Orwell

ANIMAL FARM

This paper first appeared in the Autumn 2023 Issue of the 'Skeptical Intelligencer', pp. 2-3.

For those unfamiliar with George Orwell (aka Eric Blair, 1903-1950), he was a British journalist and author who, amongst other things, wrote two of the most famous and influential novels of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm. He was a democratic socialist, rationalist, humanist and, dare I say it, a skeptic and, in my opinion, a man of considerable honesty and integrity (notwithstanding, sadly, recent accounts of the abominable way he treated his wife). When he wrote about the lives of homeless and destitute people in 1930s' London and Paris he went to live among them, likewise the bleak conditions endured by the working classes in the north of England. And his account of the Spanish Civil War is based on his own experiences of volunteering to fight on the side of the Republicans, when he was wounded.

Nineteen Eighty-Four (written in 1948 and published in 1949) is set in an imaginary totalitarian future, modelled on the Soviet Union in the era of Stalinism, and Nazi Germany. A narrow interpretation is that it is a prophetic novel, a warning of things to come. But the book has much wider messages, one reason for its enduring influence (think of 'Big Brother is watching you', 'newspeak' and 'doublethink').

Similarly Animal Farm, published in 1945, is modelled on the development of communism in Soviet Russia from the aspirations of the early revolutionaries. But again the themes and lessons of the story are universal and timeless.

Admirers of George Orwell, will be delighted to hear that recently an adaptation of Animal Farm has appeared in Zimbabwe in Shona (Chimurenga Chemhuka). According to the BBC:

'(Animal Farm) has long been a favourite in Zimbabwe in English-studied in some schools-and became a huge hit when it was serialised in a local newspaper around two decades ago, with readers blown away by its astute metaphor of a liberation struggle gone wrong (note 1).'

It is 43 years ago since the liberation war, fought during white-minority rule, ended with Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 and the election of Robert Mugabe, who led the country for 37 years until he was overthrown in a coup. During his period in office he gradually assumed the role of dictator and presided over economic mismanagement, widespread corruption, and human rights abuses, including crimes against humanity.

A Google translation, from Shona of a précis of Chimurenga Chemhuka is as follows.

'Animal Revolution: At Mufadzawamwe's farm, animals, including pigs, horses, donkeys, cows, dogs, sheep, chickens and ducks, are used day and night and are treated like slaves by their farmer, Mr. Jonas. Their minds have been opened by being shown about their social life by a pig with a sharp mind and love for all animals, called mudara Meja. (The farm animals rise up and) Mufadzamwe's farm turns into Mufadzatose's farm. Will it end like this, or will there be more that will come out of the Awakening Revolution?' (note 2) .

MICHAEL HEAP

ANIMAL FARM

Notes