Introduction
There are literature pieces written decades or centuries ago, but the topics they explore are relevant to this day, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm is in this category. First published in 1945, the fable provides a satirical allegory of the 1917 Russian Revolution and its broader implications (Palmisano and Wilatec1). The themes of power and oppression run through the story as the author brilliantly uses metaphors to show how corrupt and totalitarian governments can exert their influence upon the population for self-serving purposes.
Even though modern society views itself as essentially free and democratic, there are still countries, such as Russia, North Korea, or Iran, that exert immense control over their citizens, suppress free speech, and repress the opposition. Orwell’s commentary on the Stalinist era offers a deep insight into the nature of totalitarianism and the cycle of oppression that persists in society to this day.
Biography of George Orwell
George Orwell (born Eric Arthur Blair) is an English writer, critic, and journalist best known for his dystopian fiction works, namely Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm. Orwell was born in eastern India, where his father worked in a British colonial civil service. Educated in Eaton, England, Orwell traveled to Burma to join the Indian Imperial Police, resigning in 1928 to become a full-time writer and move to Paris (BBC). He had to take many menial jobs in Paris due to his lack of success as a writer; his experience was later described in the first book, Down and Out in Paris and London (1933) (BBC).
Orwell started identifying as a socialist by the 1930s, writing about the poverty among unemployed miners in northern England or traveling to Spain to help fight against Franco’s Nationalists (BBC). He fled the country, fearing the attack from Soviet-backed communists who were suppressing Spanish socialist revolutionaries, and this experience made him an adamant anti-Stalinist (BBC). During WWII, the writer worked for British propaganda at the BBC, while the publication of Animal Farm in 1945 put him on the map as one of the most influential writers of the decade (BBC). The anti-utopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four was published in 1949, solidifying the author’s career and recognition (BBC). By that time, his health was rapidly deteriorating, and in January 1950, George Orwell died of tuberculosis.
Overview of the Plot
Through metaphor and allegory, the focus of Animal Farm‘s plot is that the revolt against tyranny results in a newly arriving regime’s further usurpation of power. The story begins with the barnyard animals of Manor Farm plotting a revolution against their farm owner, Mr. Jones (Palmisano and Wilatec 1). The coup is led by Old Major, a boar who gives an inspirational speech at the barn, encouraging everyone to remove Jones from his leadership position and run the farm independently. The pigs named Napoleon and Snowball, identified as the most intelligent, planned the revolution and led the farm owner’s and his wife’s banishment.
The animals established an equal society and maintained it for some time. Still, the pigs began assuming more and more power, adjusting the rules to suit their interests (Palmisano and Wilatec 2). Further in the plot, the pigs separate themselves from the rest of the animals and start indulging in drinking and behaving with disrespect toward others. Under dogs’ protection, the pigs run the farm with severe strictness and eliminate any animal they see as a threat to their power or useless to the farm’s profitability. Thus, the tale ends with animals finding themselves in the same position they were initially – subjected to oppression, abuse of power, and disenfranchisement.
Historical Context of the Story
As an avid anti-Stalinist, Orwell wrote Animal Farm to provide commentary on the Russian Revolution of 1917. The coup occurred as the autocracy of the Russian Empire led by Tsar Nicholas II Romanov was overthrown, and the first communist government in the world was established (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). In February, mass strikes and protests on the streets of Saint Petersburg occurred as the population expressed dissatisfaction with the harsh conditions they endured during WWI (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica).
The revolutionary sentiment greatly influenced the Russian army and took the side of the protestors, aiding in the abdication of the Tsar on March 15 (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica). Later in the year, the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, initiated a revolution by taking advantage of the power vacuum left in the country (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica).
They seized crucial governmental buildings and established Soviet power, and Lenin took the position of head of government. The two consecutive coups marked the start of a transformative period in the history of Russia, paving the way for the formation of the Soviet Union. Even though the population was hopeful that the change of leadership would lead to more freedom, the Bolsheviks usurped the power, with a totalitarian dictatorship starting to form. While the nature of Lenin’s leadership is contentious, when Joseph Stalin got to power after the death of his predecessor, the extent of authoritarianism in the country reached new levels.
Animal Farm Analysis
The themes of power and oppression dominating the story are directly linked to the Russian political context of that time. The metaphors that can be drawn between the characters and historical figures are evidence of Orwell’s utter disdain for the Soviet leaders and their treatment of the population. Specifically, Mr. Jones, Manor Farm’s owner, is depicted as a cruel drunkard who treats his animals poorly and takes all the fruits of their labor for himself. In turn, Jones gave the animals just enough food and water so they would not starve and survive.
Thus, when Jones ran the farm, the animals were treated as enslaved people: “He [Jones] set them [animals] to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest keeps for himself. Our labor till the soil, our dung fertilizes it, and yet no one of us owns more than his bare skin” (Orwell 9). In such a context, Jones is likened to Tsar Nicholas and Soviet leaders who had little consideration for the population’s well-being. Similar to how the working-class population felt toward Tsar Nicholas II, the animals were also dissatisfied with their life and work conditions.
The character of Old Major, a wise old boar, is seen by animals as the symbol of hope for change. The boar enlightened others about the possibility of rebellion against their human oppressor, similar to how Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin spoke to the proletariat to impose their communist ideology. In particular, Karl Marx played a defining role in laying the foundation of communism. The boar mirrored the activist’s ideals of class struggle, equality, and overthrowing the ruling class (Wolff par. 3). The animals listen to Old Major because of his age and life experience, and the speech on the philosophy of “Animalism” unites everyone to overthrow Jones, the oppressor.
