Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a novella written with satire exploring the Russian Revolution. The novella starts off with the animals rebelling against Mr. Jones. From the start of the revolution, it is evident that the pigs are the mindworkers, taking over the farm and taking control over the other animals. What may initially seem like a harmless and fun story is actually one that can teach us greatly about life in the real world and the realities of human nature. Through the interactions between the pigs and the other animals and the animals and the farmers, we are able to learn about the history behind the Russian Revolution, corruption of revolution, totalitarianism, the power of education, and the power of language.
The Russian Revolution was a period of political and social change in Russia, during which Russia transitioned from monarchy to USSR. Orwell’s novella, Animal Farm, in many ways greatly portrays and assembles the Russian Revolution. Through the actions and relationships between the animals and the farmers, we are able to see the corruption of ideas and the ways in which power can lead to tyranny, reflecting the root cause of the Russian Revolution. The various animals in the novel in many ways also represent the key figures from the Russian Revolution. Old Major and his idea of animalism, is a reflection of Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin and the Marxism-Leninism ideology of socialism. The Marxism-Leninism ideology of socialism was one of the driving factors behind the October Revolution and the Russian Revolution itself. Napoleon, the dictator of the farm on the other hand, was a representation of Joseph Stalin, a general who led the soviet union following the end of the Russian Revolution. The other animals present on the farm symbolizes the working class people who have choice but to follow the order of the pigs. The initial rebellion on the farm on the other hand reflects the overthrow of the Tsar in 1917. In 1917 at the start of the revolution, the Tsar and his family were overthrown, and eventually killed. The pig’s idea of animalism is also a reflection of totalitarianism, a political system and form of government. Although the pigs state in their rules “All animals are equal,” (Orwell) with time we are able to see how that idea shifts into totalitarianism when the pigs take rule over the farm. The animals' behaviors and interactions and their theory of revolution therefore in many ways greatly mirrors the Russian Revolution, showing the cause and consequences of the revolution.
Corruption occurs when one abuses their role in power for personal gains, as demonstrated through the actions of the pigs. After the initial rebellion in which Mr. Jones is exiled from his own farm, corruption occurs when the pigs become dictators, fully taking control of the farm. The farm is no longer a democracy where “All animals are equal”. Rather, the pigs are on the top of the social circle and all other animals are below them, working to fend for their own lives. Corruption first started when the pigs started taking all the apples and milk, because they wanted more food for themselves, leaving the other animals with little or no food. They even gaslighted the rest of the other animals into believing that this was right. As stated in the text, “So it was agreed without further argument that the milk and the windfall apples (and also the main crop of apples when they ripened) should be reserved for the pigs alone.” (Orwell) Corruption continued when the pigs decided to move into the house, further asserting their authority over the other animals. “It was about this time that the pigs suddenly moved into the farmhouse and took up their residence there. Again the animals seemed to remember that a resolution against this had been passed in the early days, and again Squealer was able to convince them that this was not the case.” (Orwell) The pigs have self decided to move into the house and despite the animals knowing it was against the rules, they once again fell back into the pig’s trap, believing that this was right. Eventually, the other animals started believing that the pigs were superior and referred to them as leaders and obligated to their requests and started agreeing that the pigs should have more privileges than the rest of the animals. The pigs, initially the leaders of the animals, abused their position of power by taking more and more and sharing less and less with the other animals. Their actions serve as a warning, showing the consequences of corruption if not stopped early. The eventual relationship between the pigs and the animals shows how power affects one’s privileges in the real world, mirroring the concept of social class. Those who are higher on the social class will have more power than those who are on the lower end. The pig’s abuse of power shows how corruption can spiral if not controlled properly.
