Animal Farm Quiz
Well, so I finished reading the book Animal Farm, and I would like to write the reaction to it. How is this book connected to sociology as the science and what parts of it can be found in the plot of the creation?
So, the book actually shows the life in the Soviet Union and under the communism. First, the animals on the Manor Farm overthrow the people's authority, and make their own "state" there. With their own rules, regulations and ideas. The ideology starts with the brilliant speech of the Old Major, after whose death the overthrow takes place. The pigs, been considered the smartest animals on the farm, take the power and create the main principles by which the new, Animal Farm, may live. They also continue singing the hymn of the revolution - "Beasts of England" - and work for their future. The 3 leaders, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squeale create and spread the 7 commandments of the new life on the farm. Among them the main claims that all the animals are equal in their rights. By the end of the story, though, the pigs looked just the same as the people and the main commandment was changed to: "All the animals are equal, but some are more equal." So, the main rules were broken, the equality was only an illusion, and all the animals on the farm who lived under the pigs power lived under the total lies of their government.
So, how is the story of the Animal Farm connected with sociology? Conflict theory - the conflict in the society between the upper and the lower class. First - between the animals of the farm and the people. The conflict critical point led to the overthrow of authority of the humans and revolution took place. Later on, the same conflict repeated in the new animals' society: the conflict between the proletariat - who were all the common animals of the farm, - and the bourgeoisie - who the pigs as "the smartest" became. So, there are two stages of the conflict within the society. And it shows that there cannot be the unlimited power which belongs to someone because it might be occasionally overthrown or, even been hidden under the right ideas - as it became under the authority of the pigs - may be found out by the people. So, the book shows the ideas and realities of communism, the system which can show in the best way the conflict theory.
At the same time, the book has the ties to the functionalist theory. It can be seen by the existence of the different roles in the society. Napoleon and, at the beginning, - Snowball - the two pigs who became the rulers and took the authority. The dogs of Napoleon - the ones who became the executors of those who were against the system - played their own role, helping the ideology to keep going. Another helper of Napoleon - Squearal - having the great abilities to the brilliant oratory, became the image of the USSR minister of propaganda, Molotov. Among the other animals I would mention Boxer - a hard-working horse who became the motion power for the communistic ideology, having the strong beliefs in it, inspired the common animals to work on the system, however, once he became unnecessary for Napoleon (who is the image of Stalin), the pig sold him to the glue factory to get profit for the alcohol. This, in fact, is what really happened in history of the Soviets. And this is what the story of the Animal Farm tells about. How once seems like a good ideology became a killing machine, and how the different roles of the different subjects in the society supported it or, on the contrary, fought against it.
Did the animals reach the healthy balance by the end of the story? No, the things even got worse with the new system. The lying of the Farm's government was found out. The goal to get to the full equality in the society became impossible, some of the animals turned out to get more privileges than the others, which proves that the perfectly equal social division cannot take place in the real life. Power is evil, and uncontrollable power is uncontrollable evil. Society can be built on the liable ideology, but it will never prove its ideas. The truth becomes visible one day anyways. And the conflict, I guess, cannot be prevented. The book "Animal Farm" is a very good creation in the world of sociology, and it makes you understand a lot of things better. So, go for it and read it!
So, the book actually shows the life in the Soviet Union and under the communism. First, the animals on the Manor Farm overthrow the people's authority, and make their own "state" there. With their own rules, regulations and ideas. The ideology starts with the brilliant speech of the Old Major, after whose death the overthrow takes place. The pigs, been considered the smartest animals on the farm, take the power and create the main principles by which the new, Animal Farm, may live. They also continue singing the hymn of the revolution - "Beasts of England" - and work for their future. The 3 leaders, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squeale create and spread the 7 commandments of the new life on the farm. Among them the main claims that all the animals are equal in their rights. By the end of the story, though, the pigs looked just the same as the people and the main commandment was changed to: "All the animals are equal, but some are more equal." So, the main rules were broken, the equality was only an illusion, and all the animals on the farm who lived under the pigs power lived under the total lies of their government.
So, how is the story of the Animal Farm connected with sociology? Conflict theory - the conflict in the society between the upper and the lower class. First - between the animals of the farm and the people. The conflict critical point led to the overthrow of authority of the humans and revolution took place. Later on, the same conflict repeated in the new animals' society: the conflict between the proletariat - who were all the common animals of the farm, - and the bourgeoisie - who the pigs as "the smartest" became. So, there are two stages of the conflict within the society. And it shows that there cannot be the unlimited power which belongs to someone because it might be occasionally overthrown or, even been hidden under the right ideas - as it became under the authority of the pigs - may be found out by the people. So, the book shows the ideas and realities of communism, the system which can show in the best way the conflict theory.
At the same time, the book has the ties to the functionalist theory. It can be seen by the existence of the different roles in the society. Napoleon and, at the beginning, - Snowball - the two pigs who became the rulers and took the authority. The dogs of Napoleon - the ones who became the executors of those who were against the system - played their own role, helping the ideology to keep going. Another helper of Napoleon - Squearal - having the great abilities to the brilliant oratory, became the image of the USSR minister of propaganda, Molotov. Among the other animals I would mention Boxer - a hard-working horse who became the motion power for the communistic ideology, having the strong beliefs in it, inspired the common animals to work on the system, however, once he became unnecessary for Napoleon (who is the image of Stalin), the pig sold him to the glue factory to get profit for the alcohol. This, in fact, is what really happened in history of the Soviets. And this is what the story of the Animal Farm tells about. How once seems like a good ideology became a killing machine, and how the different roles of the different subjects in the society supported it or, on the contrary, fought against it.
Did the animals reach the healthy balance by the end of the story? No, the things even got worse with the new system. The lying of the Farm's government was found out. The goal to get to the full equality in the society became impossible, some of the animals turned out to get more privileges than the others, which proves that the perfectly equal social division cannot take place in the real life. Power is evil, and uncontrollable power is uncontrollable evil. Society can be built on the liable ideology, but it will never prove its ideas. The truth becomes visible one day anyways. And the conflict, I guess, cannot be prevented. The book "Animal Farm" is a very good creation in the world of sociology, and it makes you understand a lot of things better. So, go for it and read it!
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