preview

What Is The Satire In Animal Farm

Decent Essays

During the totalitarian reign of Joseph Stalin, he was responsible for the deaths of some fifteen to twenty million people (Naimark 11-12). The allegorization of these atrocities and other incidents can be seen in the novella Animal Farm, a political satire written by the novelist George Orwell. The story covers the intentional, erroneous interpretation of the socialist ideals that allowed for the deposition of the last Russian Czar. With the pig Napoleon portraying the tyrant Joseph Stalin, it is demonstrated how corruption can occur when influence is superadded by authority. However, the aspirations of a single man weren’t the only things responsible for the effective genocide of a mass of people. The citizenry played a role in the toleration of a dictatorial regime, either through being apolitical or ignorant to what was happening around them. In Animal Farm, George Orwell cleverly writes a host of creatures that symbolize the …show more content…

Not unlike others in real life, Benjamin understood the situation with the pigs. However, he predicted that life would continue on as the same (Orwell 12, 20). Therefore, he decided to not encourage the rise of the pigs, but he did not impede their progress either. Hence, as a passive member of the populace, he contributed to the rise of the totalitarian regime.
George Orwell brilliantly demonstrates how aspiring dictators aren’t the only problem in the rise of autocracies. The populace plays a large role in the process, and their inaction or ignorance contributes, regardless of ill-intent. Orwell was able to successfully send this message through the implementation of three key characters. In Animal Farm, George Orwell cleverly writes a host of creatures that symbolize the submissive nature and passiveness of a populace that allows for the continuation of a

Get Access