Failed Revolutions and Tyrants in Animal Farm
Animal Farm, by George Orwell was published in 1945, a crucial time in history because of Stalin’s takeover of the Soviet Union and his exploitation of the centralized communist government. This was in direct contradiction to the expected results of the Russian Revolution. Orwell felt that revolutions fail because the end result is a change of tyrants and not of government. Orwell exemplifies this failure through the goals of the revolution and their failure to meet them, the malfunction of Napoleon and Snowball’s rule together, and Napoleon’s disastrous reign.
The goals of the Revolution and the failure to meet them, is one way Orwell exemplifies his philosophy. Before the Revolution, the inhabitants of Animal Farm are ruled by the tyrannical Jones. The animals get fed up with the treatment they are receiving and, at the meeting, Old Major provides a solution, Revolution. Even at this meeting the pigs, including Napoleon, sit close to the front, showing the social classes that already exist. The Revolution plans to overthrow Jones and set up an animal government. Their goals are to be completely self sufficient and not have to rely on humans in any way.
These goals are seemingly idealistic but the animals do not achieve these for more than about six months. The reason for this is the pigs becoming corrupt and wanting to break the commandments for their own pleasure. Shortly after the meeting with Old Major, the Revolutio...
In today’s society, unfair treatment is inevitable, and this is especially true in Animal Farm. George Orwell uses Animal Farm to describe the fascist behavior shown by Joseph Stalin after the Russian Revolution. He also uses the novel to incorporate his own beliefs about human nature, and to imply evidence that Dictatorships can happen in today’s society. Throughout the story, it becomes evident that not all animals are as equal as Napoleon says they are.
George Orwell used an English language so simply and accurately to express what he mean, and at the same time with great meaning. He was telling the story about of a revolution by farm animals against their cruel and dissolute master, and about their subsequent fortunes. This was the book that Orwell most prepared for. In 1943, Orwell felt people's admiration for Russian war effort. He was very conscious, so he felt how English communists used their position as unofficial representatives of the USSR to prevent the truth from coming out. Also Orwell was an anti-communist, throughout the book he is on the side of the animals. Also one of the Orwell's goals in writing "Animal Farm" was the portray the Russian Revolution (Bolshevik) on 1917.
One of Orwell's main reasons for writing Animal Farm was to show how the Russian (or Bolshevik Revolutionaries) Revolution of 1917 had resulted in turning a benevolent ideal of equality into a government of an even more oppressive, totalitarian, and dominating to the people, than the aristocratic one it had recently ousted. Many of the main characters (animals) and synapses of Orwell's parody, run parallel to the event of the Bolshevik Revolution: In Orwell’s novel, The Farm is a representation of Russia and its people, and the most important characters such as Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon parody the central figures that shaped it into the nation it came to be.
...ll return. By cleverly inducing fear into the animals, the pigs are able to convince them to agree with and support anything they suggest.
The declaration that all animals are equal quickly becomes a lie. Immediately after the revolution the pigs begin to grasp power over the other animals. “The pigs did not actually work… with their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership”, (Pg 35). The increasing leadership of the pigs following the revolution for equality foreshadows that the pigs will rapidly assume as much power as the dictator that they fought against. The pig’s leadership and power also directly contradicts the belief that all animals are equal, mentioned in the earlier paragraph. Orwell demonstrates his ideas by having the ruling class of pigs disobey the guidelines of their beliefs, which they put in place themselves. Orwell’s belief that rebellion becomes corrupt is demonstrated by the animal’s executions. “Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess… they were slain on the spot… and so the tale of confessions and executions went on…”, (Pg 83). The act of purging being committed by the animals directly contradicts the rule that no animal shall harm any other animal. The contradiction of animalism beliefs continues to drive the pigs to mirror the original oppressor. The final contradiction of their beliefs arrives when the pigs make their final transformation into humans which is shown in the following quote. “It was a pig walking on its hind legs…the creatures
Animal Farm is an excellent allegory of the period in Russian history between 1917 and 1944. George Orwell symbolizes the characters, places, objects, and events of the Russian revolution superbly. His symbols not only parallel those of the Russian revolution, but any revolution throughout history. The fable Animal Farm relates not only to the Russian Revolution, but also to any revolution where an absolute dictator emerges.
