An Allegory In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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?

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.

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.

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a story with lots of underlying and foreshadowing ideas. It takes place in England and it is about a farm were the animal’s take over and they run it themselves. However the pigs create a dictatorship, which ruins the purpose of the farm. The rules of Animalism change in the story to suite the pigs as the pigs gain more power.

What kind of government does what ever it can to gain all the power it can? How far will a government go to achieve full submission? One such government that took the controle of it citizens to far was the Russian Government during the russian revolution. George Orwell used allegories in the book Animal Farm to critisize the totalitarian government that over took Russia. Orwell clearly explains how the Russian totalitarianistic Government brain washed its citizens into working hard for minimal pay, kept the working class from rebelling, and shaped the beliefs of the people.

Squealer explains, “The van had previously been the property of the knacker, and had be bought by the veterinary surgeon, who had not painted the old name out… Then went into further graphic detail of boxer’s deathbed and admirable care Napoleon paid without a thought as to the cost. animals sorrow that they felt for their comrades death was tempered by the thought that at least he died happy” (Orwell 86).

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.

The novella ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell, is an allegory, because while the pigs and dogs may have started out trying to make things better, they ended up making things worse then they had been before. Little hidden meanings, to show the negative aspect when taken too far. Some examples are: Manor Farm is allegorical of Russia, Mr Jones - the farmer, is Czar. Snowball, the pig is the intellect of the operation, the dogs in the barnyard are police squad. Boxer, the horse is your average Joe, or the working class. My take on this story's message, is in reference, to what I believe to be the most famous line in the entire story “ All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Basically stated, you have to be careful when you are trying to change things, otherwise you might become the thing you are trying to fight; communism in this setting, and that power manipulates for its own means.

Corruption can occur for many different reasons within a society, as power is so tempting and desirable that it can change one’s intentions and behaviors for the benefit of their authoritative entity. Animal Farm, an allegory by George Orwell, demonstrates that in a society, corruption occurs if the ones that receive power care more for their own well being than for the others’. After the animals first milk the cows and then eventually find the ripening apples, the pigs take these things for themselves, and Squealer justifies their actions by saying, “‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health’” (Orwell 52). Almost immediately after the revolution, the pigs begin to act for the benefit of themselves, and persuade the others to justify their wrongdoing. Simply the act of sharing at this stage would have ensured that the pigs were committed to improving every animal's life. Unfortunately, they cannot even act fairly with a basic resource, foreshadowing that the corruption has only just begun to develop, and will worsen. Furthermore, after this incident, the pigs realize that the animals can be easily controlled, and therefore they can act unfairly to them with no opposition, besides Snowball. Later on, after Snowball is exiled and Napoleon gains control, “The pigs suddenly moved into the farmhouse and took up their residence there. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days, and again Squealer was able to convince them that this was not the case” (Orwell 79). Although there was in fact a resolution against living in the farmhouse, the pigs use their power and persuasiveness to serve themselves and move in. The injustices that the pigs partake in are now beginning to escalate. Depriving the other animals of better tasting food was wrong, but moving into the farmhouse implies the idea that they believe that they are of a higher class and should not live with the others. This is because the farmhouse has a much nicer living condition than the stalls that the “lower” animals

A. An allegory is a story, poem and picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning. The allegory about the Animal Farm is that the animals overthrown the master which is hiding the fact that the soviet leaders overthrew the German government.. The reason being is that when he uses the animals he shows to the Communist leaders. For example, in the text it states"They overthrow Mr. Jones, their master, and take over the management of the farm. Rather than living under the heel of their human master, the animals of Manor Farm decide that they will take control of the products of their labor, working for the good of the farm and other animals, rather than for the good of humans". This is important because it shows how the author symbolizing the animals to represent the humans that leads to using allegory. This is the allegory in Orwell's Animal Farm.

In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, published in 1945, allegory is used many times throughout the story by several of the main characters including: Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer. Snowball was a caring leader who did things for the farm, not just himself. The selfish and wanting pigs, Napoleon and Squealer, drove Snowball away and took control of the farm by brainwashing the other animals. Most things that occur in Animal Farm are related to what happened with Joseph Stalin. One major theme expressed in the book is that power will eventually corrupt those who possess it. Allegory in Animal Farm focuses on the characters of Snowball, Squealer, and Napoleon.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is a novella detailing a farm in England where the animals overthrow their human masters. The whole book is an allegory of the Russian Revolution. Stalin took control in Russia and eventually became a dictator, controlling every aspect of life and killing those he thought were enemies. Napoleon is Stalin, as he took control of the farm. There are many different animals that represent the different types of people in society and government. Napoleon had become overcome with his power, which made him a tyrannical dictator, which is the most harmful trait in government, especially when the people are all blindly following everything the dictator says and does.

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.