easy to see that there is controversy in sharing opinions on the topics covered in the novel. In the U.S., Animal Farm was perceived as communist propaganda and a bold call for a revolution. That thought doesn’t make sense considering that the book critiques several forms of government and economies, showcasing the struggles the animals suffered through the different stages of their government. If anything, the book serves as a reflection and warning.

It’s a reflection of history, how the power the government holds can affect anyone positively or negatively. While it mainly ties back to the Russian Revolution, one can find how it can relate to several other historical events. It’s an interesting way to reflect on how the working class has been treated throughout history.

The book, whether it’s considered direct or not, serves as a warning to readers. It warns of the dangers of the corruption of ideals and of the ways power changes people. While some may think that it’s encouraging rebellion, I’d say it’s just teaching readers to be educated and informed of the things that affect them and others.

Nonetheless, it’s often up to the reader to interpret a book’s meaning. It wouldn’t be fair to pin the blame on an author for the ways that others take their story if they haven’t established a clear message. Animal Farm is a classic novel that encourages readers to form opinions and take stands, even if it’s just through a novel about farm animals’ rebellion.