Animal Farm Letter Revised

Dear Animal Farm,

                I would like to first congratulate you on your valiant attempt at revolution.  I’m sure some of you tried your hardest to make it work while others stood idly by. In the end, your revolution was a complete failure. You are all to be blamed for this tragic event, none more than Napoleon.  All you animals blindly followed his every command and never spoke out your suspicions. You let his follower Squealer easily manipulate your minds and twist the truth for Napoleon’s convenience. A fine example of this is Boxer and the sheep. Boxer never questioned the true motive behind Napoleon’s actions and always thought he was right. The naïve sheep just continuously blurted out whatever the pigs told them to and further confused the other animals.                                                                                                                                                                                            
             Napoleon was main reason for your failure. He was calculating and ruthless. He already planned out how to gain control over the farm from the very beginning. Your biggest mistake was when you let Napoleon chase out Snowball. None of you decided to defend Snowball or help him in the slightest. You just watched as your last hope ran out of the farm. You have forgotten how bravely Snowball fought with you in battle and how sincere he was in trying to make life better for you. Napoleon knew from the start that he wasn’t going to triumph over Snowball. He had to resort to other means, which is why he took the nine puppies and trained them to be his personal guards. This was the beginning of your downfall. He continuously used the dogs to threaten and keep you under his control. His guard dogs eventually became his personal army and carried out executions. Such an example was when Napoleon forced the animals to confess their crimes. “When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out” (Orwell 84). Napoleon got rid of the rebellious animals and broke a commandment with this action. Yet none of you stood up and said a word. You watched as your fellow brethren got slaughtered one after another. Once you let someone rule over you with force and fear, you are at the mercy of his will.                                                                                                       

                Squealer was also a major part of the downfall.  He was a manipulator and spoke with a silver tongue. Squealer acted as Napoleon’s propaganda agency. He basically twisted and fabricated the truth in order to show that Napoleon’s action was just and for the good of the farm. You let Squealer deceive you into believing that Snowball was a traitor and he was to be blamed for all the mishaps at the farm including the destruction of the windmill. Every time a pig broke a commandment, you let Squealer use his trickery with words to cloud your memory; when in reality Squealer just added extra words to the commandment to justify the wrong doings of the pigs. When Muriel read the changed Fourth Commandment, it said ‘No animal shall sleep in bed with sheets’. Squealer said “The rule was against sheets, which are human invention” (Orwell 67). How can you forget the most important principles to your revolution? The most frustrating part is when Squealer mentions Mr. Jones coming back. You all just cowered in fear and forgot to stand up for what is right. This was due to your naive and uneducated minds.                        

In order for your revolution to be successful, you must first educate yourselves. You need to have a clear understanding of what’s happening around you. The more knowledge you have, the less likely you’ll be deceived by the likes of Squealer. There should be a system of checks and balances. Don’t allow one person like Napoleon to have too much power. And lastly you need a judiciary system; there must be a trial with sufficient evidence before a sentence is passed. Don’t let the mindless slaughter of your brethren ever happen again.  If all this is done, then Animal Farm will have true equality and justice.

Sincerely, J Lin  

Orwell, George. Animal Farm.New York: Signet,1956.