George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm, is a deceitfully simple story about a group of farm
animals who, tired of toiling for the benefit of humans, rebel and create their own way
of life only to find themselves, several years later, toiling for the benefit of one of
their own kind, the pigs. Because of the simplicity of this novel, many people consider
it to be a children's story. However, beyond it's lighthearted surface, it is truly a
satirical attack against Stalinism. "It is also a lament for the fate of revolutions and
the hopes contained in them." Adding to the complexity of the book, it also shows man's
willingness to compromise the truth. In the short scope of this novel, Orwell expresses
many of his ideas about men and politics.
Major, an elderly pig, is the one who plants the seed of rebellion in the minds of the
other animals by sharing with them a song which he had learned as a young pig, but which
he has just recalled during a dream. This song "Beasts of England" describes a peaceful
life where all animals will live in harmony, no longer enslaved by humans.
Riches more than mind can picture,
Wheat and barley, oats and hay,
Clover, beans and mangel-wurzels
Shall be ours upon that day.
Bright will shine the fields of England,
Purer shall its waters be,
Sweeter yet shall blow its breezes
On the day that sets us free. (pp. 7-8)
The character of Major symbolizes the Soviet Union leader, Vladimir Ilich Lennin. Lennin
too had caused his comrades to rise up in rebellion against the Czarist form of
government in the hope of creating a country where everyone would be equal. Before he
saw his ideas fully enacted, he died.
After the death of Major, the power is left in the hands of two other pigs, Snowball and
Napoleon. Napoleon, who, without anyone else discovering, had raised a litter of puppies
into fierce dogs, now uses them to chase Snowball off the farm. This shares many
similarities with the way a leader came into power to succeed Lennin. Lennin's choice
was Leon Trotsky, but Stalin, who is represented by Napoleon, uses tactful maneuvers to
work his way into government and establish a totalitarian system.
As the only leader, Napoleon quickly begins to abuse his power. Using his superior
intelligence, he soon has the other animals doing all the farm work while he and the
other pigs take on the roles of supervisors. The attitudes of the animals, especially
Boxer, with his motto, "Napoleon is always right," are representative of the way people
in a totalitarian state blindly follow their leader. One of the most important reasons
for this blind faith is fear. Napoleon creates this fear through the use of his dogs,
who make sure there is no opposition to his rule. Fear alone, though, does not keep the
animals loyal; rather it is the combination of fear and the hope that their original
dreams will still come true.
None of the old dreams had been abandoned.
The Republic of the Animals which Major had
foretold, when the green fields of England
should be untrodden by human feet, was still
believed in. (p. 85)
This is the general feeling of the animals and keeps them working hard to reach their
goals.
Over time, we see the pigs becoming more and more like humans. First we see them
sleeping in beds, then drinking alcohol, and finally walking on two legs. Everyone of
these things is strictly prohibited in the seven commandments; however, Napoleon has bent
the rules to help himself, so when the other animals check the rules, they have
miraculously changed. This is a trait inherent in most of mankind... they seem only to
follow the truth when the truth suits them. If it does not, they change it to meet their
needs.
What begins as a wonderful dream where animals would control their own lives, free of
human control, ends with the animals under the control of an even more oppressive ruler.
Lennin's overthrow of the oppressive Czarist government, in the end, led to the
tyrannical and totalitarian reign of Stalin. As long as there are such beliefs as, "All
animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others," (p. 88) all rebellions
for equality will fail because there will always be some group to fill the role of
superiority.
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