In Manor Farm, a farm run by the drunk Mr. Jones, the barn animals suddenly rebel, following a speech made by Old Mayor, who believes that the animals will live much better with Mr. Jones gone. The pigs, the more intelligent animals, have taught themselves how to read and write. Snowball changes the farm's name to Animal Farm and writes down the Seven Commandments on a wall. The commandments forbade animals to act like humans, kill other animals, and announced equality between them all. However, a certain pig named Napoleon started to plan evil schemes, where he secretly traded with other human-run farms, cut the rations of hens leading to their deaths, and made attempts to make Snowball seem like a bad influence. Napoleon proceeded to chase Snowball out of the farm, utilizing his trained dogs and making himself the leader. He then starts blaming Snowball, even though he is long gone, for every disaster, and creates a trial where he punishes animals with death penalties. Soon, the pigs start to seem superior and act like humans. They secretly change the Seven Commandments, make the other animals do more work, and eat more than others, without anyone noticing. Benjamin, a cynical yet intelligent donkey, was the only animal who realized their scheme but never told the others. This went on for years, and only a few remember Mr Jones, yet they all forget whether life was better before the rebellion. The windmill is built but is used for milling corn rather than for electricity to lessen animal labor. Later, the animals find Napolean playing cards with humans and are shocked to find that they can no longer tell the pigs from humans.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is an indirect reference to the Russian Revolution, with characters representing different communists and people who contributed to or took part in the revolution. For instance, as one of the main antagonists in the novel, Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin in the revolution, while Snowball, as his main enemy, represents Leon Trotsky. Both had their separate roles in the Russian Revolution and the uprising of Animal Farm, and both had fates similar to that of the characters in the novel. For instance, while Napoleon and Joseph Stalin remained leaders of the revolution until the end, Snowball and Trotsky were both downgraded from their positions and expelled from the farm or Communist party by their respective rivals. “He was running as only a pig can run, but the dogs were close on his heels. [...] One of them all but closed his jaws on Snowball's tail, but Snowball whisked it free just in time. Then he put on an extra spurt and slipped through a hole in the hedge with a few inches to spare and was seen no more.” (Orwell, 5). Other than these two major characters, others like Boxer, who represented the male working class, Squelar, who represented propaganda, and Mr. Jones, who represented Tsar Nicholas II, all contributed to the Animalist Revolution. Benjamin might be the only one in the novel aware of Napoleon’s schemes, but as a cynical donkey who didn’t meddle with others’ affairs, he didn’t speak up. “None of the animals could form any idea as to what this meant, except old Benjamin, who nodded his muzzle with a knowing air, and seemed to understand, but would say nothing.” (Orwell, 8). Throughout the story, multiple events are shown to be extremely similar to how the Russian Revolution ended and the effects of it on Russia.
Inequality is often seen throughout the darkness of human nature, as most leaders only care for their own good, rather than the good of a whole. For instance, in the story, the pigs utilize their mind power over the other, less intelligent animals, to control them and make the best possible scenario for themselves. The pigs know how to control the farm, are literate, and can use multiple reasons to make the other animals think that they are treated equally. As the mind workers of the farm, the pigs are able to receive various privileges over the other animals but also make the others think that they are treated equally and are living well at the same time. Squealer often uses the excuse of being the mind workers of the farm to tell the other animals that they did “equally as much labor” as the working class. “‘Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.’” (Orwell, 3). At the same time, all the other animals are only physically strong and don’t understand Napoleon’s schemes and the inequality in Animal Farm. Characters like Boxer have enough strength to defeat the dogs and the pigs, but he is too loyal to Napoleon. On the other hand, the hens had revolted against Napoleon and the pigs, but they didn’t have enough strength and willpower to do so. Once people have power over a certain population, they start creating schemes that might harm others but benefit themselves.
In certain scenarios, people are able to control a certain population with the use of language and with higher education. In Animal Farm, the pigs are superior to the other animals in only intelligence but are able to gain so many more privileges and power just by that one factor. As a leader, Napoleon uses dogs as weapons to threaten or scare people from rioting and uses Squealer as propaganda to make everyone oblivious to their schemes. As propaganda, Squealer was a large contribution to Napoleon’s scheme, and often substituted for him on stage. For instance, Squealer uses language and makes up statistics to make the other animals think that they have more food than they had during Mr. Jones’ control. Squealer often uses the excuse of being the mind workers of the farm to tell the other animals that they did “equally as much labor” as the working class. “‘Comrades!’ he cried. ‘You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.’” (Orwell, 3). The uneducated, less intelligent working class is either too oblivious to realize anything, or ignorant and fearful like Benjamin, who doesn’t speak up. They have a strong belief in Napoleon that the revolution was for the best, like Boxer, who was always loyal to the pigs and Animal Farm. Language is depicted as one factor of power and is always used to persuade people, often preventing them from having their own thoughts and ideas.
Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell, narrates an Animalist revolution in Manor Farm, where the barn animals revolt against the previous owner, Mr. Jones. However, the animals in Manor Farm are still being controlled by another population: the pigs, who are much more intelligent than them and are able to manipulate the working class in any possible way. The story is an indirect reference to the Russian Revolution, with characters representing different communists and people who contributed to or took part in the revolution. For instance, as one of the main antagonists in the novel, Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin in the revolution, while Snowball, as his main enemy, represents Leon Trotsky. Both had their separate roles in the Russian Revolution and the uprising of Animal Farm, and both had fates similar to that of the characters in the novel. In addition, the pigs utilize their mind power over the other, less intelligent animals, to control them and make the best possible scenario for themselves. The pigs know how to control the farm, are literate, and can use multiple reasons to make the other animals think that they are treated equally. The pigs are superior to the other animals in only intelligence but are able to gain so much more privileges and power just by that one factor.
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