AustinSmith

March242015
English11
Mrs.Milarch
AnimalFarmCriticalLensAnalysis
AnimalFarm
,anallegoricalfablewrittenbyGeorgeOrwellin1946,isaboutagroupof
animalslivingonafarmthatoverthrowtheirleadersinhopestoruntheirownfarminorderto
livehappilyandfreely.However,thisisonlytheliteralinterpretationofAnimalFarm.When
readingatadeeper,morethoroughlevel,itisquiteapparentthatAnimalFarmisactuallya
satiricalstorythatcriticizestheRussianRevolution,Socialism,Communism,andsocietyasa
whole.Aswithanytext,thewayyoulookatAnimalFarmwillaffectyourinterpretationofit
andwillultimatelydeterminewhatyoubelievetheauthorsintentwaswhilewritingthetext.
IhavereadAnimalFarmwhilelookingatitfromtheperspectiveofthreepeoplewith
verydifferentopinions:anarchetypist,afeminist,andamarxist.Thefirstofthese,the
archetypist,isapersonwhonoticesthemes,symbols,andpatternsintextswhilealsomaking
texttotextandtexttoworldconnections.Thefeministcriticizesatextifitpoorlyrepresents
women.Thiscouldrangefromwomenbeingslightlydisadvantagedinatexttoscenariosas
horribleasthestereotypethatwomenshouldstayhome,cleanhouse,andtakecareofthe
children.Afeministwouldnotstandforthisandwouldspeakout,sayingthatwomenareequal
tomenandshouldbetreatedthatway,aswellasberepresentedthatwayineverytext.Finally,a
marxistisapersonthatbelievesintheteachingsofKarlMarx.KarlMarxwantedtocreatea
utopiawhereeverypersonisperfectlyequalandcontributestosocietybycompletingtheir

assignedrole.Healsobelievedthatoneleadershouldcontroleverything,makingallthe
decisionsforthesociety,astonotcreateconflictsbetweenmanypeoplewithdifferentopinions
tryingtomakeimportantdecisions.
ThefirstlensthatIhaveutilizedtocriticallyanalyzeAnimalFarmisthearchetypallens.
ThefirstthingthatInoticedwhenattemptingtoreadasanarchetypistwasthatOldMajorhada
dreamoftheanimalsrebellingagainstMr.Jones(Orwell11),whichinspiredhimtospur
revolutionamongsttheanimals.Thisisacommonthemeinalotoftexts,wheresomeonehasa
visionordreaminspiringthemtomakeadramaticchangetotheirlife.Second,Imadea
texttoworldconnectionbetweentheentireanimalrevolutionandtheRussianRevolutionofthe
early1900s.InAnimalFarm,theanimalswanttoseizepowerandpracticeanimalism,which
isverysimilartosocialismwhichhasbeenpracticedbytheSovietUnioneversincethe
revolution.ItisalsosimilartotheRussianRevolutioninthewaythatOldMajor,thefatherof
animalism,isacopyofKarlMarx,thefatherofMarxism.AnArchetypistwouldalsonoticethat
MosesandhisbeliefinSugarCandyMountain(Orwell17)aresymbolsofreligion,ashetries
toconvinceasmanyotheranimalsashecanthatwhentheydietheygettogotothisgreatplace
forallofeternity,similartotheChristianbeliefinHeaven.ThenextthingInoticedwastheidea
ofsurvivalofthefittestthatisusedwhentheleaderoftheAnimalFarmisdetermined.As
soonasMr.JonesisforcedoutofthefarmSnowballandNapoleonassumepowerofthefarm
(Orwell31).Theyareuncontestedforpowerbecausetheyarethesmartestandmostcapable
animalsonthefarm.ThefinalexampleofanarchetypeIfoundwasthetexttoworldconnection
Ihadwhenthesheepwouldrandomlyburstoutintofourlegsgood,twolegsbad(Orwell34).