Although Animal Farm is best known as an allegory for the Soviet Union and the failure of communism, George Orwell intended his work to show how human nature inherently and consistently fails to be equal. Through the development of a parallel between the story and the Russian Revolution, Orwell is able to use this platform as an allegory for human nature and how human nature will never and can never be based on equality.
George Orwell's goal in writing the novel Animal Farm was to portray the events surrounding the Russian revolution that took place in 1917. Orwell's tale of Animal Farm is seemingly a story of how a group of farmyard animals plot to overthrow their owner and seize control of the land. The novel seems to be a simple story, however Orwell wrote this book as an allegory, a story that has a clear secondary meaning beneath is literal sense. Everything in Animal Farm is used to represent people and events that took place during the Russian revolution from 1917-1939. Orwell chose to represent Russia's three famous leaders during this time with three pigs. Each three are drastically different and have dissimilar beliefs. Snowball representing Leon Trotsky, Napoleon by Josef Stalin and Old Major by Karl Marx. Orwell wrote this and many other books as warnings. The warning is that people must change their ways, or we are most surely doomed.
pigs begin to take control. By the end of the novel, the pigs have manipulated the rest of the animals into doing everything they want. The pigs then become almost exactly like the humans. The most important pigs are Napoleon and Snowball, that is until Napoleon
George Orwell had gotten the idea of Animal Farm by watching someone whip a cart horse. When he saw this it made him think of the working class, the people that have been treated horribly by Capitalist Governments with long hours and low wages. Animal Farm was written to be an example of how Totalitarianism destroys human dignity. It wasn’t just about Stalin, but about all dictators.
Animal Farm by George Orwell is a satire of the Russian Revolution that took place during the late 1930s. Orwell uses vibrant characters such as Snowball, Old Major, and Napoleon to represent some of Russia’s horrific past. While Old Major represents the idea of revolution and Snowball represents the idea of industrialism, Napoleon represents the totalitarian dictatorship in Russia. Animal Farm is a good example of what happened to Russia during this time period. While Animal Farm could represent any dictatorship, it more specifically represents the totalitarianism brought on by Joseph Stalin through communism.
This story Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel about an animal revolution over an oppressive farmer. The irony in the story comes when the pigs turn into the very thing revolted against. They exhibit the same cruelty by treating the other animals the same or even worse than previous owners. This cycle of cruelty is shown in the Russian revolution by Joseph Stalin who is represented by Napoleon in the story. Cruelty in animal farm is shown by the human’s treatment of the animals, and the animal’s eventual treatment of each other and the ironic characteristics of the two.
Animal Farm, A novella by George Orwell, tells the tale of the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm, who after much oppression from their master, take over the farm for themselves. In the beginning it seems like the start of a life of freedom and plenty, but ruthless and cunning elite emerges and begins to take control of the farm. The animals find themselves ensnared once again as one form of tyranny gradually replaces the other. The novella is a critique of revolutionary Russia and idealism betrayed by power and corruption. Orwell uses allegory between Animal Farm and the Soviet Union to highlight the corruption of socialist ideals in the soviet union, the power of language and propaganda, and the dangers of a naive working class.
George Orwell wrote a unique story in 1945 to criticize the political system of that time. He uses animal characters to tell his story. The novel effectively portrays how animals rebel human leadership with the intent to rule themselves. Some animals pursue the rebellion because they believe they are going to be free at last. However, as events turn out, they end up in more oppression by one of their kind. The animals end up in disappointment and slavery. Orwell brings out the political theme carefully. In my opinion, Orwell’s story has relevance to the political and economical system in the developing world today.
Animal Farm’ is a novel by George Orwell which carries allegorical aspects. In other words, this novel is mainly focused on the Russian Revolution of 1917. Orwell has portrayed this revolution and the era of Stalin in the Soviet Union (USSR), in a satirical manner. Through out the novel, he has brought out a strong criticism about the power- hungry human kind and the way it affects a nation.