The animals believed in the concept of equality and democracy. According to them, a good life without working for others (humans) was pivotal in the society. They fought and risked their lives for democracy within the farm due to these convictions. However, nothing ended up as they expected. It is notable that the democracy turned out to be a dictatorship. On the other hand, working hard turned out to be slavery propagated by adverse ideologies.
It is obvious the animals were left with nothing to stand for in the end. There are five basic reasons why Napoleon attained superiority in the Animal Farm (Orwell, 2003). The factors that promoted this include propaganda, dogs (military force), censorship and the seven commandments. The principal rules changed to favour people in power. Animals were always kept busy in the pretext of patriotism. This discussion highlights some of the factors that influenced the social life of the animals within the farm.
Propaganda
The leader applied the concept of propaganda to instil fear amongst the animals. This aspect was also used to cause tension and anxiety. The animals feared the system of rule. The oppressive regime used the principle of divide and rule. This propagated the state of anxiety in the entire farm. The oppressive regime recruited different lead animals as potential personalities that caused fear through propaganda. Dictatorial regimes have applied this concept to oppress their followers.
The less equal animals became disadvantaged and suffered neglect (Orwell, 2003). Exploitation was the key theme in the farm. This included material and strength in the form of labour. The grievances of the animals never reached the higher levels of rule. This is because propaganda, fear and anxiety caused significant tension and apprehension amongst the regular animals of the farm.
Dogs (Military Force)
The dogs in the animal farm represented the military force. The force caused a considerable stir and impact in the management and protection of the farm. Under the pretext of citizen protection, they managed to curtail and oppress the regular animals. They applied dictatorship to inspect and supervise work activities within the farm. Apart from this, they applied selective judgment and punishment of the offenders. Apparently, the highly discriminated animals were innocent (Orwell, 2003).
Napoleon used the military force to encourage and sustain tyranny within the farm. In fact, it is observed that many of the innocent animals died out of frustration and neglect. The military supported too much work with minimal pay or income for the regular occupants of the farm. Indicatively, the role of the dogs during the instances of rebellion and uprising within the farm can be noted. They helped Napoleon to scatter the riots, arrest and molest the various leaders and lobbyists within the farm.
Censorship (No Body Can Talk)
Additionally, the dictators within the animal farm operated through censorship. The animals facing the oppressive rule could not complain. The authority undertook various security surveillance measures (Orwell, 2003).
These measures targeted advocacy groups and other informal leaders who complained against the severe oppression and dictatorship within the farm. Every animal was to remain obedient to the overall authority. Total submission was encouraged and regarded as an important indicator of patriotism, hard work and dedication.
The 7 Commandments (Rules Changed for Whom in Power)
The regime designed seven basic commandments that governed the animal farm. It is critical to note that all these commandments only favoured the people within the high ranks of power. The regular animals were not involved in the development of these discriminative rules (Orwell, 2003). The rules encouraged hard labour. The normal animals within the farm only executed these manual and tasking jobs.
Notably, the leaders did not engage themselves in the core manual duties. However, they were the main beneficiaries from the proceeds of the farm. Their families benefited from the large portion of the harvest. On the contrary, the regular occupants of the animal farm did not benefit. Instead, they were used as tools for hard and demanding labour. The seven commandments were used to propagate these forms of oppression. Therefore, the rules were crucial in enhancing the suffering of animals in the farm.
Patriotism and Keeping the Animals Always Busy
The animals were kept busy with the daily manual jobs. The concept of patriotism also made the animals believe that all activities were done to promote the overall growth and development of the farm. Patriotic belief made the animals work hard in the spirit of development.
The animals that complained were punished and regarded to be unpatriotic (Orwell, 2003). In this regard, many animals endeavoured to sustain compliance and obedience to the farm and its leaders. The leaders also discovered that the animals could work effectively if they were kept busy at all times. Generally, the occurrences in the animal farm reflect a typical dictatorial society. Such occurrences are evident within many societies. George Orwell applied a satirical and reflective literature to elucidate these negative trends.
Works Cited
Orwell, G. (2003). Animal Farm: 1984. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.
Two major revolutions that occurred in Russia in 1917 largely shaped further development of the country and its global political position. In March 1917, the communists managed to remove Tsar Nicholas II fro the throne, and in November 1917, the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government, finally changing the country into a communist state and creating the U.S.S.R. Later, the U.S.S.R. developed into a totalitarian state under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Orwells allegorical work Animal Farm serves to highlight the key aspects of the Russian 1917 revolution and Stalins harsh role that followed suit.
Causes
The key long-term cause of the 1917 Revolutions was the class system that existed in the country under the monarchy. Until 1861, the vast majority of the countrys population were peasants that were owned by the affluent upper class. In 1861, they were freed but remained poor nonetheless. The industrialization created a new class the working men who were heavily exploited due to the harsh economic conditions. Their working and economic conditions were significantly worse than in other countries, which led to protests and increased the peoples dislike towards the monarchy (Goff et al. 139). In Orwells Animal Farm, the monarchy is represented by Mr. Jones, whereas most of the animals represent the working class or the peasants. By portraying the society in this way, Orwell highlights the inequality and oppression that were characteristic of the Russian society of the time.
Another significant long-term cause of the Russian revolution was the tsars military failures in Japan and the events of the Bloody Sunday, which showed Nicholas II as an unstable ruler. He was unable to address the peoples struggles and did nothing to support the low and middle classes, which led to public disapproval of his rule and the monarchy in general. Similarly, in the Animal Farm, Mr. Jones fails to fulfill the need of his animals and care for them while reaping the benefits in the form of money and food. The old Majors words serve to outline the conflict between the monarchy and the Bolsheviks: Man is the only creature that consumes without producing [&] Yet he is lord of all the animals (Orwell 2). The development of the Marxist ideology that would treat all human beings as equal and abolish class distinction was exactly what the society of the time was willing to create.
The main short-term cause of the revolution was the World War I (Hodge & Cambridge par. 5). The war resulted in significant demographic and economic struggles that further impaired the position of poor peasants and the working class. The peasants were especially outraged at the military losses, as farming without young working men was barely possible, while the working class was upset at the closing of the Putilov plant in February 1922. Orwell shows farm animals experiencing the same problems that were pertaining to Russian society of the time, including poverty and hunger.
Both the long-term and the short-term causes of the revolution contributed to the public outrage and diminished the peoples belief in the monarchy. People wanted to build a new society, one that Orwell represents in the Majors animalism teachings. Marxism became the primary ideology behind the revolution as it stressed the idea of all men being equals and deserving equal rights. Using this idea, Lenin and Trotsky were able to gather supporters in order to overthrow the monarchy and the temporary government, just like old Major and Snowball did in the Animal Farm. However, the idea of a Marxist state soon developed into a totalitarian rule once Joseph Stalin (Napoleon) came to power.
