Dystopian Fiction - Book 7: "Animal Farm" by George Orwell

The readers said they read Animal Farm in two days; it was short and enjoyable. And we loved talking about it. We didn't pause for a second.

They immediately related the novel to the situations in prison. They all have different experiences having traveled to different prisons and facilities. They talked about how different it is when the guards are "in charge" as opposed to when the inmates are "in charge." They much prefer to guards being in charge. When the officers had no power is when they were most scared. We had a new reader (just for the day), and he related it to some works by Ayn Rand--the kind of "support-the-cause/revolution" type of feeling in her writing.

We also talked about so many different political worlds, both past and present. Everything from WWII to Revolutionary War to the current US administration. In "Animal Farm," facts and news are distorted, leaders change their own rules and rhetoric. Readjustments are made to the rations. We were all in awe of the way Orwell's ideas fit so nicely on top of so many different contexts and histories.

We talked about socialism and capitalism, and in this text and perhaps in reality as well, how they both lead to the people at the top getting fat and taking advantage of those below them. Both of these routes lead to corruption. They lead the lower-class to the same place, just with slightly different autonomies. 

The role of hope came out in our discussions, which was surprising. One reader talked about how much people can endure if they have hope. They can endure lots of conflict and suffering if they have hope and something to look forward to. This is also the same way with fear. The animals are afraid of Mr. Jones. And in what ways do political figures use fear to manipulate the bodies they govern? All of these ideologies have different ideals and "utopias" they are striving for--it's just the getting there that's the problem.

This was one of the more robust conversations we've had. We went all over the map, talking about the book and how its ideas correlate to our world and the world of the past. We all marveled at Orwell's accomplishment with this novel and how true it rings to this day. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts on Orwell, his work, and anything else related in the comments!

Here is a link to an info sheet provided to the readers. It has a brief biography of George Orwell, as well as some information on Animal Farm.  You can also buy the book we read on Amazon, IndieBound, and Audible.

If you'd like to learn more about the UPEP, please click here.
If you'd like to contribute to the UPEP general fund, click here.
If you'd like to buy some supplies for classrooms at the Utah State Prison, check out this Amazon wishlist.
And if you'd like to buy a book for the book drive, check out the wishlist here.


Thanks! And keep reading.

-Elliot