Relationship between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution

The novel Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a novel presenting a

fictional world where animals can communicate with each other and act like
humans. While most of the novel has parallels with the history of the Russian
Revolution, George Orwell also discusses conspiracies and conflicts that exist
between the two opposed leaders that, ironically, shared a common goal - to
develop the society. The novel begins with the death of the great, old leader and
eventually closes with the collapse of the new and idealistic society. In the process,
fictional characters and plot elements in the novel are parallel to the historical
figures and events of the Russian Revolution.

The novel opens with the death of the well-respected Old Major. In the
historical context, Old Major has many similar characteristics to those of the
original leader of Russian communism, Lenin. Old major, similarly, has the dream
that “Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland, / Beasts of every land and clime, /
Hearken to my joyful tiding / Of the golden future time.” (pg. 13) Lenin studied the
writings of Karl Marx, which describe the dream of a society without classes and
with communal ownership of property. However, their common ideas did not last
long. After the death of Old Major, two young pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, rose
to be the leaders of the farm. Snowball represents the historical Trotsky, who was
intelligent, cared about education, and organized the armies. On the other hand,
Napoleon mirrors Stalin. For example, they started out with excellent plans and
had wonderful dreams; however, later, their personal desires and wants outweighed
the greater benefits and desires of the society.

Starting as Lenin did, he divides the society: “Four legs good, two legs bad”
(pg. 31), which has parallels in Marxist theory. And this marks the birth of
communism. After the death of Lenin, Stalin chased Trotsky away with the secret
police force. Similarly, “… there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine
enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They
dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape
their snapping jaws.” (pg. 47, 48) Whereas Stalin implemented the five-year plans,
which were plans to industrialize, electrify, and modernize the USSR; Napoleon
builds the windmill for the farm to electrify the farm. During World War II, Stalin
managed to eventually defeat the Germans with the help of the Red Army and the
support of his secret police force. On the other hand, during Operation Barbarossa,
the Red Army has paid a heavy price of the death of approximately 66 thousand
soldiers to defend Moscow. Similarly, the animals defeated the invasion of the
human with the deaths and wounds of many animals and the destruction of the
windmill.

Once Snowball was chased away, Napoleon states that, for the good of
every animal, he alone will make all of the decisions. Similarly, Stalin made a
series of cruel purges of any political enemies. Both decisions show that “All
animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” (pg. 114) From
this point on, they both self contradict their original ideas of equality; this
foreshadows the future of animalism and communism. At the conclusion of the
novel, the pigs enjoy dinner with human beings, a group which they originally
hated and opposed. During the supper, a human, Mr. Pilkington, persuade the pigs
to not worry about inequality, “If you have your lower animals to contend with,”
he said, “we have our lower classes!” (pg. 117, 118) Eventually, Communist
Russia became as corrupt as the Czarist state that it had replaced due to the shift of
communism toward capitalism ideas which created a new and different
communism. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to
pig… but already it was impossible to say which was which.” (pg. 120)
The novel Animal Farm, by George Orwell, contains numerous parallels
with the history. The novel opens with the uprising of communism and closes with
the collapse of communism. During the story, the historical figures of Lenin,
Trotsky, and Stalin are well portrayed by the fictional animals. In the mean time,
both the novel and history tell us that the larger benefits to the society must
outweigh personal desires of the leaders in order for a country (or farm) to be
successful.
Relationship between Animal Farm and the Russian
Revolution

Frank Gao

For: Bro. O’Loughlin

May 3, 2011