Fairy Tale, allegory of the Russian Revolution or an everyday tale of corruption by power?

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a novel that can be read, understood and enjoyed by all ages but it portrays a different meaning on each age group. As the age group gets older they are more aware of the novels links with the Russian Revolution and the corruption of power as the pigs lead the revolution and ply it in their own favour.

The younger readers see the book as an enjoyable humorous and, maybe heroic fairy tale where animals on a farm become fed up of their mistreatment by their owner and they break free forcing the humans out of the farm. They then see the novel explain how the animals are forced to fend for themselves and continue to keep the farm running in order to survive as well as trying to encourage animals from other farms to follow their lead and over throw the humans. The readers may fail to pick up the corruption of power by the pigs as they go against all the rules and live a life of luxury as the other animals continue life under strict governing rules. The pigs slowly become more and more powerful and influential over the other animals and the corruption becomes worse as there greed for further control grows.

The older generations appreciate the link the novel has with the Russian Revolution and it recognises how the pigs take control of the Russian revolution from day one increasing their position in society evermore and increasing there power and control on the farm until one day when the power breaks down and the farm falls apart and the revolution ends in total devastation. The pigs and dogs that protect the pigs are guilty for taking most of the power for themselves believing that they are the best administrators of government. It isn’t long into the revolution that the power of the pigs begins to corrupt the other animals on the farm, and they appear to turn against their fellow animals which eliminates competitors through propaganda and bloodshed. Obviously this is a reference to Starlin who murdered many of his own people in order to maintain his dictatorship in Russia. Starlin, like the pigs was greedy for power and would do anything for it and to retain it. Orwell intended to criticise the communist regime he saw sweeping through Russia and spreading to Europe and even the U.S. We can refer to Animal Farm as being his ‘self-proclaimed’ ‘fairy story’ in which Orwell uses his allegorical farm to symbolise the communist system portraying his own views.

We are made to think that the original intention of overthrowing Mr Jones is an evil action but the way Napoleon subsequently adopts Mr Jones’s principles and harsh mistreatment of the other animals. This shows communism not to be equality, but just another form of inequality where not all the animals are seen as equals.

Each character in the novel can be associated with certain real characters as Animal Farm is a satire of the Russian Revolution and is full of ...

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Each character in the novel can be associated with certain real characters as Animal Farm is a satire of the Russian Revolution and is full of symbolism.

The two leaders in the Russian Revolution were Leon Trotsky who is portrayed as Snowball, and Joseph who is portrayed by Napoleon. The pigs are used by Orwell to surround and support Napoleon as they symbolise the communist party loyalists and the friends of Stalin as well as perhaps the Russian Government. The pigs all have great faith in Napoleon and constantly remind the other animals on the farm of his importance, bravery and kindness as he rules the revolution. The pigs stay close throughout the revolution and stick by Napoleon very closely following his lead, agreeing with decisions he makes and persuading the other animals that hi is making decisions that are in their best interests.

Napoleon began to gain more and more control and power as the Revolution progressed and as the animals on the farm became more supportive and trust worthy of him.

It was not long into the revolution when Napoleon began to abuse his power so that he could break the rules that had originally been introduced by the pigs so that he could live a life of luxury and comfort. The other pigs explained to the moaning and curious animals as to the reasons for this breach in rules and concluded that Napoleon was of great importance and deserved the comfort. They also argued the reason for the pigs joining him. They told the other animals that it was because they are the brains and the centre of the revolution and they need to sleep well, eat well and drink well so they can be effective leaders and make good decisions. The other animals eventually bought this story and agreed that it was fair and necessary for there well being and possibly for their survival. The pigs took control of the cottage they had overthrown where they slept in beds, drank whisky and ate out of bowls. The pigs were certainly enjoying the benefits of the society they helped to control. The inequality and true hypocrisy of communism is expressed here by Orwell as the pigs appear to become more equal than the other animals.

Other animals within the farm include two cart horses’ names Boxer and Clover. They are used by Orwell to represent the unskilled labour class (proletariat) in Russian society. Both the animals were very helpful on the rebellion and throughout the revolution as they spent a lot of time and work building up the farm to increase the animals power and farming the land for food and hay for the comfort and survival of all the other animals who also did there fair share of work but did not have the same strength or stamina as Boxer and Clover. Both the horses were unintelligent and were only useful for their brawn, therefore, them and the other unintelligent working animals were naturally drawn to Napoleon because it seems as though they will benefit from his new system. The animals didn’t believe that any treatment or control could be as unfair and abused as it had been when Mr Jones was in charge of the farm. On several occasions had the farmer failed to feed the animals, he over worked them and didn’t care much for their welfare. Because the lower class animals are not accustomed to the ‘good life’, they can’t really compare Napoleon’s Government to the life they had led before under the control of Mr Jones who is used to symbolise the Czars of the Russian revolution, emperors

of Russia. The lower class animals with less intelligence were more easily persuaded into thinking that they are going to

get a good deal. In the novel we begin to notice how the animals begin to grow faith in the pigs and start to agree with there points of views and decisions and how they were effective at convincing and reassuring one another that communism is a good idea.

The rules on the farm which were written on a blackboard were continuously being altered by the pigs to suit their requirements. However the original rules still applied for the other animals who were to follow them or face the guards, the dogs on the farm. The dogs play a large part in the revolution as they protect Napoleon and are used by to intimidate the other animals which inevitably must have made Napoleon feel even more powerful. The dogs were also used by Napoleon to make sure that the animals agreed with Napoleons decisions and to make sure there were no traitors on the farm They policed the farm and animals stayed loyal to napoleon and followed the rules with no hesitations as they were afraid of the dogs. The dogs are used to represent the KGB or perhaps the bodyguards of Stalin. The dogs are defenders of Napoleon and the pigs and were a force that the other animals were to abide with.

An elderly donkey named Benjamin is an elusive character in the novel and he is described to be unchanged since the rebellion. He carries on with work as normal in the same way he had always done, never showing any excitement or enthusiasm about anything or disappointment about anything that passed during the revolution. Benjamin is used by Orwell to symbolise the older generation and is the only animal on the farm who appears as though he couldn’t care less about Napoleon and Animal Farm which had been called Manor Farm before the animals broke free and forced humans out of the farm. Being older and wiser it is possible that Benjamin could have known that the revolt was only a temporary change, and will flop with devastating affects in the end. He can be seen as a pessimist as he expected nothing positive to come from the revolution and his maturity level being higher than that of the other animals lead him not to being tricked by Napoleon’s propaganda. The only time during the revolution when Benjamin shows any concern towards the other animals is when Boxer is taken away in a glue truck after having an accident while working and he tries to warn the other animals of Boxers fate as he notices the advertisement on the side of the truck and later tries to reassure ……….who was a good friend of Boxer. She had very little affect on the revolution apart from having puppies which were later brought up and trained to be the guards on the farm by Napoleon against her wishes and who were to respond to Napoleon only.

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