Animal Farm by George Orwell

Animal Farm Revisted

By Maverick.214

of The U.H. System Originally submitted 28 APR 2003 File Reference: World History Studies/Political Science Papers*with modifications/no annotations, source citing

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Animal Farm by George Orwell draws parallels between the illusion and betrayal of the Russian Revolution and its following demise of a nation, especially under the brutal fist of Stalinism. As a character-driven story, the book is successful in affirming Orwell's caustic criticism of communism as a hypocritically absurd ideology and portraying his central character, Napoleon, as a consummate totalitarian. As a fable or "fairy story" for adults who have thoughts other than kitty cats, puppies, and caboodles in their heads, Animal Farm is simple yet resoundingly effective in establishing an analyses of Josef Stalin's dictatorship, the inherent dangers of communism, and maligned flaws of radical revolution. The greatest value, perhaps, of this Orwellian classic which is standard required reading in most university political science and history classes is the allegorical aspect of its author's insight into man's political nature, and how people behave accordingly as a group, functional society (I used the word "functional" loosely since more often than not I see society more as dysfunctional).

Our story begins essentially with...well, a pig named Napoleon. The porcine antagonist and central character is a dictator, representing totalitarianism and its methods of usurping power and maintaining rigid control in a repressed state. One of the first things Napoleon (and another pig accomplice, Snowball) does prior to orchestrating a successful revolt against Mr. Jones, the farmer_slash_landowner, is educate himself by learning to read.

"The pigs now revealed that during the past three months they had taught themselves to read and write from an old spelling book which had belonged to Mr. Jone's children and which had been thrown on the rubbish heap." p.42.

Education or knowledge has always translated to power, and Napoleon recognized the importance of learning to read as he harbored a hidden agenda which in time (through plot development) revealed his deceptive nature and desire to control the "lower" animals; comrades-in-arms, later slaves-of-state. His second post-Revolution act after establishing political control as outlined in his " Seven Commandments" is to seize economic control. Napoleon deflects all inquiries about the controls by focusing the lower animals' attention on harvesting tasks.

The events in Chapter 5 further shed light on Napoleon's power lust and methodology when he summons his private attack dogs to violently expel a rival, former comrade Snowball. This violent powerplay solidifies the pig's absolute power. The dogs act as Napoleon's secret police much in the same maner as Hitler's SS, Schutzstaffel, and Stalin's NKVD, Comissariat for Internal Affairs, did when employed to indiscriminately terrorize citizens or deemed enemies of state.

"At this there was a terrible baying sound outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws." p. 67.

Stalin used his NKVD secret police agency in the 1930s as a personal instrument of death against his party and state during the Great Terror. Likewise, Hitler used his various secret agencies to control Nazi Germany, murder suspected opposition, and organize concentration camp operations. Napoleon as a character-study personifies violence, paranoia, and control when exacted by communist and fascist dictators. The pig's actions were premeditated and chillingly executed with a specific purpose--instill fear, eliminate threat.

"They were all slain on the spot. And so the tale of confessions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones." p. 93.

After gaining knowledge through literacy and successfully seizing power by co-leading a radical revolution against Mr. Jones, Napoleon ensures his dictatorship's longevity by administering effective propaganda and party indoctrination to his followers. He manipulates their unique animalistic nationalism for his own gain, instigates false rumors, accusations, and propagates more lies when his political decisions contradict party ideology.

Napoleon sends Squealer around the farm to disseminate