Animal Farm: An Allegory For The Russian Revolution (Essay Example)

Animal Farm allegorizes the 1917 Russian Revolution. George Orwell was influenced by Karl Marx's Marxist worldview throughout his life, and he criticised the corruption that resulted from the Russian Revolution. Orwell was able to demonstrate and present his work as an allegory by associating characters in his novel with major personalities during the Revolution, linking his characters' actions and narrative to real-life events, and using propaganda to influence the opinions of the farm animals in his book.

Orwell formulated the nature and persona of Animal Farm's characters using his knowledge of the prominent individuals during the Russian Revolution. The first line of Animal Farm states: "Mr Jones, of Manor Farm, had locked the hen-house for the night but was too drunk to remember to shut down the popholes.” This leads readers to conclude that Mr Jones is careless and inept when it comes to feeding his farm's animals and or taking responsibility for their well-being. This is similar to the Russian Czar, Tsar Nicholas II, who aided in the outbreak of the war. These two are similar in that they were both bad leaders who were eventually overcome by power. The Old Major is another example of Orwell employing powerful leaders to influence the characters. Old Major, despite his old age, he was described to have 'Willington Beauty,' his age came with a lot of knowledge, earning him a lot of respect from the other characters in the book, and allowing him to be a competent leader. The Old Major is similar to Karl Marx in many ways. Marx was known for his contentious beliefs on how he wanted everyone to be equal, much like the Old Major, who in the book calls everyone comrades because he wants everyone to feel included. Though he was similar to Karl Marx, the Major was also similar to Vladimir Lenin in that he could make quick choices and always knew what to do. Finally, there's Napoleon, who is described in the novel to be a frightening and 'ferocious-looking' Berkshire boar who always gets his way. He appears to want everyone to be equal and have their own rights at the beginning of the novel, but later in the book, he is revealed to be power-hungry and unconcerned with the welfare of the other animals. In this way, he is similar to Stalin in that when he first came to power, he promised people a better life and a brighter future, but once he got to the top, it was evident that all he desired from the start was the power and respect that came with his position. Orwell used his understanding of these popular figures' minds and actions to formulate the persona of his characters and build a better understanding for his readers to really acknowledge the acts that were happening in the Russian Revolution.

Orwell influenced his narrative by using the war and what was going on throughout the war, in addition to using the dominant individuals as inspiration. The text's main plot is around a group of farm animals who rebel against their human farmer in the hopes of creating a society where all animals are treated equally, freely, and happily. For example, in the start of the novel, a gathering of all the farm animals decide that they don't like the treatment they're getting and revolt against their boss. Similar to when Russians were fed up with their leader Zsac Nicholas' treatment of them and believed it wasn’t fair. After escaping Mr Jones later in the narrative, the animals were still being controlled and treated cruelly, despite promises that they would all be treated equally, which did not occur, as it did in real life. People in Russia were promised a good and tranquil life in which everyone was treated equally, but instead they received conflict and unequal treatment. Animal Farm concludes with the pigs behaving like the humans they want to flee from in the first place. They dressed like humans, walked like people, and behaved like humans. In real life, many became so consumed with gaining power and leadership that they forgot what they were fighting for, resulting in people becoming even more enslaved and living in fear. Orwell used the Russian Revolution as his plot to bring attention to what was happening as well as making the readers real sympathy after what is happening.