Relations to Animal Farm
The Rebellion of Animal Farm represents the Russian’s October revolution and the political regime that came in use afterwards called communism. There are some direct similarities in the two events. In Animal farm Old Major a dying boar introduced to the animals something called “Animalism” which is actually Marxism created by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. They promised the people a better living standard and to a life of democracy. [14] Following the ideals of Animalism the animals almost immediately won the revolution, so quickly that they didn’t believe they were free. Similar to when the Bolsheviks easily took power from the provisional government because the government lacked an army due to WW1 happening at the time. That is where the power corruption started.
After the revolution the animals immediately started working for a good future. The animals took orders from the pigs and allowed them to rule the farm. After the revolution the Bolsheviks were the empowered. Considered as the smartest group in Russia and they took over, especially Trotsky (Snowball) and Stalin (Napoleon). Unfortunately, Trotsky was expelled almost right after the allied invasion of 1918-1919 (Battle of Cowshed). Leaving only one ruler standing, Stalin (Napoleon).
The situation soon led to dictatorship. At first Napoleon’s rule was only representative, but soon he broke the seven commandments changing the original Animalism (Marxism) Old Major imagined into an absolute monarchy. Which the animals accepted without any questions due to their lack of education and simple minds. The uneducated animals represent the normal citizens of Russia that many lived through poverty and died under Stalin’s rule. [12]
After the revolution the animals immediately started working for a good future. The animals took orders from the pigs and allowed them to rule the farm. After the revolution the Bolsheviks were the empowered. Considered as the smartest group in Russia and they took over, especially Trotsky (Snowball) and Stalin (Napoleon). Unfortunately, Trotsky was expelled almost right after the allied invasion of 1918-1919 (Battle of Cowshed). Leaving only one ruler standing, Stalin (Napoleon).
The situation soon led to dictatorship. At first Napoleon’s rule was only representative, but soon he broke the seven commandments changing the original Animalism (Marxism) Old Major imagined into an absolute monarchy. Which the animals accepted without any questions due to their lack of education and simple minds. The uneducated animals represent the normal citizens of Russia that many lived through poverty and died under Stalin’s rule. [12]
Why did George Orwell represent the event in the way he did? How successful was he?
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is clearly a satirical piece of work describing the events of the Russian Revolution. He chose to represent the events in this manner because he wasn’t allowed to directly criticize Russia because of the trade relations between the two countries. George Orwell would have a higher chance of his book being published if he used animals instead of humans to avoid censorship. The story was written very well although it was refused by many publishers at first, but Orwell still managed to get it published. You can clearly identify the relations between actual Russian history and the story of the farm. The author’s thoughts on the political regime happening in the USSR was well expressed through dystopian literature.