Right at the start of Animal Farm, George Orwell establishes that it is a fable in which animals exhibit human-like behaviours. They are under the leadership of Old Major, a white boar. Old Major embodies elements of both Karl Marx and Lenin, who were the prominent leaders of the communist movement. All the animals are portrayed as human archetypes and depicted as one-dimensional characters. The fact of Old Major being a boar serves as a symbol to convey that profound change and revolution may be perceived as tedious or unexciting by the proletariat, represented by the other barnyard animals. The proletariat is primarily concerned with labour and survival in their daily existence. Old Major delivers numerous speeches to the farm animals, instilling hope and discussing the future. Despite dying even before the rebellion’s commencement; he plays a pivotal role in initiating the uprising (Orwell, 1945).
In this novel, Orwell has incorporated numerous events and developments that occurred during the era of ascendant Marxism. It primarily illustrates the outcomes of Marxism and the actions of its adherents following Karl Marx’s demise. The original goals and principles of Karl Marx underwent alterations at the hands of his followers and ultimately failed in Russia. Orwell employs pig characters to symbolize these Marxist followers and the evolution of Marxism within the context of Russia. The principles of Marxism received significant acclaim and were considered worthy of adherence. Marx asserted that industrial society operated on a capitalist framework, where capitalists possessed the capital invested in factories, and the profits generated by capitalists were a result of labour by workers. In the novel, Old Major’s speech employs various techniques used by great orators. He addresses the animals as ‘comrades’ and, by stating that “the life of an animal is misery and slavery, that is the plain truth,” he ignites a sense of rebellion among them, thus paralleling Karl Marx’s argument for the overthrow of capitalist tyranny.
Old Major’s proclamation to advise shunning the habits of men, serves as a reminder of Marx’s call for comrades to relinquish the luxuries of capitalism. His role draws parallels with Lenin and Marx, both of whom aimed to spearhead the communist revolution and deliver speeches to the impoverished labour class. In Russia, the working class, akin to the barnyard animals, comprised labourers who earned meagre wages for their efforts. Much like the animals on the farm, the people in Russia envisioned a future society where there would be no subjection, believing that in this new order, the labour class (or animals) would possess all the wealth and wield all the authority.
The author, through the character of Farmer Jones, symbolizes Tsar Nicholas in Russia, who mistreated his subjects much as Jones neglected his animals. The animals’ uprising on the farm was triggered by Jones’ drunkenness and his failure to attend to the animals. Similarly, Tsar Nicholas incited the ire of the working-class populace with his authoritarian rule and constant preaching, resulting in suffering and ultimately leading to a demand for reform through rebellion.
Snowball, a boar who sowed the seeds of revolution in the minds of his fellow animals serves as a portrayal of Leon Trotsky, who helped ignite the Russian Revolution. He is characterized by his fervour, diligent work ethic, idealism, and selflessness, and embodies the principles of democratic socialism and tirelessly strives for the farm’s betterment. Furthermore, he endeavours to rally the other animals to improve themselves. However, his naivety becomes his vulnerability, which Napoleon, another boar, exploits to supplant him. Napoleon, who was also one of the proponents of raising a flame of revolution in the minds of the barn animals, symbolizes Stalin and others, who exploit revolutionary circumstances when they arise when he is portrayed securing the milk for himself. The concept of seizing opportunities appears to be inherent in the pigs in general, as they possess the greatest intelligence and, consequently, the highest level of knowledge.
“We pigs are brain-workers. The whole management and organization of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.”
It was Snowball who initially proposed the idea of building a windmill on the farm. But Napoleon opposes him and employs a trained pack of nine ferocious dogs to force Snowball out, symbolizing Stalin’s expulsion of Trotsky with the assistance of secret police. Subsequently, Napoleon introduced the windmill concept as a positive idea, raising the animals’ hopes for an improved future on the farm. Following Trotsky’s departure, he, like Stalin adopted policies similar to those of Hitler, and transformed into a tyrant, thus marking the onset of the establishment of a totalitarian regime. After a few days, he announced that they would construct a windmill on the farm, and instructed the animals to labour diligently, warning that failing to do so would result in reduced rations. Some animals were aware of Snowball’s innocence and Napoleon’s despotic behaviour, yet they refrained from speaking out due to fear of the ferocious dogs, thus granting the latter absolute dominance over the farm. Further, Squealer, a boar, through his communication skills, methods of persuasion, and manipulation tactics ensures that he maintains control over all the other animals, and even goes to the extent of distorting facts, altering memories, and manipulating the commandments.
At the outset of the novel, the animals agreed to transform the farm into a museum, but now all the pigs have repurposed it as their residence, complete with beds for sleeping. Squealer convinces the animals that it is essential for the pigs to have a proper dwelling to uphold their dignity as leaders of the farm and also warns that if the animals were to frequently question or oppose the pigs, Jones would return. In parallel with Russia, while Stalin advocated for establishing business ties with the rest of the world, Karl Marx forbade his followers from engaging with capitalist governments worldwide (Ahmed, 2023).
“Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades, cried Squealer”
The food crisis experienced by the animals draws a parallel to the issues that stemmed from the failures of Russian economic policies (Shahwan, 2017). While Napolean’s act of instituting capital punishment on hens and ducks, is reminiscent of Stalin’s execution of numerous officials in 1930, the seizing of all the benefits and sale of four hundred eggs to humans, symbolizes how Stalin initiated trade contacts with European countries, commenced exporting and importing Russian products. All the pigs in the animal farm indulge in wine and celebrations, illustrating the author’s intention to highlight how the communists began to relish the luxuries associated with capitalists.
The author satirically portrays the effects of totalitarianism, particularly the death of Boxer, which serves as a significant event symbolizing how Stalin disregarded the labour class, who despite their substantial contributions to the country, couldn’t reap the benefits of freedom (Shahwan, 2017). The pigs increasingly assumed dominant roles on the farm, mirroring how, during Stalin’s regime, only those considered “communists” were able to lead privileged lives.
“All Animals are equal. But some Animals are more equal than others”
The novel concludes with the pigs taking on the role of human oppressors, going as far as changing the name of the farm from Animal Farm back to Manor Farm. The lives of the animals became even more wretched than they were during Jones’ rule. Consequently, all the commandments that served as the foundation of Animalism were foregone, symbolizing the abandonment of the principles that guided the Russian Revolution. The novelist employs an ironic tone to acquaint us with the misguided policies of Stalin. While the novel ends on a pessimistic note, the author effectively exposes the historical truths about the Russian government (Ltemendia, 1992).
References:
Ahmed, U. (2023, March 31). George Orwell, The Animal Farm – Book Review. Modern Diplomacy. https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2023/03/31/george-orwell-the-animal-farm-book-review/
Letemendia, V. C. (1992). Revolution on Animal Farm: Orwell’s Neglected Commentary. Journal of Modern Literature.18(1): 127-137.
Shahwan, S. J. (2017). A Multidimensional Approach to Animal Farm. Review of Arts and Humanities. 6(2): 1-6.
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Aarya Dubey is pursuing a B.A. LL.B (Hons.) from Maharashtra National Law University, Aurangabad.