Orwell Warns the Democratic West Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, mirrors Russian history through a plot-alternating novel, and teaches readers about the negative effects of the totalitarian government which was being created in the Soviet Union. In the novel, a group of animals, striving for independency and the chance at an all equal government, take over their human owners’ farm because the leaders do not give or care enough for the animals. The mixture of personalities lead to some being royalty, leaders, followers and bystanders, and naturally, hierarchical conflicts arise. Although with good intentions, the new farm becomes more corrupt, and the dictating pigs evolve to resemble humans, and continues the cycle of a tyrannical
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Most of the animals in the novel match either a personality type or social standing during the Russian Revolution. The communists, who followed Stalin’s tyrannical ways, were “twist[ing] the language to distort and deceive” to not only their own people, but others in the Democratic West (ix). Napoleon, personified Stalin, and then Squealer, a parallel to the Soviet Union newspaper, were mirror images of the beliefs of the communists. The pigs’ intelligence was superior to the other animals causing them to persuade the animals into the beliefs of “animalism,” which was “a dangerously alien form of ‘socialism’” (viii). In chapter 10, Napoleon shows his superiority because “like all of [his] speeches, it was short and to the point” (137). The pigs were at the highest level in the hierarchy, and practically controlled each of the animals’ footsteps. The next lower level in the hierarchy created by Animal Farm is the working class, referenced to the Russian Revolution, which is comprised of hard-working animals: a male horse, Boxer, a female horse, Clover, and a donkey named Benjamin. They are all strong and loyal, yet uneducated to the point where they can accomplish tasks, but in …show more content…
Napoleon decides to find animals to target. The animals disobey him earlier in the novel, and want to show he is superior and is The Napoleon. “When [the accused] had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess” (93). Manipulation can be categorized as a death-scare which is quite effective, but a few animals catch on to the real pig he is becoming and is truly disgraceful. Because of the naivety, the Kulaks, Russian farmers, were executed. The animals can be spared from execution by denying their actions. The Kulaks of Stalin, and comrades of Napoleon are oblivious to the fact they are being targeted against. “[Napoleon] sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself” (29). Starvation is the result of having little food for other animals because, as Squealer says, the pigs need the nutrients more since they are the “brains” of the farm. As a result of the animals and citizens’ faithfulness, they allowed themselves to be persuaded into the mindset of Napoleon and Stalin, and thought they were making decisions which benefited the good of the people, which caused animals and citizens “to put on blinders”
Most of the animals in the novel match either a personality type or social standing during the Russian Revolution. The communists, who followed Stalin’s tyrannical ways, were “twist[ing] the language to distort and deceive” to not only their own people, but others in the Democratic West (ix). Napoleon, personified Stalin, and then Squealer, a parallel to the Soviet Union newspaper, were mirror images of the beliefs of the communists. The pigs’ intelligence was superior to the other animals causing them to persuade the animals into the beliefs of “animalism,” which was “a dangerously alien form of ‘socialism’” (viii). In chapter 10, Napoleon shows his superiority because “like all of [his] speeches, it was short and to the point” (137). The pigs were at the highest level in the hierarchy, and practically controlled each of the animals’ footsteps. The next lower level in the hierarchy created by Animal Farm is the working class, referenced to the Russian Revolution, which is comprised of hard-working animals: a male horse, Boxer, a female horse, Clover, and a donkey named Benjamin. They are all strong and loyal, yet uneducated to the point where they can accomplish tasks, but in …show more content…
Napoleon decides to find animals to target. The animals disobey him earlier in the novel, and want to show he is superior and is The Napoleon. “When [the accused] had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess” (93). Manipulation can be categorized as a death-scare which is quite effective, but a few animals catch on to the real pig he is becoming and is truly disgraceful. Because of the naivety, the Kulaks, Russian farmers, were executed. The animals can be spared from execution by denying their actions. The Kulaks of Stalin, and comrades of Napoleon are oblivious to the fact they are being targeted against. “[Napoleon] sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself” (29). Starvation is the result of having little food for other animals because, as Squealer says, the pigs need the nutrients more since they are the “brains” of the farm. As a result of the animals and citizens’ faithfulness, they allowed themselves to be persuaded into the mindset of Napoleon and Stalin, and thought they were making decisions which benefited the good of the people, which caused animals and citizens “to put on blinders”