Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a well recognized piece of literature depicting the political environment of the Soviet Union before and during the 1960's from the point of view of an English author. The book is written as a metaphor, using the exploits of talking farm animals rather than directly describing the events.

The plot of Animal Farm replicates the history of the Soviet Union almost to the letter. The book starts with all the farm animals living in fear of the farmer, who kills and sells animals as he pleases. The animals know no other way until the oldest pig on the farm calls a meeting to discuss the farmer's oppression of the farm animals. He describes a world where the animals can eat whenever they please and not have to worry about being brought to the slaughter or sold off the farm. The pig's words inspire the other animals, but soon after the meeting he dies. His underling pigs, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer, form a sort of religion around the older pig's teachings. They lead a revolution and drive the farmer off the farm, leaving it to be governed independently by the animals. The three pigs take charge, but soon begin arguing and fighting. The most cunning and vicious of the pigs, Napoleon, manages to criminalize the other two pigs and take complete power over the farm. He quickly instills a dictatorship over the animals and forces them to work to make him more comfortable, rather than themselves. Any who question Napoleon are made out to look evil and are often driven off the farm. Eventually, the animals realize that Napoleon and his subordinates are just as bad as living under the farmer.

This book is a to-the-letter description of the fall of the Czar of Russia and his replacement by communists taking the teachings of Karl Marx. Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin and his rise to power, and surrounding farms represent different countries.