Relations to Animal Farm
In the fable Animal Farm written by George Orwell, Stalin is represented by a pig called Napoleon. Both of them have a lust for power. They both claim their nations to be creating equality and fairness, but they freely change the rules for their own desires. Their nations are built on the hard work of their citizens while they shower themselves in wealth leaving the citizens in poverty.
Stalin was about absolute dictator in the USSR. He abused his power for his economics plans which is equivalent to the windmill plans that Napoleon had in the story. In the process of Stalin’s economic plans many starved to death represented by the deaths of Muriel and Boxer, the peasants of the time under the rule of Napoleon.[6]
The similarities between Stalin and Napoleon can be shown their actions. They turned on their comrades Leon Trotsky and Snowball and took the power becoming a dictator to Russia and the farm. After removing Snowball from the farm, Napoleon ordered the construction of the windmill which was designed by Snowball and which he originally opposed strongly. This mirrors Stalin opposition towards Trotsky’s push for industrialization, which was also later adopted as a policy after Trotsky’s exile.
When the windmill in the story collapses due to Napoleon’s lack of planning, referencing back to Stalin’s failed approach to the Five-Year Plans, the failure was blamed on Snowball and started a wave of terror between the animals. The situation alike to when Russia’s economic plan failed and Stalin blamed it on Trotsky calling it Trotskyism. [4]
Stalin was about absolute dictator in the USSR. He abused his power for his economics plans which is equivalent to the windmill plans that Napoleon had in the story. In the process of Stalin’s economic plans many starved to death represented by the deaths of Muriel and Boxer, the peasants of the time under the rule of Napoleon.[6]
The similarities between Stalin and Napoleon can be shown their actions. They turned on their comrades Leon Trotsky and Snowball and took the power becoming a dictator to Russia and the farm. After removing Snowball from the farm, Napoleon ordered the construction of the windmill which was designed by Snowball and which he originally opposed strongly. This mirrors Stalin opposition towards Trotsky’s push for industrialization, which was also later adopted as a policy after Trotsky’s exile.
When the windmill in the story collapses due to Napoleon’s lack of planning, referencing back to Stalin’s failed approach to the Five-Year Plans, the failure was blamed on Snowball and started a wave of terror between the animals. The situation alike to when Russia’s economic plan failed and Stalin blamed it on Trotsky calling it Trotskyism. [4]
Why did George Orwell represent the character in the way he did? How successful was he?
Orwell chose to represent Stalin in such a manner to show his dictatorship and wanted to show people what happens when leaders were allowed too much power. The relationships Napoleon had with his comrades made it especially clear who it was representing, making the story successful in telling facts of what happened inside the supposedly communist USSR.