“Animal Farm” as a satire on the history of Soviet Union

“Animal Farm” was written by a prominent writer, Novelist, and Journalist “George Orwell” in 1947. He has many reasons behind this novel. It is believed that he wrote this novel to keep the scars of the Second World War and the history before that in the people’s mind as he saw the people forgetting the real history gradually. As a result of that he used the animals in the satire to ridicule and mock the Communism and its allies.

Most of the people think that this is a novel which tries to describe a group of animals that try to take control of the farm from men. It adds taste in reader’s mind when seeing the animals unite to fight against a common enemy. In fact, the gullibility of the animals annoys the reader. Eventually sadness pervades over the plight of the animals, especially Boxer.

While considering this novel as a satire, this is a masterpiece of “George Orwell” in which he constantly ridicules and criticizes the history of “Soviet Union” ruled by communism, with the fine use of the animals that he brings in the novel. Almost all the events in the “Animal Farm” portray the history of “Soviet Union” vividly and all the characters have the real characters in real. The writer tries to convey the noble message “The Capitalism was toppled by Communism, Eventually the Communism itself watered Capitalism”. 

With that introduction, I would like to enter into the history of “Soviet Union” before the revolution in 1917. Before the First World War “Soviet Union” was ruled by the king “Tsar Nicholas”. Capitalism was nourished by him and it flourished. Capitalism says that the “capital” will be in few people’s hand and the others will be working class. The majority of the people strived for the well being of a small group of capitalists. In similar terms, the people were suppressed to get the utmost benefit for few. This cultivated a sense of disapproval among the proletarians. On the other hand people didn’t want the king to enter into the world wars and worsen the prevailing pathetic situation in the country, but he did. So, this fed the unrest in the country which ended up in the denouncement of the king.

Soon after the revolution communism took control of the country. The revolutionary thought was led by Vladimir Lenin, but he died before his dream come true. Subsequently, Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin, the disciples of Lenin tried to get the leadership of the new born baby. They proclaimed “All human beings are equal; everyone should get the equal share in everything”. Mean while they both had a power struggle. Leon Trotsky expanded his sphere of influence through his fine speeches whereas Joseph Stalin kept his activities secretly to ally a force to overcome his enemies in the political arena. Joseph Stalin exiled Trotsky from the town and later he was assassinated by the order of Stalin.

Stalin demolished all the communist thoughts and almost implemented the capitalism. The people starved more than they did in monarchy. People thought that the revolution will bring the heaven to the earth, but it brought an antithesis. Finally, Stalin went through all the avenues of tyranny and become a worse dictator of the country.

On the other hand while having a glance on the plot summary of the “Animal Farm”, It will throw some light on the theme of the satire. The “Manor Farm” is under the control “Mr.Johnes”. He doesn’t feed the animals; beats them harshly; and over burdens them. No animal wants to have him there. So, Old major, the prize boar comes with the dream of the farm which is ruled by the animals themselves. As a result of this, the idea of rebellion is spread among the animals.
When the farmer leaves the animals unfed for certain days, it ends up in a rebellion. Subsequently, Mr.Johnes is chased from his place. The animals wish to have a heaven in the earth. They think that everything is going to be changed, but they don’t get what they wanted. 

In the post rebellion era, the pigs get the leadership. Among them Napoleon and Snowball are two prominent pigs who try to take the leadership which leads to a power struggle between them and ends in the exile of snowball by Napoleon.

In the climax, the pigs who are the controllers of the “Animal Farm” take the power and lead a tyrannical ruling in which the animals are unfed, over burdened, and exhausted. The animals preferred a heaven in the earth, but eventually they get a hell in the earth, which is tarnished by the same creatures like them.

Characters in the Animal Farm which represent the Communism

Animalism                                               Communism
Mr.Johnes                                                Tsar Nicholas
Old Major                                                 Karl Marx/ Vladimir Lenin
Napoleon                                                 Joseph Stalin
Mr.Pilkingto and Mr.Fredrick                       German and Britain
Snowball                                                  Leon Trotsky
Squealer                                                   Media
Boxer                                                       Working class
Moses                                                       Religion
Sugar candy mountain                               Heaven

Events in the “Animal Farm”

• Battle of Cowshed

Soon after the revolution the western allies tried to reinstate the rule of Nicholas in the country. There they came with all of their forces to fight against communist party, but they were defeated by the “Red Army”. This battle is explained as battle of cowshed in which the animals showed their unity. 

• Rebellion

The revolution took place in the history of “Soviet Union” in 1917. This revolution reasoned the “Bolsheviks”, the party of Lenin to rule the country. In this revolution the people fought against their common enemy. They were martyred in this process for the sake the well being of the country’s future. This is portrayed in “Animal Farm” when animals unite and chase the farmer “Mr.Johnes”.

• Collapse of the windmill

Windmill represents the five year plan which was initiated by Stalin to stabilize the economy of the country. In both places, the real and the satire, the Proletarians strived hard to change the dream into true. But it was collapsed and demolished by Mr.Johnes. Likewise the economy of “Soviet Union” was forced backward when Adolf Hitler tried to invade the country with all of his forces. 

• Confession of betrayal and prompt executions

Soon after the banishment of snowball many animals came forward to confess their conspiracy with snowball to assassinate Napoleon and accepted the execution. In Russia also most of the people were beheaded in the pretext of conspiring with the enemies of the country. It ended up in killing of millions of innocent people.

• Playing card game

In the climax of “Animal Farm” the pigs play a card game, holding alcohol in their hands with their human friends which breaks the commandments of “Two legs are bad and four legs or those who have wings are good” and “No animal shall drink alcohol”. The animals from outside of the ballroom peep into that, there they don’t recognize who are animals and who are human beings.

In “Soviet Union”, the capitalism was the common enemy for them. Hitler was the common for them. He killed many communists in the country. Later Joseph Stalin Signed “Tehran Convention” with “Roosvelt” and “Churchill”. This is a great betrayal of the communistic theories. As a result of this there the people don’t find any difference between communism and capitalism in the country.