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Colin Fogarty

Duncan

LSA English Honors 9

29 November 2017

Animal Farm

Doris Lessing once said, “Literature is analysis after the event”. Such in this way, Animal

Farm is an examination and simplification of post Bolshevik-revolution Russia. It tells of the

overthrow of Jones the Farmer, the instatement of “animalism” and the subsequent rule of

Napoleon. In his 1945 novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell only illustrates the failures of the

Russian Revolution, which is not a true commentary on communism.

Most prominently, Napoleon the Pig illustrates only the qualities of Joseph Stalin, as

opposed to real critique of communist principles and leadership. Animal Farm makes many

direct references to the actions of Stalin throughout the novel. The KGB was an infamous part of

Stalin’s reign which is eerily akin to Napoleon's personal guard dogs, “…Napoleon took them

away from their mothers, saying he would make himself responsible for their education” (Orwell

30). Napoleon eventually raises them to seek out political dissidents and kill them, much like

Stalin’s Red Terror, Great Purge, or even his Dekulakization. “When they had finished their

confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice, Napoleon demanded

whether any other animal had anything to confess” (75). In addition to acts of political violence

sponsored by the state or leader, there are examples of political censorship, a hallmark of 1930’s

Stalinist Russia. After coming to power, Napoleon censors any resemblance of free speech or

assembly. “Napoleon, with his dogs following him...stood to deliver his speech. He announced

that from now on the Sunday morning meetings would come to an end" (49). Again, Napoleon
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took steps to secure power that were nearly indistinguishable from steps Stalin took. In return,

Orwell limits the overall character development of Napoleon. Instead of Napoleon acting as

model of any potential communist – or Animalist, in the case of the novel – leader, Napoleon is

simply a Stalinist stereotype. Furthermore, Stalin is often perceived as a terrible representative of

communism, as he was often times more concerned with power than communism itself. Leaders

are often perceived at the best ambassadors of any ideology. Orwell tries to portray Napoleon as

the face of communism and how Napoleon’s subsequent actions were always a byproduct of

communist rule. However, by mirroring Stalin with Napoleon and thus limiting the scope of the

character, Orwell fails to portray how any potential communist leader would act in a position of

power.

Likewise, Snowball the Pig offers insight into the lack of commentary on communism as

a whole. Shortly after the institution of Animalism on the farm, the novel bluntly shows the

success of the farm, “Moreover, it was the biggest harvest the farm had ever seen…” (24). This

was largely under the leadership of Snowball, who was a dedicated believer of Animalism and a

mirror of Leon Trotsky, a dedicated zealot of communism. Snowball was also the pig who wrote

the original Seven Commandments which the animals would guide themselves by as well as

assisting the animals of the farm by creating multiple committees. This creates great support for

him amongst the animals. While debating whether to build a windmill, Snowball advocates for

its construction and eventually wins over the animals: “By the time he [Snowball] had finished

speaking there was no doubt as to which way the vote would go" (48). This indicates a success of

communism under leadership such as Snowball. However, he is ousted by Napoleon during that

very same debate, "They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in

time to escape their snapping jaws … slipped through a hole in the hedge and was seen no more"
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(48). After his ousting the farm begins to fall into disarray under the rule of Napoleon.

Inadvertently, Orwell admits to the success under the right leadership of Snowball, as all the

negative side effects came only after Snowball was outed. That admission further creates a

critical commentary only on the period of Stalinist Russia, not how communism functions in

general. As was previously mentioned, Napoleon is the mirror of Stalin, so it is under the rule of

Stalin that communism could not work. Orwell’s admission of the potential success of

communism and the former assertion that Napoleon is only a reflection of Stalin further the idea

that Animal Farm fails to accurately and fairly critique communism.

Furthermore, the novel is so similar to the events of the actual Russian Revolution that it

fails to capture a novel story of communism. Two of the best indicators that the plot of the story

is similar to the timeline of the USSR are two battles the animals become involved with. The first

is between Jones and a few other farmers, “Jones and all his men, with half a dozen others from

Foxwood and Pinchfield, had entered the five-barred gate and were coming up...Obviously they

were going to attempt to recapture the farm.” (35-36). This is a representation of the Russian

Civil War between the Reds and Whites. The Reds are the animals and Whites are the farmers

who are trying to “retake” the farm, just like in Russia in the year 1917. However, there is

another battle between the animals and the farms of Pilkington and Fredrick. “There were fifteen

men, with half a dozen guns between them, and they opened fire as soon as they got within fifty

yards” (89). This is the metaphorical Second World War. Combined with the previous

conclusions that the characters mirror people of the Russian Revolution, these events show how

the plot of the Animal Farm is reflecting the timeline of the U.S.S.R. This is both unnecessary

and limiting to the story. Orwell does not need to use these battles to show or create any

commentary on communism. They in fact only limit the scope of his story. He cannot create a
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clear reflection and critique of communism because it is so weighed down by the events of the

Russian Revolution. This creates an unfair commentary on communism that can be chopped to

more of a story of the Russian Revolution than anything else.

In the end, Orwell tells a compelling story of power, but not of communism. The novel

fails to examine a genuine leader of communism by substituting said leader by an animal with

the likeness of Stalin, and shows how communism collapses under bad leadership, not on its

own. Its overall plot is a history of the Russian Revolution, leaving no room for an assessment of

the ideals that revolution strived for in a separate, unbiased scenario. Thusly, George Orwell’s

Animal Farm is much more a history and commentary on power, not communism.