Stalins Totalitarian Rule
After Lenins death and the extradition of Trotsky from the country, Stalin took sole control of the U.S.S.R. (Goff et al. 147). Unlike Lenin or Trotsky, who were genuinely invested in the Marxist ideology, Stalin sought to increase his personal power and abolish all opposition. This is described in the Animal Farm through the image of Napoleon and his dogs. Orwells description of nine enormous dogs driving Snowball out of the barn is a metaphor of Stalins opposition with Trotsky that ended in Trotskys exile in 1940 (16). The dogs are then used by Napoleon to silence any opposition and hunt down animals that do not obey his rule, just like Stalins repressions in the U.S.S.R. worked to support the new totalitarian rule. Stalins ascend to power largely relied on the success of the Communist ideology. However, whereas Lenin and Trotsky convinced people that Communism would bring freedom from oppression and establish equality, Stalins rule was centered around power, not equality or freedom. Stalins repressions served to hold the opposition in fear and to avoid political competition, thus supporting the formation of the totalitarian state.
Conclusion
Overall, the Russian 1917 Revolution was a crucial step in the countrys development, as it marked the end of the monarchy and the beginning of a Communist rule. The reasons for the revolution included poor economic conditions, poverty, hunger, and the loss of peoples faith in the monarchy. People believed that Communism would bring freedom and equality; however, Stalins rule was famous for repressions that served to support totalitarianism. Orwells Animal Farm is useful in studying the causes and development of the 1917 Revolution in Russia. Through metaphors, Orwell highlighted the failures of both the monarchy and the Communist rule, thus contributing to the exploration of the revolution.
Works Cited
Goff, Richard, et al., The Twentieth Century and Beyond: A Global History. 7th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2008.
The book Animal Farm by George Orwell is a satirical piece published in 1945 in England. The book attacks the Soviet communism by use of animal characters in a typical English farm, Manor Farm. The animal characters figuratively represent the leaders of the communist party.
The animals stage a successful revolution that topples the farmer but later, corrupt pigs driven by selfish interests fling the binding principles of Animalism. The book has different meaning to different readers depending on their personal experiences. For a person conversant with the history of the Soviet Union, the book illustrates the communist party rule that followed the revolution of 1917 and now perceived as an oppressive and counter revolutionary force.
A teenager from a war torn country will get the perception that revolutions do not work and absolute power corrupts as seen by Napoleons neglect of the seven commandments. In the Animal Farm, the animals toil all year long not for their benefit but for their masters. This is the perception of an employed person who feels that his or her efforts are for the masters benefit.
The novel is a fable against socialism in the Soviet Union that uses animals as figurations of the Communist Party leaders. The two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, represent the Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky as leaders.
The revolution in 1917 led to establishment of communist new regime headed by Vladimir Lenin. The new communist regime took control of all land and industry from the private sector into government control in order to create a centralized economic system that would put the country on the road to economic success.
However, after Lenin died in 1924, Stalin and Trotsky took control of the Soviet Union. Stalin plots a plan that leads to the exile of Trotsky, a proponent of communism. Just like in the Animal Farm, the struggle for power and influence between Snowball and Napoleon leads to the banishment of Snowball from the farm. After the revolution in the Animal Farm, the animals establish the philosophy of Animalism in order to be different from human beings.
Nevertheless, later after Snowballs banishment, the pigs start to walk on their hind legs just as the human does (Orwell, 1996, p. 121). Stalin just like Napoleon in the Animal Kingdom became dictatorial and neglected the philosophy of communism. He committed acts of brutality towards his perceived political enemies who at the beginning were his confidantes.
On the other hand, the Animal farm represents the current political events of revolution in dictatorship countries like Libya. The book illustrates why and how revolutions take place to remove modern dictatorship. The oppressive rule encourages the revolutionary movement to remove the regime.
The Major incites the revolution by his statements to the loyal and energetic Boxer. And you, Boxer, the very day that you lose those great muscles of yours and lose their power, Jones will sell you the Knackers, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds (Orwell, 1996, p. 20).
Ironically, Boxer is betrayed not by Jones but by the other animals who take over after the revolution. Revolutions also bring the dilemma of what happens after the removal of the dictatorial regime. A youth living in Libya right now would identify with this book given the recent upspring that seeks to topple Gadaffis tyrannical rule.
In the Animal Farm, the animals sacrifices were not rewarded only the masters, the pigs, benefited from the Animals hard work. A middle class worker will get the idea that his or her efforts benefit the top leadership in the organization, but not the worker. For example, all year long the animals worked like slaves¬ for the benefit of themselves (Orwell, 1996, p. 63). This implies that the masters benefitted from the animals hard work but the animals without realizing it became the slaves of their masters.
Conclusion
The book Animal Farm by George Orwell represents political satire that has different meaning to various people depending on their personal experiences. Historically, the book represents the Communism history in Russia. The Animal farm also concerns the recent revolutionary political events in many countries and their aftermath of such revolutions to the peoples lives. Hard work by the animals in the Animal Farm is not rewarded instead it is the maters who benefit most; the meaning of the book to a middle class worker.
Reference
Orwell, G. (1996). Animal Farm. New York: New American Library.
One of the main characters of George Orwells Animal Farm says: Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no!& Man is the only real enemy we have (Orwell, 2). This quote is truthful from the point of view of revolutionary moods overwhelming the farm. Orwell uses the farm analogy in order to demonstrate the most common course of all revolutions and struggles for freedom. The animals identify a leading power, which is men, as the ruler that must to be overthrown. This is the only way for the animals to establish equality and create a flourishing, happy and wealthy society. Animal Farm by Orwell is a description of the metamorphoses that happen within a freedom movement turning it into a corrupted tyranny.
The novel demonstrates the emergence and development of a disorder within a society when some of its members start to feel dissatisfaction with its leaders and ruling power. Orwell shows that sometimes it takes one extremely expressive speech to start a revolutionary movement, set the masses against the ruling powers by means of pointing out the unfair aspects of their life, inequalities, social and financial gaps. In literature conflict is a literary element that serves to represent the opposing parties or ideas that confront each other. The conflict of Animal Farm starts with the sentence: Man is the only creature that consumes without producing (Orwell, 2). This way the author shows the differences between the two sides of the initial conflict that begins because of the inequalities and exploitation of farm animals by humans without an appropriate reward. This kind of conflict is highly recognizable, as it is commonly experienced in the world of nowadays.
Gradually, the brotherly and united atmosphere in the farm society fades away. Just like any freedom movement, the farm faces the inevitable difficulties such as lack of enthusiasm, cold attitudes and constant disagreement in the leading segment of the group. In order to emphasize the feelings of discomfort and uncertainty the author puts the farm into unpleasant and cold settings. The purpose of the literary element called setting is to establish the time and place of the happening events, describe the way the surroundings affect the characters and their story. In Animal Farm the setting describes winter: In January there came bitterly hard weather. The earth was like iron, and nothing could be done in the fields (Orwell, 18). Even though the description is quite simple and not very rich, it successfully establishes the cold mood starting to bother the farm and its society. The reader gets to sense that not only the weather was bitterly hard , but also the relationships between the leading members of the farm.