The narrative of Animal Farm follows the historical events in Russia. As the revolution shows success and Jones is banished, two boars, Snowball and Napoleon, are unanimously chosen, although without elections, as the farm leaders. Although the two possess similar strong character, Snowball is described as the smartest: “Then Snowball (for it was Snowball who was best at writing) took a brush between the two knuckles of his trotter, painted out MANOR FARM from the top bar of the gate and in its place painted ANIMAL FARM” (Orwell 12).
He is an effective public speaker and an inspirational leader that captures the respect of many animals. In contrast, Napoleon “was a large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire on the farm, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his way” (Orwell 8). The juxtaposition between the two pigs’ personalities and qualities makes them a powerful duo that can run the farm with justice and equality.
Nevertheless, the two boars’ friendship did not last long. They started opposing one another at every Sunday meeting, and Snowball was expelled after a heated argument about building a windmill. Napoleon was afraid that the rest of the animals would support his view because of Snowball’s public speaking skills, and the so-called democracy on the farm would force Napoleon to abide by their decision. As he held power over politics, Napoleon suddenly ordered dogs to attack Snowball, causing him to flee the farm to save himself.
The power struggle between the two pigs is a metaphor for the opposition between Trotsky and Stalin, who were both the leaders of the Bolshevik Party and competed to take Lenin’s position as the President of the USSR after his death. Stalin was victorious thanks to his political manipulation and the use of the official party paper, Pravda, as a propaganda tool to persuade the population to vote for him. Stalin’s oppressive power politics enabled the exile of Trotsky to Siberia and the repression of anyone suspected to be his sympathizer. Similarly, even the slightest disapproval of Napoleon’s actions and the unfair use of power started being suppressed at the farm.
However, the pig presented himself as a hard-working leader, “taking this extra labor upon himself” (Orwell 28). Squealer, one of the pigs, performed the role of the critical propagandist to instill discipline among animals and encourage them to abide by Napoleon’s decisions. He says, “Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure! On the contrary, it is a deep and heavy responsibility. […] Discipline, comrades, iron discipline! That is the watchword for today. One false step and our enemies would be upon us. Surely, comrades, you do not want Jones back? […] If Comrade Napoleon says it, it must be right” (Orwell 29). These examples illustrate the usurpation of power by Napoleon and the deliberate oppression of animals that think of the situation differently.
Many of Stalin’s policies implemented when he came to power were ideologically developed by Trotsky. However, any associations between them were removed to make it seem that it was Stalin’s ideas. Moreover, Squealer is a metaphoric character embodying Pravda, the only source of information available to the government to justify the actions of the Soviet leader. It was relatively easy to manipulate the opinions of the animals in the story and the USSR proletariat because of their relatively low level of intelligence (Fajrina 86). The leadership could do anything to the general population through consistent propaganda and suppression of otherness.
Therefore, Animal Farm reflects on the themes of power and oppression using metaphors describing Soviet leaders and their consistent efforts to suppress public opinion and establish a totalitarian rule. While the story’s characters are animals, they embody many of the traits inherent to humans. Oppression is deeply rooted in the tendency of some people to exert power over others, while those subjected to intimidation lack the education or personal qualities to withstand the oppression.
Consistent repressive actions are necessary to maintain control and discipline and lower the possibility of any revolts to overthrow the ruling party’s power. Even with all the power Napoleon had on the farm, he could not trust the animals because of the fear that they would turn against him. Similarly, Stalin knew the history of Russia and understood that a revolution is always possible if there is not enough control.
Relevance to Modern Politics
Animal Farm and its exploration of power and oppression can be applied to some of the authoritarian regimes of the present time. For example, journalists have explored the suppressive policies of governments, likening their efforts to that of the attempts of the boars to disintegrate democracy. Oppenheim reported China’s ban on Orwell’s Animal Farm from online posts in light of censorship actions bolstering Xi Jinping’s plans to become the country’s communistic leader forever (par. 2).
The Islamic Republic of Iran is another example of an authoritarian regime that continues its oppressive theocracy to this day, such as repressing independent political organizations and instigating external conflicts. North Korea has been an authoritarian state for over seven decades, led by the Kim family. Within the system, the leader is considered the only one who can make decisions about the nation’s future. Finally, it is necessary to mention Russia as, in recent decades, it has subsided to authoritarianism under Vladimir Putin’s rule. The regime’s critics have noted that it is in the government’s interests to continue the war because it redirects the population’s attention from persistent socioeconomic issues.
Conclusion
The story’s message transcends time and political climate, which is why Animal Farm is still being studied. The interplay between power and oppression is detrimental to authoritarian leaders who want to have complete control over all aspects of sociopolitical life and make decisions without consideration for the population. Orwell makes clever metaphors to comment on the oppressive practices of Soviet Russia and shows that a revolution can result in a power vacuum and the subsequent return of authoritarian power. The writer illuminates human flaws through animal characters and calls for self-reflection and learning from historical mistakes.
Works Cited
BBC. “George Orwell (1903 – 1950).” BBC History. Web.
Fajrina, Dian. “Character Metaphors in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.” Studies in English Language and Education, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, pp. 79-88. Web.
Oppenheim, Maya. “China bans George Orwell’s Animal Farm and letter ‘N’ from Online Posts as Censors Bolster Xi Jinping’s Plan to Keep Power.” Independent. 2018. Web.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Penguin Books, 1999.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Russian Revolution.” Britannica. 2023. Web.
Palmisano, Joseph M., and Janet Wilatec, editors. “Review of Animal Farm, by George Orwell.” Short Story Criticism,vol. 68, 1945, pp. 1-63.
Wolff, Jonathan. “Karl Marx.” Plato Stanford, 2020. Web.