When you read or watch Animal Farm, by George Orwell, you might think that it is only a science fiction book or movie, but if you study this deeper we can easily deduce that it is an analogy to the Russian Revolution. Even though most people do no see, Animal Farm is a book about the Russian Revolution, where each character represents an important personage and where the plot is based on what happen in that country, as anything in history, there are many lessons we can learn from this work of fiction. Old Major is a wise old pig who first makes the speech to the others animals, putting the idea of rebellion in their heads. It is important to note that he dies before the rebellion actually begins. His role compares with that of Karl Marx, whose ideas set the Communist Revolution in motion. However, some people may argue that it is Lenin that have the same traits of told Major because this animal is the one who actual brought the animalism to the farm as Lenin brought the communism to Russia.
The pig Napoleon has dictatorial trait and we can see this when instead of debating with Snowball, he sets his dogs on him and continues to increase his personal power and privileges from that time on. Napoleon’s character suggests that of Stalin and there are many acts that support this analogy, such as mass executions, like those of Stalin in the 1930’s. Also he exiles Snowball just like Stalin did with Trotsky. Snowball is an energetic, brilliant leader. He’s the one who successfully organizes the defense of the Farm. He’s a good speaker with original ideas (the windmill).
Snowball clearly is portraying the Soviet expatriate, Leon Trotsky. Trotsky was seen as Stalin’s opponent for the leader of the Soviet Union and as a result Stalin expelled him. Trotsky was also viewed as a better leader than Stalin , and probably a more just one. The defense of the farm snowball made can be compared to Trotsky with the Red Army. Boxer believes in the Rebellion and in its Leader.
His often says that “Napoleon is always right” and that “I He will work harder. ” His huge size and strength and his hard labor is what saves the Farm He finally collapses from age and overwork, and is sold for glue. This character symbolizes a part of the Russian population that worked and believed in the state. The transaction of him for glue is also an analogy of how the state explored the population when they needed it and easily discard them when they did not need them anymore.
Napoleons dogs represent the means used by a totalitarian state to terrorize its own people. Think of them as Napoleon’s secret police assuming that Stalin is Napoleon. The stupid sheep keep bleating away any slogan the pigs teach them. They clearly symbolize the other part of the population, that do whatever their leader tells them to do increasing his power. We can note from the plot that Moses does no work, just look and tell story the whole time. In terms of Russia, Moses represents the Orthodox Church that only watch what happens to it without reacting.
Although they seem to be meaningless, the pigeons also have a representation of Russia in the story. We can see that the pigeons were a lot and spread the word of Rebellion beyond the farm, as many Communists spread the doctrine of the revolution beyond the Soviet Union. Not only the animals represent a character of the Russian Revolution but also the humans. Farmer Jones represents the Czar.
He also stands for any government that declines through its own corruption and mismanagement. Similarly, the cruel Frederick doesn’t really represent a character of the Russian revolution, but he certainly can be matched with Adolph Hitler, for his cruelty. Frederick’s invasion to the farm can be connected to Hitlers invasion of Russia. We can now conclude that George Orwell did not write a simple history book but a whole Russian Revolution conspiracy. We were able to connect almost all of the animals and human of the novel with an important revolution figure.
Animal Farm is a