Thisconstantchantingofthislineisacaseofextremeculturalpride,similartothewaythatI,as
anAmerican,singtheNationalAnthemandreciteThePledgeofAllegiance.
ThesecondcriticallensIemployedwhilereadingAnimalFarmwasthefeministlens.
Thefirstexampleofsomethingafeministwouldnoticewasobjectifiedwhenitissaidthat
Cloverwasastoutmotherlymareapproachingmiddlelife,whohadneverquitegottenher
figurebackafterherfourthfoal.(Orwell4).Afeministwouldconsiderthisaclassicexampleof
awomanbeingobjectifiedforherappearancesandnotbeingjudgedbyherpersonalityorother
qualities.Next,afemalehorsenamedMolliefitsasocialstereotypewhensheentersthebarnand
beganflirtingherwhitemane,hopingtodrawattentiontotheredribbonsitwasplaitedwith.
(Orwell6).Societyexpectswomentoactinthiswaytomakethemselveslookprettyandbe
girly.Again,lateron,Mollieismarginalizedtolooklikeanunintelligentstereotypicalpretty
girlwhensheasksquestionssuchasWilltherestillbesugaraftertheRebellion?andshallI
stillbeallowedtowearribbonsinmymane?(Orwell17).Afeministwouldnotthatwhileall
themenarepreparingfortheRebellionandbeingproductive,Mollieisaskingstereotypical
questionssuchasthese,whichdegradeswomenandmakesthemlookbad.Thenextthinga
feministwouldnoticeistheSocialConstructinthetextthatwomendonotworkashardasmen.
ItissaidthatMolliedoesnotwakeupinthemornings,shecomplainsthatshegetsrocksinher
hooves,andthefemalecatonthefarmwouldleavewhenworkwastobedone(Orwell29).In
reality,womenworkjustashardasmenandarejustascapableasmen,afeministwouldsay.
TheglassceilingisalsorepresentedinAnimalFarm.Fromtheverybeginningofthe
foundationofAnimalFarmmenaretheleaders.NowomanisevergivenpowerontheFarm.A

feministwouldsaythisishowsocietyinreallifeis,wherewomencanonlyascendtoacertain
pointintheircareersbeforetheyhitastickingpointthatcannotbepassed.
ThefinallensthatIusedtoanalyzethistextwastheMarxistlens.Thefirstthinga
MarxistwouldnoticeisthatOldMajorquestionstheauthorityofthehumansandunifiesthe
animalsagainstthem(Orwell10).AMarxistwouldseethisasgreat,becauseOldMajoristrying
togetridofthecapitalisticleaderthatisnottreatingeveryoneequally.AMarxistwouldalso
noticethatMollieistoomaterialisticforaMarxistcommunity.Molliecaresalotabouther
ribbons,tothepointthatsheignoresthecommotioninMr.Joneshouseandinsteadfocuseson
admiringherselfwearingaribbonshehadfound(Orwell23).AMarxistwouldnotlikethis,as
objectshavenovaluetothemandonlycreateconflictiftheyaregivenvalue.Eventhoughall
animalsonthefarmaresupposetobeequals,socioeconomicclassesquicklydevelop.Even
beforetherevolutionthepigshadbeenlearningtoreadandwritebecausetheydetermined
themselvesassmarterthanalltheotheranimals,thereforegivingthemselvestherightto
educationandnottheothers(Orwell23).AMarxistwouldnotallowforthistohappen,ashigh
levelsofeducationcausepeopletoquestionauthorityandsocioeconomicclassescreateconflict
betweengroupsofpeople.ThefinalthingthataMarxistwouldnotice,andwouldnotagreewith
istheuseoftwoleaderswhentheanimalsfirsttakecontrolofthefarm(Orwell31).Both
NapoleonandSnowballareinchargeatfirst,andcannotagreeonanything.Thiscreatestwo
sidestoeveryproblemandcausestensionbetweenopposingopinions.AMarxistwouldpickone
leaderandgivethisleadercompletecontrolsothatthereisnoquestionaboutwhattherightand
wrongdecisionis.

Throughusingthesethreecriticallenses,Ihaveachievedamuchdeeperunderstandingof
thisbookandfeelthatIhavetrulyreadabookunlikeIeverhavebeforeandretainedmuchmore
informationfromitbydoingso.Ihavealsocometounderstandthateveryonehasadifferent
interpretationofabook,andjustbecauseIreadabookdifferentlythansomeoneelsedoesnot
meanthatIamanybetterorworseareaderthantheyare,Iamjustdifferent.