Napasorn Thepchanakul 1

English 12
December 6, 2017

Marxist Ideology in Animal Farm: a Transformation to Stalinism

George Orwells goal for writing Animal Farm is to present events and some characters

in the Russian revolution. He depicts a government in that time as a communist and dictator

by using the actions of characters. In the beginning of the story, he presents an exploitation of

Mr. Jones, an owner of the farm, which results in the expelling of the bourgeoisie by animals.

Orwell compares this event to the Russian revolution that Tsar Nicolas II was imprisoned by

the command of Lenin. Not only does Orwell compare Mr. Jones as Tsar, but he also

compares other animals as people who played important roles in this revolution including

Snowball as Vladimir Lenin and Napoleon as Joseph Stalin. In Animal Farm, he illustrates

the pig that seems to have the most power in the farm called Snowball. However, Napoleon in

one day takes over duties of Snowball and expels him from the farm. Then, Napoleon comes

to control the farm and changes rules. Orwell writes this novel according to true story of the

Russian revolution. Therefore, George Orwells Animal Farm represents how Marxist ideals

can be twisted into Stalinism through seizing of power, the means of production, and change

in policy.

First, in the novel, Napoleon utilizes other animals fear to seize the power in the

farm. Since the period of Mr. Jones, he terribly treated his animals. He also exploited them by

using their products such as milk and eggs for his benefit. By this, many animals do not like

Mr. Jones, and they want to expel him from the farm. Therefore, after they can get rid of Mr.

Jones, surely, they do not want to greet him again. Napoleon knows about this fact, so he uses

this weakness to command other animals. In the book it said, Surely, comrades, you do not

want Jones back? Once again this argument was unanswerable. Certainly the animals did not

want Jones back; if the holding of debates on Sunday mornings was liable to bring him back,

then the debates must stop (Orwell, 1996, p.56). It can be seen frequently in the novel that
MARXIST IDEOLOGY IN ANIMAL FARM 2

Napoleon and his supporters repeated the question, referred to Mr. Jones. By this, it can

present that the strategy Napoleon uses to control animals is terrifying them by mentioning

the return of Mr. Jones. Similar to Joseph Stalin, the Soviet revolutionary leader, he used

terror and fear to control his people. During the Great Purges, many people scared of

elimination. Therefore, Stalin continued peoples fear by Purges and Show trials (Kang-Bohr,

2005). Furthermore, if some animals were curious about his plans or did not follow his rules,

he would threaten them by using his guards, dogs. When Squealer, Napoleons assistant, says

that Napoleon pretend to dislike the windmill because it is tactics, The animals were not

certain what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who

happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without

further questions (Orwell, 1996, p.58). By this, it can be seen that Napoleon also terrorizes

disobedient animals, which related to the event in the Soviet Union. People who did not

believe in Stalin need to confess in front of the party, and they might be killed or imprisoned

(Jensen & Petrov, 2006). Obviously, the character Napoleon in the Animal Farm represents

the way of ruling their population that is related to the way that Stalin used to control his

citizens.

In addition to power, economy in the farm was also reformed to have social class.

George Orwell illustrates the ways that the bourgeoisie can exploit the working class in the

Animal Farm as a tool to show the Stalins method of production. At first, animals in the farm

were fed equally. However, when Napoleon came and took control of power, there was a

transformation. During his time, food scarcity becomes a tremendous problem in the farm.

This leads to animals to work harder and to produce more supplies. While pigs receive food at

the same portion without doing none of the work, the shares of other animals, who are

strenuous, were decreased. In the novel it says, Meanwhile life was hard. The winter was as

cold as the last one had been, and food was even shorter. Once again all rations were reduced,
MARXIST IDEOLOGY IN ANIMAL FARM 3

except those of the pigs and the dogs (Orwell, 1996, p.112). During Napoleon period, it is

separated into two classes. First class is the bourgeoisie, which is an owner. Pigs

automatically become an owner of the farm opposed to other animals that become the

proletariat, a working class. According to the phrase, there is a difference in rations between

other animals, which work harder, and pigs, which do nothing. Pigs exploit other animals by

getting food from their products but distributing it unequally. Furthermore, Napoleon sells

their products for money to be funds for their food. However, those funds do not literally

spend on food. In the novel, Napoleon want eggs for trading, so One Sunday morning

Squealer announced that the hens, who had just come in to lay again, must surrender their

eggs. Napoleon had accepted, through Whymper, a contract for four hundred eggs a week.

The price of these would pay for enough grain and meal to keep the farm going till summer

came on and conditions were easier (Orwell, 1996, p.76). Napoleon gives a reason for

ordering hens to lay eggs more frequently that this is for everyone in the farm to survive. In

fact, it is implied in the novel that some of those money is given to him not to community.

Therefore, it is clearly that the economy is changed from the idea of Marxism, which

everyone is equal, to Stalinism, which the means of production are proprietary by capitalists,

but workers are the people who perform that production (Joravsky, 1980).

Not only exploitation from owner to laborer, but changing in motto is also one of the

factors to prove that ideology was twisted. The Marxist idea that all animals are equal is

changed by Napoleon to the Stalins term, All animals are equal, but some animals are more

equal than others. During Snowball period, there were the seven commandments, which all

animals should follow. This also includes, All animals are equal(Orwell, 1996, p.25).

However, commandments are gradually changed since Napoleon played a significant role in

the farm. At the end, the seven commandments are shortened to a single commandment,

ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN
MARXIST IDEOLOGY IN ANIMAL FARM 4

OTHERS (Orwell, 1996, p.134). There are many events that Napoleon silently makes new

rules. The obvious rule is about equality. According to Marxism, they believe that everyone

should be equal. Marx once considered equality as a political concept (Wood, 2014).

However, when it was applied by Stalin, it was distorted because he turned to reinforce the

ideal called Cult of Personality, which he regarded himself as the Father of Nation. In fact, he

tried to get rid of communism and change it to dictatorship.

In conclusion, some actions and events in Animal Farm demonstrate that the idea of

everyone should be at the same level is distorted into social class division. Firstly, Napoleon

uses a strategy of dominating other animals by intimidating them. Furthermore, Napoleon

gets a benefit from other animals work. Lastly, animals become unequal because of an

alteration in principle.
MARXIST IDEOLOGY IN ANIMAL FARM 5

References

Jansen, M., & Petrov, N. (2006). Mass terror and the court: The Military Collegium of the

USSR. Europe-Asia Studies, 58(4), 589-602. doi:10.1080/09668130600652159

Joravsky, D. (1980). COMMENTARY ON CASALS: Toward a Marxist Argument Over

Stalinism. Theory & Society, 9(2), 261.

Kang-Bohr, Y. (2005). Appeals and Complaints: Popular Reactions to the Party Purges and

the Great Terror in the Voronezh Region, 1935 - 1939. Europe-Asia Studies, 57(1),

135-154. doi:10.1080/096681305200031417

Orwell, G. (1996). Animal Farm. New York, NY: New American Library.

Wood, A. W. (2014). The free development of each: studies on freedom, right, and ethics in

classical German philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.