Perhaps the greatest disaster that arises from the animal’s rebellion is the fact that they end up in a worse situation, under the control of Farmer Jones than that Napoleon. After the revolution, Napoleon, the imposing dictator, controls them through fear and threats of execution. This is a tragedy as the animals cannot rebel against the pigs without being accused of breaking the sacred commandments of animalism. Therefore, what the animals set out to achieve fails, resulting in dire consequences.
Furthermore, after the revolution and the empowering of Napoleon, the farm becomes inefficient in production of food that is to support them. Hence the animals suffer starvation, whereas, are living a high-quality lifestyle, making deals with humans, and treating themselves as superior to the other animals as they change the seven original commandments to please their actions.
Corruption is also a prominent theme in ‘Animal Farm’. This is shown through the pigs and Napoleon, and their selfish actions. The pigs represent politics and greed. Throughout the story, the pigs are seen by the other animals as educated, intelligent and superior in the area of leadership. They are given control over Animal Farm and the animals obey their commands. However, the pigs have no interest in the good of the other animals, but rather, themselves and their own comfort. Napoleon and his supporters corrupt the farm by acting against the seven commandments. This is exemplified when they create a class system, defying the “All animals are equal” rule. The pigs also order the executions of many of their ‘Comrades’, disobeying the “No animal shall harm another animal” rule. These actions are justified by squealer’s propaganda and secretly changing the phrasing of the seven commandments. In addition, they lie in the treatment of the loyal Boxer, declaring that he is going to a retirement farm, when in fact; he has been taken away for meat processing. This represents a complete betrayal of the most dictated worker.
The story of ‘Animal Farm’ is also a satire of the Russian Revolution. This is shown through many of the characters, and the events which takes place on the Farm.
Old Major is a pig who first planted the seed of a better life in the minds of the animals. Like Karl Marx, who first portrayed the idea of communism through his book ‘Das Kapital’. Through this, Marx spoke of a world of freedom and equality – one which is very alike to the animals after the revolution against Farmer Jones.
The expulsion of Farmer Jones is also directly linked to the Russian Revolution. The Tsar was a dominating leader in Russia before the revolution. He conquered over Russia, living the luxurious lifestyle, and abusing the power he had over the people. However, the revolution saw the demise of him and his family, as they were all killed. This is identical to what happens before the animals who representing the peasants of Russia, rebel against Farmer Jones.
Before his death, Old Major spoke of a society where animals rule and where there is “perfect unity” between all animals. After the revolution on the farm, the animals exist in a ‘Communist’ society, and for a time, they are all treated evenly. However, eventually, the beliefs of equality begin to deteriorate, and the animals start living on two levels; the pigs, superior, and the other animals, hard-working, cheated, exploited and restrained by their leaders. The pigs live a better life than the other animals; drinking and eating food that the other animals work so hard to produce, and sleeping in beds and living in a house, again, contrary to the seven commandments. Their beliefs of egalitarianism between animals fade away in unison as the final commandment “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” is written above the door of the barn.
These final moments highlight the tragedy of this novel by suggesting that bad leaders are eventually replaced by equally bad leaders, and that revolutions, however justified, fail.
