Old Major represents Vladimir Ilych (Revolutionary Russian Leader) and Karl Marx (German Political Economist), George Orwell had a great deal of respect towards them and decided to mix both of them to create the character Old Major. Before Stalin, Vladimir was in charge of Russia, and wanted something better to come to his people and the Soviet Union. This also links with the novel, where Old Major started to make his speech about how there could be a better life for all the animals on the farm. Marx wanted a better life for all of his workers, and even rebelled if it meant to get justice for their workers this links to how Old Major wanted the animals to rebel against Mr. Jones for a better life.
In the beginning of the novel, the farm is ruled by humans and whatever the humans did it made the animals life a lot worse. In Manor Farm, Old Major to an opportunity and inspired all the animals to rebel against humans. This relates to the Soviet Union in the early 20th century. Before Vladimir came to power, the Soviet Union was ruled by Czars. In Animal Farm, Czars are the farmers; and the workers are of course the animals.
I started to notice the pigs taking advantage of the other animals when they started stealing milk from the cows, ‘So the animals trooped down the hayfield to begin the harvest, and when they came back they noticed that the milk disappeared.’ this passage shows that as the animals worked firmly the pigs took advantage of the moment and took everything they wanted. This incident was soon realised when the animals saw the milk being poured into the pig’s apples, but before a quarrel erupted Squealer (an animal who is a mixture of propaganda in real life) told the animals that the pigs needed the milk to stay healthy.
I also noticed that two pigs, Napoleon and Squealer, were not at the Battle of the Cowshed. Later on in the novel, Napoleon claimed that Snowball was a coward, traitor and tyrant and Napoleon also claimed that the Battle of the Cowshed was won by Napoleon’s skill, I believe he did this so he can gain the animals trust; this had a slight affect on the stupider animals but the smarter animals still doubted the pigs.
Everything seems to be flowing in the direction of happy Socialism as the peasants and workers are becoming richer, happier more equal to the formerly upper and superior classes. However, greed amongst the ranks of leaders would soon begin to ruin the thus far well regulated and fulfilled plan. Snowball is courageous and successful in repelling the attack of Mr. Jones and his men and has begun to draw up plans for a fantastic windmill that will cut down on the labor and increase the end results as well as powering the barns with heat and electricity. His recent courage, innovation and charming persuasiveness delivered in the weekly Sunday debates are making him favored over the more rough and demanding, despite being less articulate, Napoleon. Finally the windmill comes down to a debate and vote at a Sunday meeting. Snowball closes with a brilliant and convincing speech that appears to have the vote in his favor. However, at this point, the threatened and enraged Napoleon (Stalin), unleashes his secret weapon. Nine vicious dogs that he had taken from dogs Jessie and Bluebell upon their birth claiming he personally would educate them. However, he viciously trained these dogs to be unwavering in killing and loyal to him. Furthermore, the dogs rushed right at their designated enemy, Snowball. They chased Snowball off of the farm and he would never be heard from again but would still be an important character. All this reminiscent of when Stalin’s dogs, or his growing and grudgingly ruthless military, chased Trotsky out of the Republic to never be seen again.