The inequality amongst the animals was a key driving factor that contributed to chaos on the farm. From the start, it is evident that the abilities and capabilities of the animals are not equal. Their capabilities also vary greatly, with the pigs being the mentally strong, and the other animals being more physically strong. However, despite their differences in strength, the pigs are able to remain in control of the other animals due to their quick thinking and strategic use of their brain. To start off with, the pigs were great public speakers. As shown in the novel, “All the animals were now present except Moses, the tame raven, who slept on a perch behind the back door. When Major saw that they had all made themselves comfortable and were waiting attentively, he cleared his throat and began…” (Orwell) The description of the animals when Old Major was speaking clearly demonstrates the power he holds and how good of a public speaker he was. The way he delivers his speech attracts the attention of all the animals, captivating them and making them believe that what he says is true. The pigs in general also have a higher IQ compared to the other animals. They are literate and are able to gaslight the other animals into thinking that they are weaker than them with their various capabilities.The other animals on the other hand are not mentally strong and not even all of them are physically strong. The other animals are not mindworkers and therefore do not have the knowledge and capabilities to educate their young. The hens for example are physically weak. Although they attempt to fight, they don’t have the physical capabilities to fight, therefore, some end up dying. Other animals on the hand are too mindless and are fully gaslighted by the pigs. Boxer is strong. However, the pigs have fully gaslighted him and he believes in every word that the pigs say. Animals like Benjamin on the other hand know about the pig’s plan and can see their master plan unfolding, yet he doesn’t warn the other animals, and continues to watch them stay oppressed. Although it may come off as selfish, Benjamin is an example of what people may act like in the real world. He is a demonstration of someone who knows but keeps to themselves. The relationship between the pigs and the other animals shows us the importance of mental strength and intelligence. The pigs show us that mental strength and intelligence can often get you further than pure physical strength. As shown through the different approaches and actions of the different animals on the farm, we are able to see how differences in capabilities can result in a difference of role playing and how that impacts the fates of each animal.
Education is a powerful way of expressing yourself, and being educated gives you more advantage in the world than you think. The main difference between the pigs and the rest of the animals is that the pigs are educated while the rest of the animals are not. Then, because they are educated, the pigs are able to control the flow of education and decide who gets education and who doesn’t. Because they are educated, they are able to create rules. The seven rules they created are the following: whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy, whatever goes upon four legs or has wings is a friend, no animal shall wear clothes, no animals shall sleep in a bed, no animal shall drink alcohol, no animal shall kill any other animal, and lastly all animals are equal. All animals are told of these rules and they lay written on a sheet of paper that everyone can see. However, due to the illiteracy of the other animals because of their lack of education, they aren’t able to read the rules and therefore just go along with it. As seen through the text, “Clover, who thought she remembered a definite ruling against beds, went to the end of the barn and tried to puzzle out the Seven Commandments which were inscribed there. Finding herself unable to read more than individual letters…” (Orwell) Clover’s ability to read the rules shows that unlike the pigs, she and most of the rest of the animals are illiterate and aren’t able to read or comprehend the rules. The pigs then take advantage of this by taking advantage of the rules and taking advantage of the animals as a whole. Because they are educated, they then change the rules and include maxims. They changed animalism and their “motto” was no longer “All animals are created equal” (Orwell). It became “All animals are created equal but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell). Using their ability to read and write, the pigs change the rules and word it in a way the other animals aren’t exactly able to comprehend. The way the pigs display authority over the other animals clearly demonstrates the power of education and the role it plays in life.
The way you speak and your choice of words can determine the way others perceive your words and can change the way others view you as. The pigs being highly educated use their words in many different ways to make the other animals believe in them. One example is how Squealer convinces the other animals why the pigs should live in the house. Squealer uses words that make it seem like everyone is equal which allows the animals to believe that it is fair for the pigs to live inside the house. Unlike the pigs, the other animals lack education, allowing them to blindly believe everything the pigs say including misinformation and propaganda. The uneducated animals are also easily scared by the pigs and are easily controlled. Through this, Orwell highlights the importance of education and the power of language and shows readers how words have big impacts and how words can impact people individually. Being able to use your words is a powerful skill for words that have powerful meanings and can greatly change and shape the way a person thinks/acts.
Through Orwell’s novella Animal Farm, we are able to learn about the Russian Revolution through a different perspective, the perspective of an animal. We are able to learn about the history of the Russian Revolution through the various different characters that resemble real life figures of the Russian Revolution. We are also able to explore the cause of the Russian Revolution and how corruption can greatly influence activities of a community. Through comparing and contrasting the pigs and the other animals, we are also able to learn about the inequality between animals which mirrors the theme of social class. Throughout the novel, we also explore the importance of education and language and how that can shape one’s future. Orwell’s novella Animal Farm is a fun short story that uses satire to teach many important lessons.
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