Question

Write a paragraph to provide an example of how Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution. Consider the characters and events that George Orwell includes in his novel, as well as people, philosophies, events, and organizations from history. Include evidence from the story as you make your comparisons.

Answer 1

Animal Farm is a novel first published in England in 1945, as an allegory for and criticism of the Russian Revolution. The revolt of the animals against Farmer Jones is an analogy for the Bolshevik Revolution. The Battle of the Cowshed is a representation of the allied invasion of Soviet Russia in 1918. The pigs rise in power resembles the rise of Stalinists, and the consolidation of Napoleon as the farm leader mirrors Stalin's appearance as a significant character. The puppies controlled by Napoleon represent the Secret Police force that answered to Stalin. The rivalry between Napoleon and Snowball mimics that between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Mr. Jones is representation of the Russian Tsar Nicholas II, who was murdered by the Bolsheviks, following the February Revolution of 1917. Horses and donkeys in the story represent the working class. They were loyal, dedicated animals in the story, particularly Boxer, who was faithful and strong, and who believed that any problem could be solved by working harder. When Boxer was injured, he was sold by Napoleon to buy whisky, but a more dramatic and moving account of his disappearance was given to the rest of the animals. The sheep are said to represent the controlled press at the time. They blindly followed Napoleon, and regarded anything he said or did as the absolute truth. The seven commandments that become the law at the human-free farm are altered and edited along the story, mimicking the corruption at the time. Laws were altered by the pigs in the story, to make it seem as if they were not braking any rules.  The ending of the story is an allusion to the Tehran Conference held in 1943. This agreement was critized by both sides, a great image represented by the fact that pigs and humans cannot be told apart.

Answer 2

Answer:

Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and life in the Soviet Union. The story includes many characters and ideas that represent people and events from Soviet history. One example is Napoleon, a character that represents Joseph Stalin. Like his historical counterpart, Napoleon rises to power, and then becomes corrupted by that power. He drives Snowball off the farm and into exile, which is similar to what Stalin did to Trotsky. He also oppresses the other animals, much like Stalin oppressed the people of the Soviet Union.