The animal population was stunned and did not know what to do about this horrible event; this is what the people of Russia felt about Stalin hatred to Trotsky, the person who labored in every way to help Russia. Napoleon had planned on this and now has able to announce his sole rule and domain on Animal Farm. This is the turning point in which the farm takes a horrible turn towards totalitarianism and oppressive communism. Soon after, Napoleon decides that a windmill shall be built and when questions are raised the propaganda dispersing pig Squealer quickly dismisses that Snowball had stolen Napoleon’s windmill plans and that Napoleon was then forced to oust the traitor. Eventually, the weak windmill comes down in storm and the very next day an outraged Napoleon instantly blames Snowball for undermining and conniving against the farm and committing secret ambush attacks on the farm at night. This is the first example of many where Napoleon blames Snowball for any sort of problem. Paralleling, in 1934, Stalin’s ally Serge Kirov was assassinated, prompting Stalin to begin his unfair and severe purges of the Communists and the USSR. Stalin began to blame any fault on Trotsky’s influence and evil doing just as Napoleon does. Furthermore, Stalin found scapegoats for his failures and would kill innocent Communist workers by labeling them traitors and would then have them executed. Corresponding, Napoleon called a special meeting of the animals where he forced four pigs, whom had supported Snowball, to ridiculously and erroneously admit to conspiring with Snowball against the Animal Farm. Furthermore, Napoleon executes three hens that had resisted to giving their eggs to him, a goose who had stolen corn, a sheep who urinated in the drinking pool and two other sheep for murdering a ram. These ridiculous executions and purges only showed the absurd lengths that Napoleon and Stalin would go to keep an intimidating stronghold on the animals and the peasants. By this point the farm is a political regime of Napoleon based on subordination of the individual to the state and strict control of all aspects of life.
Meanwhile, numerous hypocrisies occur on the farm and appear to be in contradiction of the Seven Commandments. For example, following the mass executions, Clover, a suspicious, good-hearted female horse, questions the sixth commandment but when she goes to check the list and has Muriel, a goat, read her the commandments to check. However, the pigs have added two key words to the end of the commandment, “without cause”. These new words make it perfectly justified and necessary then, according to the lying Squealer, to have killed those “traitors and conspirators”. Furthermore, eventually, once the pigs have decided to inhabit the farmhouse they begin to break just about every commandment. The high-class pigs begin to wear Mr. Jones old clothes, begin to sleep in his bed and drink alcohol on a regular nightly basis. Finally, when Clover catches the pigs walking on two legs like a human they have broken the biggest rule and commandment of all. A disheartened and confused Clover goes to check the commandments and once again finds the commandments have been changed. This time they read “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL – BUT SOME ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS.” This is the last and greatest example of the atrocious manipulation of language for use as an instrument of control by those in power. After years of violence, hunger, dishonesty and fear, the spirit of Animal Farm seems like a distant memory. By seeking to become “more equal” than the other animals, the pigs have horribly transformed the original ideal of the farm, have used language to betray the truth and have simply found a more sophisticated and humanly method for literally stepping into the position of their former tyrannical masters. The leadership styles of Napoleon and Stalin were not as clever as they were effective, by immortalizing themselves and ruling through intimidation and trepidation, they wallowed in prosperity and power.
In my opinion I think the novel is flawless, because it explains vividly the events in the Stalin regime by using animals as the Russians and the humans are the Czars. The only two problems I see was why was Old Major captive, when Vladimir and Marx were free and I don’t get how a boy with a horse cart inspired George Orwell to make the novel. But overall it was a fine novel.
As I read Animal Farm it has affected my point of view on George Orwell’s purpose as it helps me to understand the events which occurred in the Stalin regime and it was enjoyable to read because it had some humour and wasn’t difficult to read. The novel has also opened my eyes on how hard dictatorship is and how hard it is to rule an empire.
I also realise the human nature and how they betray one another, I guess that was the meaning of the last paragraph of the novel… you can’t tell between the two. I also understand how leaders can sometimes be selfish, foolish and sometimes important figures in any campaign. The novel has also made me think about was George Orwell trying to show another purpose in making this story; is because he also wanted to show how humans have a deep impact on animals and if we were out of they’re life’s would it be easier for them…or will they kill each other. The Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution were alike in many ways, both started with bright ideas for the future of the people and ended with a corrupt government turning the settlement into what it initially opposed. The Animal Farm was written as a specific attack on a specific government, but its general and underlying themes of oppression, injustice and tyranny are a powerful attack on any political or military powers that seek to unjustly control human beings. Too much power brings out the worst in us and great and absolute power corrupts us in a way that only seems natural to an animal.
By Aaron Sahadevan 9Q