The Use of Distortion as a Literary Device in George Orwell's Animal Farm

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Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is an excellent example of distortion as a literary device. The story is set up as a fable using a third person objective viewpoint and personification of animals to represent historical figures and stereotypes. Distortion can also be found in much of the symbolism throughout the novel.

Similar to a fable, Animal Farm makes use of personification. In the story, farm animals are used to represent different classes of people, from the average working man to government officials and police or military personnel. This element of the novel goes deeper, when the pigs on the farm begin to resemble historical figures such as Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, of Russia. Through distortion of character, Orwell brings to light the horrors and atrocities of corrupt leadership, specifically in totalitarian governments such as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics after World War Two.

The use of a third person objective viewpoint is effective in the conveyance of the novel’s themes. This view gives the audience the ability to look in from the outside and draw t...

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