Allegory In Animal Farm, By George Orwell

Animal Farm is a novel written by George Orwell. The story takes place in a farm full of animals. Eventually, the animals rebel against the humans, which leads them the make their own government. As the book progresses Orwell uses many types of literary devices to communicate his opinions and thoughts specifically about the government in the society. In Animal Farm Orwell uses satire through the animal allegory, and irony, commenting on the the Russian Revolution, to show a connection between the individuals of a society and a totalitarian government and to create a cautionary tale that warns the readers about abuse of power.

As a boy, George Orwell felt as if he was alone. He described his school as split into distinct classes. “There are minority with an aristocratic or millionaire background, there were children of the ordinary suburban rich, who made up the bulk of the school, and there were a few underlings like myself…” (pg. 43 Orwell). Later on, he fought in the Civil War, and then went to become a radio announcer for World War 2. His life experiences inspired “The Animal Farm”. George Orwell integrated imagery, analogy, and irony into “Animal Farm” through symbolism, thematic issues, and author’s tone and use of various forms of literary devices.

** How is this story allegorical? If an allegory is “a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal,” then what is the additional or alternative meaning contained in Orwell’s story of animal rebellion?

The book Animal Farm by George Orwell, is an allegory for the Russian Revolution. One allegory can be seen through Czar Nicholas II, who represents Mr.Jones. In Animal Farm the animals defeat and overthrow Mr.Jones, a bad farmer who mistreats his animals. The animals try to recover from the horrible reign of Mr.Jones, and the story is about how they live after overthrowing the farmer. Czar Nicholas II and Mr.Jones both struggled with their subjects and eventually were not fit to be a leader anymore so lost the right.

One of the main reasons Orwell wrote this book is to show us the dangers of communism. Overall it’s blatantly obvious the whole book is just a big “diss” on communism by having historical events line up to the ones in the book. Even the animals ideology is called, Animalism. In the book an animal named Old Major gave a speech on the principles of “Animalism” in which Old Major stated, “"Now, comrades, what is the nature of this life of ours? Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short.” and “"Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals” (Animal Farm Pg. 3) . This kind of talk sounds awfully similar to the teachings of Marx and Lenin the same people who eventually influenced and stared the russian revolution which would lead the the creation of the U.S.S.R thenceforth 20 million dead. Furthermore, it seems that Orwell was trying to compare some of his character to notorious communists so that he could warn us. That is one way Orwell was trying to warn us in Animal Farm.

I have decided to explore the theme of how ‘Fear is a powerful motivator’. Different leaders and influential people have various ways of using fear to motivate people. Two of my texts: ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, and ‘The Rise of Evil” directed by Christian Duguay, both show how totalitarian leaders used violence to motivate the public. The other texts: ‘Bowling for Columbine’ directed by Michael Moore, and ‘Who’s for the Game’ by Jesse Pope, both show how two different influential people motivated the public without using violence, instead creating fear using words.

George Orwell was the writer of 1984 a novel about the dystopian system of communist Soviet Russia and is considered his masterpiece. Animal Farm, written in 1945, is a similar type of novel only smaller and more to the point. It is considered by history to be a political satire of the history of the politics in Russia during the time before and after World War II. Orwell made no secret of his dislike of Stlin and the many powers that kept him in power during the time.

An allegory is similar to symbolism but that instead of one thing standing for another meaning, the whole story stands for a greater meaning. "Animal Farm" is a great example of an allegory because every aspect of the story symbolizes something in real life and George Orwell was trying to point out something that was happening everyday. In the time "Animal Farm" was released, Russia had a lot of things going on. The people were overthrowing the traditional czarist country and leading a communist revolution, whether they knew it or not. Mr. Jones represents the czar in power before they were overthrown by a new power, the pigs. The animals represent the people, or the working class.

The satirical fiction novel Animal Farm written by George Orwell not only shows what happened during the Russian Revolution but also pokes fun at it. George uses animals on a farm to represent the Russian Revolution because he wants to express his feelings on the rise to power of leaders. Orwell believed that many of the people, who were working, sacrificed so many things just so they could have a leader. In the end there was no leader that stood up for the people and did what was best for everyone. Animal Farm shows in Orwell's perspective everything that happened during the Revolution.

George Orwell's Animal Farm is an overview of the Russian Revolution, Orwell uses the animals as the allegory for the major Participants of the Revolution. Animal Farm depicts the themes that are a prime factor in the Russian Revolution, it shows Orwell's view on the revolution through the manipulation, lies and corruption that is throughout the whole book which allegorically happens in the Russian Revolution. In the majority of the Animal Farm, there is a lot of manipulation that occurs throughout the farm. Orwell specifically made this a more important theme in the book to help readers understand how deceiving Stalin (Napoleon) and his 'trusty' army (dogs and pigs) actually were in the duration of the revolution.

Throughout the novel animal farm crazy things happen that no one expected. Orwell takes the reader through situations that seam impossible in real life, but he also seams to make it so real. What was Orwell’s main point of animal form one asked. That was took to make the reader more aware of what can happen when fear is added in the mix of things. In the novel animal farm, Gorge Orwell uses an allegory to show that fear is the most powerful means at control.

In Georges Orwell’s book, Animal Farm, he uses allegory to show the events of the Russian Revolution. In his book, the animals of the farm had enough of their oppression by the humans and they decide to revolt. In the book, the characters such as Old Major, Squealer and Snowball use their words as a way to guide the animals in their rebellion. They use their words to guide, brainwash and influence the other animals in the farm.

George Orwell was the author of Animal Farm, an allegory to Russian history around Stalin’s time in 1917. Orwell has written many books, his most popular ones including Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm. “An anarchist in the late 1920s, by the 1930s he had begun to consider himself a socialist.” (BBC, page 1). Along with being a socialist, Orwell was also called an “anti-stalinist,” due to having to get away from a battle against the Soviets due to wanting his life to be saved.

Power is an interesting thing. One gets to much of it, and their intentions can be destroyed because of the endless ideas going through the mind. In the novel Animal Farm written by George OrwellOld Major convinces the animals of Manor Farm to rebel against their farm’s owner. After Old Major's death, the pigs take control of the farm animals, to disastrous results.

Though Animal Farm can be considered nothing more than a charming animal fable depicting a doomed rebellion, its origin is actually of a more serious and political nature. It is not only the tale of Napoleon and Animal Farm, but a satire and commentary on that of the Russian Revolution, Stalin and Communism. For a person to gain a true understanding of Orwell's meaning in Animal Farm, it is best that he or she has an understanding of the political parties and history surrounding Communism, Stalin, and the upheaval and fear that followed Stalin's rise to power.