Animal Farm Situational Irony Analysis

Animal farm is a novella written by George Orwell, following the figurative battle between mankind and animal, and the yearning for a utopian society. A farm of animals decides that they have put up with humans taking advantage of their capabilities to produce food, for too long. The animals rebel and take control banishing the farmers, Mr. Jones and his wife. At first their lives improve tremendously, and all the animals are treated equal. But soon enough, a pig named Napoleon takes over. He and his fellow pigs slowly brainwash the other animals into working for them, and overtime he starts changing the rules in which the animals live by. Before long, the pigs are eating human food, making trades with humans, and sleeping in beds. The animals have no choice but to obey. Eventually, Napoleon and the pigs take advantage of their power, and in the end you cannot tell the difference between human and pig. The book appears to be an allegory for the Russian Revolution, and each character in the book connects to someone who played a part in the war. Three of the most significant …show more content…
Different types of irony are used throughout the book, but the situational irony that takes place at the end stands out. It relates to what really happened during the Russian Revolution in 1917. When the animals rebel against Mr. Jones, their main goal is equality, but after everything that occurred “[The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, but already it was impossible to say which was which]”(pg.141). This ending to the book questions the idea of a utopian society, and if one is possible. Another form of irony that takes place is verbal irony. After the rebellion, Snowball and the other animals invent seven commandments. When the pigs take control of the farm, they slowly alter them so that they can be in complete control. One of the original laws is “All animals are equal.”