The Big Question

The big question I will be considering when reading George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 will be:

"How do individuals respond when faced with political oppression and deceit?"

Both Animal Farm and 1984 explore situations where an authoritarian form of government takes, or has already taken, control of the lives of the individual.


Animal Farm is the allegorical novella Orwell wrote that criticizes the Soviet Communist system. Its character's represent various leaders and classes of the real-life Soviet Union, from Marx to Stalin and proletariat to the bourgeoisie. The story takes the reader through the story of Manor Farm, which soon faces an animal rebellion, becoming Animal Farm. The reader then sees the progression of the farm shifting from the idealist, Communistic ideals it was founded on towards an authoritarian dictatorship, repressing the individual, feeding the population with lies, and manipulating relevant information and history.

1984 tells the story of Winston Smith as he fights the oppression of the leader of Oceania, Big Brother, who is always watching. Unlike Animal Farm, there is no shift to authoritarian government - it is already there, watching everyone's actions, and even thoughts, for any action against Big Brother. History is changed on a daily basis to fit the Party's needs; the Party being the controlling faction of Oceania. Citizens must be vigilant of their thoughts and actions, lest they be taken by the Party.