Introduction
Animal Farm is probably the most popular writing of George Orwell. It is an allegorical novella which represents Russian revolution of 1917 and the totalitarian rule of Stalin. It was first published in year 1945. Novella has didactive nature too.
Themes
Totalitarian rule – Novella shows whether it was Mr. Jones or Napoleon animals of the farm never got respite. Their conditions became bad to worse. Mr. Jones kept them hungry and over worked while Napoleon went one step ahead by committing regular violence with fellow animals. He got boxer eliminated on finding him not useful anymore. He threatened animals using dogs and animals were hungry, cold and over worked. He cancelled all the farm policy meeting and his word was the final say in everything.
Class Differences – Animal Farm clearly reflects class differences. Once pigs especially Napoleon and Squealer comes into the power after overthrowing firstly Mr. Jones and then Snowball from the farm and took the farm under control they started to isolate themselves from the labour class i.e. other working animals. They considered themselves superior in terms of management of the farm. They were the brain of the farm. Napoleon started to live in the house of Mr. Jones. He neglected principles of animalism. He became the totalitarian ruler of the farm. Squealer even changed the principle that ‘All animals are equal’. Now it has become ‘All animals are equal, but few animals are more equal than others’. This shows the class differences between pigs and other animals.
Corruption – There is a theme of corruption in the novella. Napoleon stole milk and apples on the pretext of necessity for physical and mental development of the pigs as pigs are managing farm and protecting other animals from Mr. Jones’ come back. There is another instance of corruption when Frederick gave fake notes to Napoleon in exchange of timber.
Violence – There have been two battles happened between animals and farmers which showed violence. Even Napoleon resorted to violence using his dogs first to ward off Snowball and later on by blackmailing animals in the name of conspiracy with snowball against himself. Napoleon even didn’t spare the most loyal labor of him i.e. Boxer. Once boxer got injured in battle against Frederick he got him killed by selling him out to glue maker under garb of sending him to the hospital.
Propaganda – Propaganda is important theme of the novella. Squealer was the person who did this. Whenever Napoleon did anything questionable or broke principles of animalism, it was the squealer who justified his acts in front of other animals. When Napoleon stole milk and apples, Squealer told the animals that pigs don’t like apples and milks but we need to eat them for physical and mental development to manage farm and surely animals don’t want Mr. Jones to come back. This fear of Mr. Jones made everything right. When pigs drank whisky he changed the maxim from ‘No animals shall drink alcohol’ to ‘No animal shall drink alcohol in excess’. Similarly when Napoleon shifted to the house of Mr. Jones and started to sleep in the bed. It was Squealer who justified his act and changed the maxim from ‘No animal shall sleep in bed’ to ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets’. This propaganda keep on going through out the novella.
An Allegory
Animal Farm is an allegory which represents the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Manor Farm symbolizes Russia, Old Major (Karl Marx), Mr. Jones (Czar Nicholas II), Snowball (Leon Trotsky), Napoleon (Joseph Stalin), Squealer (Pravda and Vyacheslav Molotov) and other animals (labor class). Napoleon’s windmill plan represents Stalin’s Five year plan to improve industry in Soviet Union. Napoleon’s failures and blame game on Snowball represents Stalin’s blaming of Trotsky. Even trade with Frederick and later on war with him shows alliance with Hitler and later on battle with him.
Language and Diction
George Orwell has written Animal Farm in layman language. There is hardly any complexity. He kept the dialogues short, simple and straight forward without detailed description. There has been violence, deaths in the novella but Orwell has avoided any sort of sentimentality. The main purpose of the novella is to show the reality of Russian Revolution and totalitarian rule of Stalin which doesn’t give scope to sentimentality.
Structure
There are 10 chapters in the Animal Farm. Each chapter has its ending hence complete in itself. Orwell has tried to give moral lessons to its readers. Readers can ruminate on teachings in every chapter. Narrative is simple and circular as novella starts with autocratic rule of Mr. Jones and ends in animal controlled regime of Napoleon.
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