Orwell starts his story with the emphasis of one of the most popular social conflicts the disagreement about equality and properties, saying: Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no!& Man is the only real enemy we have (Orwell, 2). This statement serves as a the first sparkle of the upcoming revolution that soon gets out of control, turns into a disaster and burns down the participants making them miss the way things used to be in the past.
Literary dystopia is the use of satire to depict the negative elements that threaten the socio-political harmony in society, as well as its moral norms. In most cases, the dangers facing society are portrayed as the spillovers of mans present excessive and sometimes coercive efforts, to create an ideal society. In the process of striving towards the achievement of some form of social perfection, he becomes blind to his shortcomings which, instead of liberating society from its ills, plunges it into the abyss of anarchy. Dystopia is the antithesis of utopia since it criticizes the latters optimistic view that a perfect society could be achieved.
Dystopia argues to the contrary that mans inherent flaws hinder the possibility of creating a perfect society, except for that which is imperfect (Thomas). In this regard, the aim of literary dystopias is to caution and warn society against the blind following of ideologies that lead to the breakdown of social order. For instance, it captures the negative impact that communist policies had on countries that embraced Marxist ideologies from the early 20th century, as portrayed in Gorge Orwells Animal Farm.
In contemporary times, dystopias portray societys blindness in the relentless pursuit of technological and economic advancement, which has adverse effects such as the destruction of the ecological systems upon which mankinds survival depends, and the more serious challenge of global warming. Regardless, societies pay little attention to the downside of their actions. The negative consequences are often dismissed as the collateral damage which is inescapable in the pursuit of progress. This is well depicted in Atwells Handmaids Tale, when the Commander tells Offred, his sex maid, that you cant make an omelet without breaking eggs (Atwell 73).
It portrays and ridicules mans blind indulgence and excesses that portends doom. This paper examines the use of literary dystopias in George Orwells Animal Farm and Margaret Atwells Handmaids Tale to criticize mankinds blind optimistic pursuit of success, which causes more harm than good and leads to abuse of power.
Animal Farm
In Animal Farm, satire is used to criticize dictatorial and totalitarian regimes that oppress the common masses. It is an allusion to the Russian Revolution in the former Soviet Union, which preceded a totalitarian rule under Stalin and his Bolshevik supporters. It is also a critique of Marxist Communism, which failed to bring the aspired changes to the Soviet Union after the revolution. At the character level, it criticizes the various classes and individuals in society for their respective shortcomings.
As it happens in most coups, totalitarian governments are always designed for the best interests of the people, primarily to provide an alternative and better leadership. Its original intentions are to end suffering and improve the common mans standards of living. But due to greed, poor leadership qualities, corruption, mistrust, and political conflicts on the part of the ruling class, lead to oppression and brutality as leaders struggle to control national resources and consolidate power.
In the end, the situation is the same as the one they opposed, and at times even worse, as it happened in Stalins Russia. It is only the leaders and their supporters who benefit from the new order. The historian Daniel Chiroti, commenting on the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union due to the failed Marxist ideology, said that when disorder leaves a whole population at a loss of how to react because the old rules of behavior seem to have become useless, the likelihood increases that a tyrant will emerge as a self-proclaimed savior (Chiroti 97).
In todays world, the onset of coups is sometimes hailed as a solution to kick out leaders who cling to power, with the promise of new policies that will create job opportunities, fight corruption, end poverty and deliver services to the common man. However, the opposite is true as it happened in Madagascar and Guinea- the former by a flamboyant youngster mayor who promised to make the Indian archipelago a paradise island; and the latter by a junta militia whose sole argument was that the government had failed to deliver services.
In Animal Farm, the farm animals are dissatisfied with the leadership of the farms owner, Master Jones. They are overworked and starved as the master enjoys the fruits of their sweat. In reality, this portrays the dependence of the ruling elite on the workers labor. In what is a parallel to Marxs philosophy and attack on the exploitation of the workers by the capitalists; and therefore a call for a revolution, the farm animals are inspired by the counsel of Old Major, an old pig on the farm.
He points out that Man is the only creature that consumes without producing; he does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plow&.he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits (Orwell and Baker 29). And yet, he is the master over all the animals, for he sets them to work and rewards them with the minimum provisions that could sustain their survival and continued servitude to him.
After the rebellion, the animals had great expectations of a better life and equality. They recognized the unique nature of animals and their difference from men (four legs vs. two legs) and adapted it as their animal identity that will keep them together. They also intended to keep away from human elements and indulgences that subjected them to oppression. This is reflected in the laws they enacted, some of which included: Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy; Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend; No animal shall sleep in a bed; No animal shall drink alcohol and No animal shall kill any other animal (Orwell and Baker 73).
But what should be should be emphasized at this point is the presentation of pigs as the ruling class to portray an element of satire that runs throughout the story. Ordinarily, we know pigs as the filthiest of all animals. Yet, they are elevated to lead other animals, and even to sleep in a bed: which is against their natural liking of dirty dungeons and feeding on filthy refuse. But now they eat the best foods on the farm. This is interpreted at two levels of satirical criticism. First, society should not expect good leadership when it elects individuals of a pigs nature to positions of power. But it often elects thieves and expects integrity and accountability.
Thus, the animals were wrong in their optimistic hope that the pigs will be any better than their oppressive master. In Germany, Adolf Hitlers ascendancy to power turned out to be more oppressive than it was expected. When President Hindenburg died in August 1933, he merged the office of the president with that of the chancellor into a new post, the Fuhrer, and in so doing consolidated the absolute power of a dictator (North and Musser 3).
Secondly, the expectations of revolutionary movements are dampened because new leaders lack or depart from the vision that inspired the revolution, such as in Russia when Stalin strayed from the original vision of Marxism, which was to create a classless society. Likewise, in most African countries and other former colonies, the masses had great expectations from their independence. The freedom fighters might have had good plans for their nations, but the political class that established after independence subverted their original goals. And this is what the pigs did on the Farm.
Various characters in the story are used to criticize the collective rot in society, perpetuated by individuals in their respective positions. There was Moses, the pigeon pet of Mr. Jones. He spread propaganda about Sugarcandy Mountain, where all animals went after death. George Orwell writes that:
The pigs had an even harder struggle to counteract the lies put about by Moses, the tame raven&.he was a spy and a tale-bearer, but he was also a clever talker; he claimed to know of the country called Sugarcandy Mountain, situated somewhere up in the sky, to which all animals went when they died&.a place clover was in season all the year-round, and lump sugar and linseed cake grew on the hedges: but the animals hated him because he told tales and did little work- but some of them believed in Sugarcandy Mountain, and the pigs had to argue very hard to persuade them that there was no such place (Orwell 12).
Moses represents religion, whose teachings dictators use to pacify and keep the hopes of the oppressed masses. It coerces them to humble submission and devoted servitude, and to forget their present afflictions in the hope of compensating their suffering with the joys of heaven. It is a sting on the hypocrisy of the clergy who preach endurance while indulging in luxury, like Moses the pet in Animal Farm, and political sycophants in contemporary societies. Normally have great expectations about the future, all of which crumple the moment leaders lose their vision. It is the likelihood of leaders losing their patriotic sense and vision, which makes literary dystopias contradict the optimistic assurance of utopianism.
