Context

This line was spoken by Old Major in Animal Farm (1945) written by George Orwell.

Before the ambitious pig Napoleon rules over the animals with an iron hoof, the non-human denizens of Animal Farm were led by Old Major, an aging boar. Old Major teaches the animals about the inequalities between humans and animals on the farm, pointing out that the animals have to do work on the farm while the humans make all the profit and enjoy the fruits of the work. It's like Farmer Jones snatches the animals' paycheck before they can cash it in at the bank and use it for food and rent.

Old Major represents Karl Marx in Animal Farm, or really, Marx's communist ideals before they were corrupted by the authoritarianism of the Soviet Union. In his Communist Manifesto, Marx believed that there would be a gradual revolution that would eventually end in equality and a classless society. However, Vladimir Lenin tried to speed this up through the Bolshevik Revolution. Likewise, immediately after Old Major's death, Napoleon and his cohort Snowball revolt against Farmer Jones. And it causes even more problems.

This quote is a reminder of the good ol' days of Animal Farm back in Chapter One before the animals became greedy and just like their human masters. Rest in peace, Old Major, you were a cinnamon roll too good for this novel and its anti-authoritarian allegory.

Where you've heard it

You've maybe heard this quote when one of your friends is going on a rant about how greedy and wasteful people are, like around the holiday shopping season.

Additional Notable References:

• Old Major's speech about the greediness of humanity and the need for revolution is followed by the song "Beasts of England", which is later banned by Napoleon. This song is based on "The Internationale", an anthem for workers and socialists everywhere. Here's the Russian version.
• Human consumerism hits its peak during the not so cheery holiday known as Black Friday. Here is a look at greed at its finest as shoppers duke it out for the last TV at Walmart.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

Maybe save this one for a late night chat with friends instead of making guests at a dinner party feel bad about their late night Amazon shopping binges.