Animal Farm
...of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Animal Farm is a satire that uses its characters to symbolize leaders of the Russian Revolution. The animals of "Manor Farm", which symbolizes Russia, overthrow their human master after years of mistreatment. Led by the pigs, the farm animals continue to do their work. Only now they do it with more pride knowing that they are working for themselves, as opposed to working for their human master, Farmer Jones. Slowly over time the pigs gain power and take advantage of the other animals. They gain so much power that they become just as power hungry and corrupt as their human master.
Orwell is a genius and he has cleverly hidden the aspects of the Russian Revolution in such a way, that everything fits into the picture like a jigsaw puzzle. Using the symbolism that is in the book with similarities found in the Russian Revolution very easily shows this comparison. Old Major was a prized-boar who helps point out to the animals that no animal in England is free. He continues to tell the animals that man, who benefits alone, steals their labor. The fact that Old Major is a boar was to signify that radical change and that revolutions are boring in the eyes of the proletariat, represented by the other barnyard animals, who are more prone to worrying about work and survival in their everyday life. Old Major gave many speeches to the farm animals about hope and the future. Old Major's role compares to Lenin and Marx whose ideas were to lead to the communist revolution. Animal Farm is a criticism of Karl Marx, as well as a novel perpetuating his convictions of democratic Socialism. (Zwerdling, 20). Lenin became leader and teacher of the working class in Russia, and their determination to struggle against capitalism. Like the animals in the farm yard, the people is Russia thought there would be no oppression in a new society because...
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