The puppies that the pigs trained in secrecy represent Stalins secret Red Army that he used to defeat Trotsky. The satire is veiled under the idea that the ruling class often employs force to rule over the masses. In totalitarian regimes, the use of force is used to subdue dissents, execute as well exile opponents. It is a criticism of the misuse of power.
And lastly, there is Squealer, the propagandist who could turn black into white. In the Russian context, he could parallel the Pravda newspaper of the 1930s that was used by Stalin to spread propaganda. However, in a general reference to society at large, it is a critique of the media when it is manipulated and used by politicians to advance their interests. This is done through biased reportage and misinformation.
Squealer helped to mask the evils of the pigs by misinforming the other animals on what they were up to. For instance, he reports that Boxer was being taken for treatment after falling sick when he had been sold to a butcher. In the end, the pigs character changes to portray the greed for material possessions, an element that is inherent in human beings. The modification of the rule of equality to read All animals are equal, but some are equal than others (Orwell and Baker 23) reflect the attitude of self-importance in the ruling class.
Handmaids Tale
The Handmaids Tale criticizes human shortcomings from a slightly different perspective. The novel is concerned with the vices of ideological extremism, which subjects society to moral abuse that the ideologies are meant to address in the first place. The books primary focus is on the issue of feminism, and how ideological forces aimed at correcting its negative effects go to the extreme and in effect, lead to institutional oppression of women. The state of Gilead that succeeds an American government embraces an ideology characterized by fanatical militarism and religious beliefs. The bible is used as an instrument of influencing people, democratic freedom substituted with harsh coercion, and women degraded to the role of reproducing like rabbits.
Moral and religious degeneration is predicted by the Gileadean ideology that aims to brainwash individuals into robots who follow its political and religious dogmas blindly. The Prayvaganzas events and computerized prayers (soul scrolls) portend a subversion of religious standards. Atwell criticizes the emergency of political or religious ideologies in society, which people overindulge to the extent of rupturing the social fabric that balances the various elements of life.
The Gileadean regime is similar to the Animal Farm and Russian contexts, in that it also has institutions of manipulation, coercion, and propaganda. There are the omnipresent Eyes, the Guardians, Angels, and Aunts, all of whom play a role in promoting the Gilead regimes hold over the people. The spying Eyes are similar to Russias KGB that monitored dissents. The Aunts are used as agents of propaganda to brainwash women into submitting to the roles assigned them- that of motherhood in servitude to the ruling class.
Accordingly, the elements of literary dystopia in Animal Farm and Handmaids Tale portray the downside of societys quest for progress. The two texts argue that regimes that promise progress use ideologies to control and manipulate people. They also employ force to coerce people into submission. However, Atwood notes, some of the ideologies promoted by the ruling class serve their selfish interests, like the Red Center where women are trained as maids.
It is an edged criticism of society in which religion is misused to cultivate ideas that lead to moral rot. In every each case, satire is frequently used to critique society: Econowives and Birthmobiles parody modern consumerism; Serena Joy serves as an ironic name for the bitter, repressed religious leader of womens passivity (eNotes). It is an establishment of gender inequality that resonates with the pigs subversion of the animal rules.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the thematic concern of literary dystopias is to criticize the optimism with which new changes are anticipated and the fervency with which new ideas are embraced. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels had prophesized that the exploitative nature of capitalism will lead to its fall, and classless communist societies emerge in its place. These thoughts had the unprecedented impact of inspiring chaotic revolutions that left societies in ruins.
To consolidate the power necessary to rule the vast Russian empire and enforce a homogenous ideology, the new Marxist leaders ruled with brutality only a notch higher than their predecessors. The changes that were dreamt of were lost in the obsession to control power, and the Marxist fervor that fuelled the revolutionary struggle ended with the birth of the cruelest regime ever known to man. The suffering that followed would not have come to pass if Marxism and not raised peoples hopes to utopian absurdity. When it failed, the whole society collapsed.
To expect too much is to sow the seeds of frustration.
Works Cited
Atwell, Margaret. A Handmaids Tale. New York: Anchor Books, 1998.
Chirot, Daniel. Modern Tyrants: the power and prevalence of evil in our age. New Jersey: Princeton UP, 1996.
E-Notes.com. A Handmaids Tale. 2010. Web.
North, Oliver, Musser, Joe. War Stories 3. Washington D. C: Regnery Publishing, 2005.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: 1st World Publishing, 2004.
George Orwell (1903-1950), British novelist and essayist was born Eric Arthur Blair in the state of Bengal in India. He is remembered to date for his highly satirical novels that reflected his controversial sociopolitical views- Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. He spent his life at various places Eton, India, Burma and Europe. He also fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans in 1936 and was seriously wounded. His early works were most autobiographical Down and Out in Paris and London (1933), Burmese Days (1934), The Road to Wigan Pier (1937) and Homage to Catalonia (1938). George Orwell was basically a socialist and he had strong views against imperialism, fascism, Stalinism, and capitalism and his works were based on them. Orwells Animal Farm was a political fable set in a farmyard but based on Stalins betrayal of the Russian Revolution. This novel brought Orwell the first taste of financial success. Nineteen Eighty-Four was set in an imaginary totalitarian future and the book made a huge impact on its readers with its title and many phrases such as Big Brother is watching you, newspeak and doublethink becoming very popular and widely used. Orwells other novels include A Clergymans Daughter (1935), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936), and Coming Up for Air (1940). He also wrote many literary essays of critical acclaim. His volumes of essays include Dickens, Dali and Others (1946), Shooting an Elephant (1950), and the Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell (4 vol., 1968). Orwell died of tuberculosis on 21 January 1950. Thesis: George Orwell is known as the greatest political writer of the twentieth century.
Before Orwell turned writer at the age of thirty he opened himself to a wide range of life experiences by opting for various jobs in various places. His experiences ranged from Eton to service in the colonial police and from short periods as tramp, dishwasher, hop-picker, tutor and teacher to book reviewer and pseudo-Georgian poet. During the next twelve years he worked as a book dealer, farmer, shopkeeper, film critic, broadcaster, editor, columnist and war correspondent to supplement his meager income as an author. He deliberately went in search of experiences and was a keen observer. As his books were mostly political commentaries, they often faced difficulty in getting published. For example, Down and Out in Paris and London were rejected by Cape and Faber, the English edition of Burmese Days was refused by Cape and Heinemann and Gollancz rejected Homage to Catalonia. His reputation as an author developed rather slowly and he did not achieve fame till the end of his life. Orwell became famous with the publication of Animal Farm in 1945 and 1984 in 1949.
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is of great literary value and is the only work of George Orwell where he does not appear as a narrator, a character, or a commentator. It is a deceptively simple story of barnyard beasts that revolt against their cruel master to run their own society. While the story can be enjoyed by children who love animals, it is also a powerful political satire on Stalinism with embedded warnings about the abuses of unlimited political power. The book is written in a fluent, casual style, peppered with good-natured humor. Orwell uses an ancient literary form, the animal fable, a short allegorical tale that points to a moral truth.
