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If the ideas that George Orwell presents in Animal Farm seem like no-brainers, that just means that George Orwell did his job. Huh? Jenny has more on Orwell and his legacy in this Recap.

Video Transcription:

Let’s face it: A lot has happened since Animal Farm was published in 1946. Stalin’s just a figure in history books. And everyone knows the dangers of totalitarianism. But if I were to tell you that you have George Orwell to thank for the life you’re living today, would you give me 60 more seconds of your time?

When George Orwell first tried to publish Animal Farm, he didn’t have an easy time. The ideas the book stood for weren’t compatible with the politics of Orwell’s era. Stalin was an ally against the Germans. And it would take another ten years before America recognized the evils of his totalitarian regime.

And yet, America did recognize those evils. It fought to protect its own borders from their influence. (Have you heard of the Cold War? That was all about making sure that Communism didn’t spread.)

And who woke us up to the need to stand up to socialism and totalitarianism? People like George Orwell, of course!

You could say that we know George Orwell did his job because today, it’s second nature for us to question authority. We don’t just think for ourselves—we think of it as our right to do so. We question what politicians tell us (and sometimes we even automatically assume that they’re lying.)

That’s thanks to Animal Farm. And the fact that Animal Farm may not seem like relevant reading today only means that Orwell has already shaped us, and that we’ve just chosen to forget our roots.