While the allegorical novel Animal Farm by George Orwell is commonly read in English classrooms for academic purposes, Humanities students are being introduced to it as a fun way to start class and broaden their knowledge of literature. 

“This is our second time reading Animal Farm out loud in Humanities,” Humanities teacher Sarah Wiseman said. “We read the first chapter for academic purposes, but we are reading the rest of the book for fun. I think the big lesson I hope students will learn from Animal Farm is how to balance ideals with reality, since I think that is a hard thing to do while growing up. High schoolers are entering their peak idealism for political [ideas], and we want people to believe passionately in things, but we must also learn about the real failings of humanity and how to protect our ideals against those failings.” 

The novel follows a group of farm animals who rebel against their human owner and attempt to create a society where animals are equal and free, symbolizing the Russian Revolution in 1917.

“I really enjoy reading Animal Farm in class because it’s an entertaining read that actually talks about some pretty important stuff,” sophomore Makai Willingham said. “Instead of the old wordy books that are hard to digest, Animal Farm makes it really fun and interesting for people who want to learn about a historic point in time.”

Sophomore Riley Opiela sees this opportunity as more than just a relaxing way to spend the first 15 minutes of class. 

“I think it’s important to read in today’s day and age,” Opiela said. “It’s a way to get insight into what it was like back then and it opens your eyes to the differences in our ways of living.”