Animal Farm is George Orwells most recognized work. When he looked for a publisher for it in February 1944, he immediately encountered difficulties in publishing it because of its radical views against communism. Once published, Animal Farm was immediately and astonishingly successful and sold well both in Britain and in America, and received rave reviews from renowned critics such as Edmund Wilson. The Americans tended to read the Animal Farm as a work that was anticommunism, but Orwell insisted that his work opposed not only Soviet Communism but the general corruption of socialist ideals by the desire for power. The authoritarian autocracy is portrayed in Animal Farm as the ruling swine. Thus this book serves a greater purpose of enlightening the society of the evils of totalitarianism. In his Animal Farm, he refers to Stalins persecution of Trotsky and the Moscow show trials, in a wickedly funny hypothetical British context, putting Churchill in exile and attributing dastardly acts of sabotage to him, like causing an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease in the Royal racing stables. The Soviet people, though they were aware of Stalins terrorism chose to keep quiet like most of Orwells animals that remained submissive to Napoleon after he had some sheep and hens killed as examples.
Farmer Jones of Manor farm had been exploiting his farm animals for years so much so they plan to expel him and rule the farm by themselves. The catchy hymn Beasts of England sung to the tune of My Darling Clementine is chosen to inspire the animals to action by an old boar called Major. After the death of Major, two younger boars, Snowball and Napoleon, who are literate formulate a secret creed of Animalism and teach it to others. One day, the animals finally succeed in revolting against and expelling Jones and his wife and Moses the raven. They begin a new life under the leadership of the intelligent pigs who soon turn dictatorial in nature and call their place the Animal Farm. They decide to take the cows milk for themselves as the first sign of their greed. They have devoted followers in draft horses Boxer and Clover who are not very intelligent by having the physical power to build the new society. Initially, the animals are all happy. But soon, Napoleon begins to have conflicts with Snowball regarding governance. Napoleon dominates and imposes his will on the entire farm using Squealer as his propaganda maker and other subordinate pigs. These pigs help him to convince the other animals on the farm to work very hard on very little food, thereby making their lives more miserable than they were under Farmer Jones. In a particular scene, Squealer addresses the animals as Comrades and explains to them that even though pigs hate milk and apples, they consume those things for health purposes so that they may be able to manage the farm well and take care of the animals. Squealer also reminds them that in the event of pigs failing in their duty, the animals would face the danger of Mr. Jones return. Later, Mr. Jones joins hands with Farmer Pilkington and Farmer Frederick to overthrow the animals and recapture Manor Farm. But this attempt is thwarted by Snowball in a gallant fight. Napoleon now becomes power crazy and orders the killing of animals that have opposed him and forces Snowball into exile. He rules Manors farm with an iron hand and even manages to subdue the humans at the Battle of the Windmill at great cost. When Boxer collapses from overwork and old age, Napoleon sells him off for slaughter and uses the money to buy whiskey for himself and his comrades. They begin partying with the humans on their hind legs and realize the truth that All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others (Animal Farm, p. 133).
Orwell, in this book, reveals his love for animals by succeeding in endowing animals with convincingly human emotions. Orwells revolutionary animal society corresponds perfectly to the socio-political structure of the Soviet Union. Manor Farm refers to the Soviet Union, the workers paradise , Mr. Jones is Tsar Nicholas II who has driven away from power and killed, Major is Karl Marx, Boxer is the easily manipulated Soviet worker, Napoleon is Stalin, Snowball is Trotsky, Squealer is Pravda, the pigs are the Bolsheviks and so on. The Battle of the Windmill referred to the German invasion of 1941. Boxer, the powerful draft horse is a character that evokes a lot of pathos. Though he is not very bright, he is dependable and willing to work hard and hence he is exploited by the pigs. Smitten by the noble ideals of Beasts of England freedom from cruel human masters, enough barley, hay, oats, and sweet water for all Boxer works hard for Napoleon and hauls stone until his death, unable to read the letters spelling out the butchers name on the van that carries him away.
1984
Orwell completed his last and most powerful novel Nineteen Eighty-Four in November 1948, when he was suffering from tuberculosis. The novel depicts the slow moral degradation of Winston Smith. The novel is divided into three parts and is interspersed midway with Orwells own sociopolitical theories in a long abstract narrative. Part I of 1984 deals with the growing opposition of Winston Smith to the ruling regime that pressures him to distort the truth. Orwell describes a highly controlling repressive world in 1984 symbolized by the dictum Big Brother is Watching You . This world is separated into three geographical nations: Oceania (created when the United States absorbed Britain), Eurasia, and Eastasia, perpetually fighting with one another for social control. Oceania is ruled by Big Brother, a dictator who keeps his people hysterically fearful of foreign attacks. His Inner Party makes up two percent of the population, while his Outer Party is about thirteen percent. Together they rule the remaining masses by forcing them to do meaningless work and getting them addicted to films, work, football, beer, gambling and state-produced pornography. The citizens are exploited by the regime and are not even given good food. The war hysteria among the people is maintained by periodical meaningless subatomic warfare against Eurasia and Eastasia by the Ministry of Peace. Even language is used as a servant of the state. The citizens are given no privacy and Thought Police observe all sounds, movements and heartbeats. The Big Brother government manipulated the children so much so they grew up adoring the party fanatically and nurtured hatred towards anything or anyone opposed to the party and its ideals. In fact, many children turned their parents into the thought police and were hailed as child heroes for such daring acts. Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth and he is the only man with a few memories of his childhood. He indulges in thoughtcrime. He writes a diary in Oldspeak the infinitely flexible English language that Big Brother fears as a symbol of individual freedom. On the first page he writes the forbidden statement, Down with Big Brother! (p. 19). Part II traces the bond between Smith and Julia, an attractive member of the Anti-Sex League. With the encouragement of OBrien, they join a secret Anti-Big Brother group called The Brotherhood , but are ultimately betrayed by him by the Thought Police. OBrien is actually a member of the Thought Police who had engineered their affair from the start and he tortures Smith to make him accept the rule of Big Brother. Breaking down under the torture, Smith surrenders to OBrien and begs to be let free so that he can love Big Brother. Smith is now rewarded with a job in the Ministry of Truth. Later, he meets Julia and they discover they had betrayed each other. Towards the end of the novel, Smith is completely brainwashed into loving submission to Big Brother. The book fictionalizes Soviet totalitarianism through its main characters. Orwell draws on his own personal experiences in the context of political terrorism to describe a life, lived in fear and guilt.The life in Oceania under the rule of Big Brother, described by the book with its stress on loss of privacy and manipulation of the mind by the media has been found by critics to resemble life in Modern America, with the increasing surveillance of the public through CCTV cameras, the warrantless wiretaps, the deluge of propaganda and the specter of war without end. The book thus has a timeless appeal, not only because of its theme but also because of its fluid prose and detailed imagery evoked of the mechanized nightmare world of Oceania.
Comrades! he cried. You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Sciences, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. 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. 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 almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?
Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it. The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother it was all a sort of glorious game to them. All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children. An with good reason, for hardly a week passed in which the Times did not carry a photograph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak child hero was the phrase generally used had overheard some compromising remark and denounced his parents to the Thought Police .
One of the main characters of George Orwells Animal Farm says: Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no!& Man is the only real enemy we have (Orwell, 2). This quote is truthful from the point of view of revolutionary moods overwhelming the farm. Orwell uses the farm analogy in order to demonstrate the most common course of all revolutions and struggles for freedom. The animals identify a leading power, which is men, as the ruler that must to be overthrown. This is the only way for the animals to establish equality and create a flourishing, happy and wealthy society. Animal Farm by Orwell is a description of the metamorphoses that happen within a freedom movement turning it into a corrupted tyranny.
The novel demonstrates the emergence and development of a disorder within a society when some of its members start to feel dissatisfaction with its leaders and ruling power. Orwell shows that sometimes it takes one extremely expressive speech to start a revolutionary movement, set the masses against the ruling powers by means of pointing out the unfair aspects of their life, inequalities, social and financial gaps. In literature conflict is a literary element that serves to represent the opposing parties or ideas that confront each other. The conflict of Animal Farm starts with the sentence: Man is the only creature that consumes without producing (Orwell, 2). This way the author shows the differences between the two sides of the initial conflict that begins because of the inequalities and exploitation of farm animals by humans without an appropriate reward. This kind of conflict is highly recognizable, as it is commonly experienced in the world of nowadays.
Gradually, the brotherly and united atmosphere in the farm society fades away. Just like any freedom movement, the farm faces the inevitable difficulties such as lack of enthusiasm, cold attitudes and constant disagreement in the leading segment of the group. In order to emphasize the feelings of discomfort and uncertainty the author puts the farm into unpleasant and cold settings. The purpose of the literary element called setting is to establish the time and place of the happening events, describe the way the surroundings affect the characters and their story. In Animal Farm the setting describes winter: In January there came bitterly hard weather. The earth was like iron, and nothing could be done in the fields (Orwell, 18). Even though the description is quite simple and not very rich, it successfully establishes the cold mood starting to bother the farm and its society. The reader gets to sense that not only the weather was bitterly hard , but also the relationships between the leading members of the farm.
Orwell starts his story with the emphasis of one of the most popular social conflicts the disagreement about equality and properties, saying: Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no!& Man is the only real enemy we have (Orwell, 2). This statement serves as a the first sparkle of the upcoming revolution that soon gets out of control, turns into a disaster and burns down the participants making them miss the way things used to be in the past.
Two major revolutions that occurred in Russia in 1917 largely shaped further development of the country and its global political position. In March 1917, the communists managed to remove Tsar Nicholas II fro the throne, and in November 1917, the Bolsheviks overthrew the provisional government, finally changing the country into a communist state and creating the U.S.S.R. Later, the U.S.S.R. developed into a totalitarian state under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Orwells allegorical work Animal Farm serves to highlight the key aspects of the Russian 1917 revolution and Stalins harsh role that followed suit.
Causes
The key long-term cause of the 1917 Revolutions was the class system that existed in the country under the monarchy. Until 1861, the vast majority of the countrys population were peasants that were owned by the affluent upper class. In 1861, they were freed but remained poor nonetheless. The industrialization created a new class the working men who were heavily exploited due to the harsh economic conditions. Their working and economic conditions were significantly worse than in other countries, which led to protests and increased the peoples dislike towards the monarchy (Goff et al. 139). In Orwells Animal Farm, the monarchy is represented by Mr. Jones, whereas most of the animals represent the working class or the peasants. By portraying the society in this way, Orwell highlights the inequality and oppression that were characteristic of the Russian society of the time.
Another significant long-term cause of the Russian revolution was the tsars military failures in Japan and the events of the Bloody Sunday, which showed Nicholas II as an unstable ruler. He was unable to address the peoples struggles and did nothing to support the low and middle classes, which led to public disapproval of his rule and the monarchy in general. Similarly, in the Animal Farm, Mr. Jones fails to fulfill the need of his animals and care for them while reaping the benefits in the form of money and food. The old Majors words serve to outline the conflict between the monarchy and the Bolsheviks: Man is the only creature that consumes without producing [&] Yet he is lord of all the animals (Orwell 2). The development of the Marxist ideology that would treat all human beings as equal and abolish class distinction was exactly what the society of the time was willing to create.
The main short-term cause of the revolution was the World War I (Hodge & Cambridge par. 5). The war resulted in significant demographic and economic struggles that further impaired the position of poor peasants and the working class. The peasants were especially outraged at the military losses, as farming without young working men was barely possible, while the working class was upset at the closing of the Putilov plant in February 1922. Orwell shows farm animals experiencing the same problems that were pertaining to Russian society of the time, including poverty and hunger.
Both the long-term and the short-term causes of the revolution contributed to the public outrage and diminished the peoples belief in the monarchy. People wanted to build a new society, one that Orwell represents in the Majors animalism teachings. Marxism became the primary ideology behind the revolution as it stressed the idea of all men being equals and deserving equal rights. Using this idea, Lenin and Trotsky were able to gather supporters in order to overthrow the monarchy and the temporary government, just like old Major and Snowball did in the Animal Farm. However, the idea of a Marxist state soon developed into a totalitarian rule once Joseph Stalin (Napoleon) came to power.
Stalins Totalitarian Rule
After Lenins death and the extradition of Trotsky from the country, Stalin took sole control of the U.S.S.R. (Goff et al. 147). Unlike Lenin or Trotsky, who were genuinely invested in the Marxist ideology, Stalin sought to increase his personal power and abolish all opposition. This is described in the Animal Farm through the image of Napoleon and his dogs. Orwells description of nine enormous dogs driving Snowball out of the barn is a metaphor of Stalins opposition with Trotsky that ended in Trotskys exile in 1940 (16). The dogs are then used by Napoleon to silence any opposition and hunt down animals that do not obey his rule, just like Stalins repressions in the U.S.S.R. worked to support the new totalitarian rule. Stalins ascend to power largely relied on the success of the Communist ideology. However, whereas Lenin and Trotsky convinced people that Communism would bring freedom from oppression and establish equality, Stalins rule was centered around power, not equality or freedom. Stalins repressions served to hold the opposition in fear and to avoid political competition, thus supporting the formation of the totalitarian state.
Conclusion
Overall, the Russian 1917 Revolution was a crucial step in the countrys development, as it marked the end of the monarchy and the beginning of a Communist rule. The reasons for the revolution included poor economic conditions, poverty, hunger, and the loss of peoples faith in the monarchy. People believed that Communism would bring freedom and equality; however, Stalins rule was famous for repressions that served to support totalitarianism. Orwells Animal Farm is useful in studying the causes and development of the 1917 Revolution in Russia. Through metaphors, Orwell highlighted the failures of both the monarchy and the Communist rule, thus contributing to the exploration of the revolution.
Works Cited
Goff, Richard, et al., The Twentieth Century and Beyond: A Global History. 7th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2008.
The book Animal Farm by George Orwell is a satirical piece published in 1945 in England. The book attacks the Soviet communism by use of animal characters in a typical English farm, Manor Farm. The animal characters figuratively represent the leaders of the communist party.
The animals stage a successful revolution that topples the farmer but later, corrupt pigs driven by selfish interests fling the binding principles of Animalism. The book has different meaning to different readers depending on their personal experiences. For a person conversant with the history of the Soviet Union, the book illustrates the communist party rule that followed the revolution of 1917 and now perceived as an oppressive and counter revolutionary force.
A teenager from a war torn country will get the perception that revolutions do not work and absolute power corrupts as seen by Napoleons neglect of the seven commandments. In the Animal Farm, the animals toil all year long not for their benefit but for their masters. This is the perception of an employed person who feels that his or her efforts are for the masters benefit.
The novel is a fable against socialism in the Soviet Union that uses animals as figurations of the Communist Party leaders. The two pigs, Napoleon and Snowball, represent the Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky as leaders.
The revolution in 1917 led to establishment of communist new regime headed by Vladimir Lenin. The new communist regime took control of all land and industry from the private sector into government control in order to create a centralized economic system that would put the country on the road to economic success.
However, after Lenin died in 1924, Stalin and Trotsky took control of the Soviet Union. Stalin plots a plan that leads to the exile of Trotsky, a proponent of communism. Just like in the Animal Farm, the struggle for power and influence between Snowball and Napoleon leads to the banishment of Snowball from the farm. After the revolution in the Animal Farm, the animals establish the philosophy of Animalism in order to be different from human beings.
Nevertheless, later after Snowballs banishment, the pigs start to walk on their hind legs just as the human does (Orwell, 1996, p. 121). Stalin just like Napoleon in the Animal Kingdom became dictatorial and neglected the philosophy of communism. He committed acts of brutality towards his perceived political enemies who at the beginning were his confidantes.
On the other hand, the Animal farm represents the current political events of revolution in dictatorship countries like Libya. The book illustrates why and how revolutions take place to remove modern dictatorship. The oppressive rule encourages the revolutionary movement to remove the regime.
The Major incites the revolution by his statements to the loyal and energetic Boxer. And you, Boxer, the very day that you lose those great muscles of yours and lose their power, Jones will sell you the Knackers, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds (Orwell, 1996, p. 20).
Ironically, Boxer is betrayed not by Jones but by the other animals who take over after the revolution. Revolutions also bring the dilemma of what happens after the removal of the dictatorial regime. A youth living in Libya right now would identify with this book given the recent upspring that seeks to topple Gadaffis tyrannical rule.
In the Animal Farm, the animals sacrifices were not rewarded only the masters, the pigs, benefited from the Animals hard work. A middle class worker will get the idea that his or her efforts benefit the top leadership in the organization, but not the worker. For example, all year long the animals worked like slaves¬ for the benefit of themselves (Orwell, 1996, p. 63). This implies that the masters benefitted from the animals hard work but the animals without realizing it became the slaves of their masters.
Conclusion
The book Animal Farm by George Orwell represents political satire that has different meaning to various people depending on their personal experiences. Historically, the book represents the Communism history in Russia. The Animal farm also concerns the recent revolutionary political events in many countries and their aftermath of such revolutions to the peoples lives. Hard work by the animals in the Animal Farm is not rewarded instead it is the maters who benefit most; the meaning of the book to a middle class worker.
Reference
Orwell, G. (1996). Animal Farm. New York: New American Library.
George Orwell (1903-1950), British novelist and essayist was born Eric Arthur Blair in the state of Bengal in India. He is remembered to date for his highly satirical novels that reflected his controversial sociopolitical views- Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four. He spent his life at various places Eton, India, Burma and Europe. He also fought in the Spanish Civil War on the side of the Republicans in 1936 and was seriously wounded. His early works were most autobiographical Down and Out in Paris and London (1933), Burmese Days (1934), The Road to Wigan Pier (1937) and Homage to Catalonia (1938). George Orwell was basically a socialist and he had strong views against imperialism, fascism, Stalinism, and capitalism and his works were based on them. Orwells Animal Farm was a political fable set in a farmyard but based on Stalins betrayal of the Russian Revolution. This novel brought Orwell the first taste of financial success. Nineteen Eighty-Four was set in an imaginary totalitarian future and the book made a huge impact on its readers with its title and many phrases such as Big Brother is watching you, newspeak and doublethink becoming very popular and widely used. Orwells other novels include A Clergymans Daughter (1935), Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936), and Coming Up for Air (1940). He also wrote many literary essays of critical acclaim. His volumes of essays include Dickens, Dali and Others (1946), Shooting an Elephant (1950), and the Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters of George Orwell (4 vol., 1968). Orwell died of tuberculosis on 21 January 1950. Thesis: George Orwell is known as the greatest political writer of the twentieth century.
Before Orwell turned writer at the age of thirty he opened himself to a wide range of life experiences by opting for various jobs in various places. His experiences ranged from Eton to service in the colonial police and from short periods as tramp, dishwasher, hop-picker, tutor and teacher to book reviewer and pseudo-Georgian poet. During the next twelve years he worked as a book dealer, farmer, shopkeeper, film critic, broadcaster, editor, columnist and war correspondent to supplement his meager income as an author. He deliberately went in search of experiences and was a keen observer. As his books were mostly political commentaries, they often faced difficulty in getting published. For example, Down and Out in Paris and London were rejected by Cape and Faber, the English edition of Burmese Days was refused by Cape and Heinemann and Gollancz rejected Homage to Catalonia. His reputation as an author developed rather slowly and he did not achieve fame till the end of his life. Orwell became famous with the publication of Animal Farm in 1945 and 1984 in 1949.
Animal Farm
Animal Farm is of great literary value and is the only work of George Orwell where he does not appear as a narrator, a character, or a commentator. It is a deceptively simple story of barnyard beasts that revolt against their cruel master to run their own society. While the story can be enjoyed by children who love animals, it is also a powerful political satire on Stalinism with embedded warnings about the abuses of unlimited political power. The book is written in a fluent, casual style, peppered with good-natured humor. Orwell uses an ancient literary form, the animal fable, a short allegorical tale that points to a moral truth.
Animal Farm is George Orwells most recognized work. When he looked for a publisher for it in February 1944, he immediately encountered difficulties in publishing it because of its radical views against communism. Once published, Animal Farm was immediately and astonishingly successful and sold well both in Britain and in America, and received rave reviews from renowned critics such as Edmund Wilson. The Americans tended to read the Animal Farm as a work that was anticommunism, but Orwell insisted that his work opposed not only Soviet Communism but the general corruption of socialist ideals by the desire for power. The authoritarian autocracy is portrayed in Animal Farm as the ruling swine. Thus this book serves a greater purpose of enlightening the society of the evils of totalitarianism. In his Animal Farm, he refers to Stalins persecution of Trotsky and the Moscow show trials, in a wickedly funny hypothetical British context, putting Churchill in exile and attributing dastardly acts of sabotage to him, like causing an outbreak of hoof-and-mouth disease in the Royal racing stables. The Soviet people, though they were aware of Stalins terrorism chose to keep quiet like most of Orwells animals that remained submissive to Napoleon after he had some sheep and hens killed as examples.
Farmer Jones of Manor farm had been exploiting his farm animals for years so much so they plan to expel him and rule the farm by themselves. The catchy hymn Beasts of England sung to the tune of My Darling Clementine is chosen to inspire the animals to action by an old boar called Major. After the death of Major, two younger boars, Snowball and Napoleon, who are literate formulate a secret creed of Animalism and teach it to others. One day, the animals finally succeed in revolting against and expelling Jones and his wife and Moses the raven. They begin a new life under the leadership of the intelligent pigs who soon turn dictatorial in nature and call their place the Animal Farm. They decide to take the cows milk for themselves as the first sign of their greed. They have devoted followers in draft horses Boxer and Clover who are not very intelligent by having the physical power to build the new society. Initially, the animals are all happy. But soon, Napoleon begins to have conflicts with Snowball regarding governance. Napoleon dominates and imposes his will on the entire farm using Squealer as his propaganda maker and other subordinate pigs. These pigs help him to convince the other animals on the farm to work very hard on very little food, thereby making their lives more miserable than they were under Farmer Jones. In a particular scene, Squealer addresses the animals as Comrades and explains to them that even though pigs hate milk and apples, they consume those things for health purposes so that they may be able to manage the farm well and take care of the animals. Squealer also reminds them that in the event of pigs failing in their duty, the animals would face the danger of Mr. Jones return. Later, Mr. Jones joins hands with Farmer Pilkington and Farmer Frederick to overthrow the animals and recapture Manor Farm. But this attempt is thwarted by Snowball in a gallant fight. Napoleon now becomes power crazy and orders the killing of animals that have opposed him and forces Snowball into exile. He rules Manors farm with an iron hand and even manages to subdue the humans at the Battle of the Windmill at great cost. When Boxer collapses from overwork and old age, Napoleon sells him off for slaughter and uses the money to buy whiskey for himself and his comrades. They begin partying with the humans on their hind legs and realize the truth that All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others (Animal Farm, p. 133).
Orwell, in this book, reveals his love for animals by succeeding in endowing animals with convincingly human emotions. Orwells revolutionary animal society corresponds perfectly to the socio-political structure of the Soviet Union. Manor Farm refers to the Soviet Union, the workers paradise , Mr. Jones is Tsar Nicholas II who has driven away from power and killed, Major is Karl Marx, Boxer is the easily manipulated Soviet worker, Napoleon is Stalin, Snowball is Trotsky, Squealer is Pravda, the pigs are the Bolsheviks and so on. The Battle of the Windmill referred to the German invasion of 1941. Boxer, the powerful draft horse is a character that evokes a lot of pathos. Though he is not very bright, he is dependable and willing to work hard and hence he is exploited by the pigs. Smitten by the noble ideals of Beasts of England freedom from cruel human masters, enough barley, hay, oats, and sweet water for all Boxer works hard for Napoleon and hauls stone until his death, unable to read the letters spelling out the butchers name on the van that carries him away.
1984
Orwell completed his last and most powerful novel Nineteen Eighty-Four in November 1948, when he was suffering from tuberculosis. The novel depicts the slow moral degradation of Winston Smith. The novel is divided into three parts and is interspersed midway with Orwells own sociopolitical theories in a long abstract narrative. Part I of 1984 deals with the growing opposition of Winston Smith to the ruling regime that pressures him to distort the truth. Orwell describes a highly controlling repressive world in 1984 symbolized by the dictum Big Brother is Watching You . This world is separated into three geographical nations: Oceania (created when the United States absorbed Britain), Eurasia, and Eastasia, perpetually fighting with one another for social control. Oceania is ruled by Big Brother, a dictator who keeps his people hysterically fearful of foreign attacks. His Inner Party makes up two percent of the population, while his Outer Party is about thirteen percent. Together they rule the remaining masses by forcing them to do meaningless work and getting them addicted to films, work, football, beer, gambling and state-produced pornography. The citizens are exploited by the regime and are not even given good food. The war hysteria among the people is maintained by periodical meaningless subatomic warfare against Eurasia and Eastasia by the Ministry of Peace. Even language is used as a servant of the state. The citizens are given no privacy and Thought Police observe all sounds, movements and heartbeats. The Big Brother government manipulated the children so much so they grew up adoring the party fanatically and nurtured hatred towards anything or anyone opposed to the party and its ideals. In fact, many children turned their parents into the thought police and were hailed as child heroes for such daring acts. Winston Smith works at the Ministry of Truth and he is the only man with a few memories of his childhood. He indulges in thoughtcrime. He writes a diary in Oldspeak the infinitely flexible English language that Big Brother fears as a symbol of individual freedom. On the first page he writes the forbidden statement, Down with Big Brother! (p. 19). Part II traces the bond between Smith and Julia, an attractive member of the Anti-Sex League. With the encouragement of OBrien, they join a secret Anti-Big Brother group called The Brotherhood , but are ultimately betrayed by him by the Thought Police. OBrien is actually a member of the Thought Police who had engineered their affair from the start and he tortures Smith to make him accept the rule of Big Brother. Breaking down under the torture, Smith surrenders to OBrien and begs to be let free so that he can love Big Brother. Smith is now rewarded with a job in the Ministry of Truth. Later, he meets Julia and they discover they had betrayed each other. Towards the end of the novel, Smith is completely brainwashed into loving submission to Big Brother. The book fictionalizes Soviet totalitarianism through its main characters. Orwell draws on his own personal experiences in the context of political terrorism to describe a life, lived in fear and guilt.The life in Oceania under the rule of Big Brother, described by the book with its stress on loss of privacy and manipulation of the mind by the media has been found by critics to resemble life in Modern America, with the increasing surveillance of the public through CCTV cameras, the warrantless wiretaps, the deluge of propaganda and the specter of war without end. The book thus has a timeless appeal, not only because of its theme but also because of its fluid prose and detailed imagery evoked of the mechanized nightmare world of Oceania.
Comrades! he cried. You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Sciences, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. 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. 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 almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?
Nearly all children nowadays were horrible. What was worst of all was that by means of such organizations as the Spies they were systematically turned into ungovernable little savages, and yet this produced in them no tendency whatever to rebel against the discipline of the Party. On the contrary, they adored the Party and everything connected with it. The songs, the processions, the banners, the hiking, the drilling with dummy rifles, the yelling of slogans, the worship of Big Brother it was all a sort of glorious game to them. All their ferocity was turned outwards, against the enemies of the State, against foreigners, traitors, saboteurs, thought-criminals. It was almost normal for people over thirty to be frightened of their own children. An with good reason, for hardly a week passed in which the Times did not carry a photograph describing how some eavesdropping little sneak child hero was the phrase generally used had overheard some compromising remark and denounced his parents to the Thought Police .