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Similarities Between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution

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Animal Farm is in many ways an allegory for the Russian Revolution. Many of the book’s prominent characters and events parallel leaders and events from the revolution. According to Wikipedia, the Russian Revolution started in March of 1917. The revolution began as a small revolt against the unsuccessful government during this time, but later grew to a full-blown revolution. Animal Farm was written in February of 1944. As seen in the writing of George Orwell, the animals revolted against Mr. Jones due to poor living conditions. George Orwell reflects on the Russian Revolution by evaluating the primary leaders, groups of people, and events that were part of the movement through the use of animals as characters. Old Major, the pig who died in …show more content…

These ideas Old Major came up with became known as animalism. Mr. Jones could be seen as Nicholas II, who was the Tsar of Russia. Mr. Jones was the leader of the farm, and Tsar Nicholas II was the leader of Russia. Neither one of them took care of their “people”. Nicholas II along with his family were killed; in Animal Farm Mr. Jones was chased out of his farm and his tools were destroyed. Napoleon is very closely related to Joseph Stalin. Both Napoleon and Stalin were power-hungry and cruel. They both got rid of all threats to their power in order to Register 2stay on top. Napoleon had nine guard dogs to get rid of those who opposed them while Joseph Stalin had the NKVD. According to Wikipedia, the NKVD stands for Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del. Translated into English it stands for The Peoples Commissariat for Internal Affairs. Their job originally was to conduct police work and watch the prisons and labor camps but they eventually became the “secret police”. They both would misshape things to make them seem better than they were especially in regards to the press. Both of them hid their …show more content…

In Chapters 8, 9, and 10, Napoleon sells timber to Mr. Frederick. Frederick then attacks the farm, destroying the windmill, and Napoleon invites the farmers to dinner. This corresponds to Stalin making a pact with Hitler to avoid war, then Hitler invading the USSR, destroying a lot of their industrialization. After all of this, the Tehran Conference takes place. (Mujkic).In conclusion, there are many shared similarities between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution, which is expressed via the characters and actions of the novel. All of the characters were based off of important leaders/groups of people and many important components in the plot were based off of events from the Revolution. Animal Farm works perfectly to demonstrate what the Russian Revolution was genuinely like through the use of entertaining animals as characters. George Orwell expressed his views through the relationships between animals and humans to represent the relationships between people of the Russian

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966 Words | 4 Pages

The book Animal Farm is an allegory which corresponds to the Russian Revolution. In the book, the animals take over the farm and run the humans off of the property. They are tired of being treated cruelly and decide to take things into their own matters. This is where “war” between animal and man start. The Russian Revolution had much in common with this but also has its differences.

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758 Words | 4 Pages

One of Orwell 's goals in writing Animal Farm was to portray the Russian (or Bolshevik) Revolution of 1917 as one that resulted in a government more oppressive, totalitarian, and deadly than the one it overthrew. Many of the characters and events of Orwell 's novel parallel those of the Russian Revolution: In short, Manor Farm is a model of Russia, and old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon represent the dominant figures of the Russian Revolution. Mr. Jones is modeled on Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918), the last Russian emperor. His rule (1894-1917) was marked by his insistence that he was the uncontestable ruler of the nation. During his reign, the Russian people experienced terrible poverty and upheaval, marked by the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1905 when unarmed protesters demanding social reforms were shot down by the army near Nicholas ' palace.

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558 Words | 3 Pages

In this story of Animal Farm, it represents characters and situations that establish a certain time in the Russian Revolution. Also animal farm reflects the Russians and farmer Jones that it represents the Russians Czar. Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, and Snowball is Leon Trotsky. Boxer serves as an allegory for the Russian who help out to establish the Soviet Union. Animal Farm failed because not all animals are equal.

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814 Words | 4 Pages

When first reading George Orwell’s Animal Farm, one might assume it to be a simple narrative about Farm Animals. However, through closer analysis, you begin to see the allegorical connections and satire of the work. By drawing parallels to certain major events and individuals from the Russian Revolution, Orwell is able to provide a political commentary about the harsh conditions caused by the Revolution. In George Orwell 's Animal Farm, he uses Napoleon, Snowball, and Mr. Jones to show the allegorical connections, as well as its satirical motives.

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381 Words | 2 Pages

In George Orwell's Animal Farm, Napoleon, a pig leader that represents Stalin from the Russian Revolution plays a big role in the book as the pig leaders are a superior group among the population of Animal Farm. In the story Napoleon is representing Stalin in Animal Farm as the main leader after Mr.Jones is ran out of the farm and Old Major died, resembling how Stalin took over rising to power in Russia. Napoleon started as a seemingly good leader but that soon changed… Napoleon, just like Stalin started to have problems with citizens of their own community and tried to hurt people and take things away. Both leaders can be shown using their superiority and power to their advantage to get everything they wanted and felt was necessary.

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1900 Words | 8 Pages

Let us face it: our lives are miserable, Laborious and short” ( Orwell 2). This proves that the lives the animals are currently living are like the lives of the people in Russia. Tsar Nicholas II abandon his throne because his people grew tired of him. In the book, Mr. Jones was removed by a civil war within the animals in the humans. “ ...the rebellion had been successfully carried through: Jones was expelled, and the Manor Farm was theirs” ( Orwell 9).

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1510 Words | 7 Pages

Animal Farm is a novel written by George Orwell that serves as an allegory for the Russian Revolution. The characters, events, and rulings in the novel coincide with the real like Russian characters, events, and rulings. The animals represent the political figures in the Russian Revolution and they also mimic the policies and philosophies of these figures. Animal Farm is an allegory for the Russian revolution for its extensive similarities to the political figures and rulings.

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975 Words | 4 Pages

Animal Farm’s intentions were to be an allegory of the Russian Revolution and both were uses of propaganda in similar ways. In the Russian Revolution, the Bolsheviks used propaganda to declare their laws and rules to the Russian population and their authority of the Russian Revolution. In Animal Farm, propaganda was mostly used by the pigs. The use of propaganda allowed Napoleon to persuade the animals that Snowball was the reason their hard work of the windmill was wasted and that he was the reason of all the negative aspects of their lives. Also, the use of propaganda also benefited the pigs into having to do less work at times or them gaining the most apples or milk.

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The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupt, then forgotten. This is all due to the lust for power that the pigs Napoleon and Snowball have that made them all selfish and corrupted. Animal farm in context to The Russian Revolution in terms of corrupting influence of power : Orwell 's goal was to portray the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet Union that resulted in a more oppressive and deadly government than the one it overthrew.

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783 Words | 4 Pages

In the book Animal Farm there are many similarities to the Russian Revolution of 1917 making it almost a history book in some sense. One of Orwell 's goals in writing Animal Farm was to portray the Russian Revolution of 1917 as one that resulted in a government more oppressive, totalitarian, and deadly than the one it overthrew. There are three parallels I will be sharing between the Russian revolution and animal farm I noticed when reading the book many relating to the personitly and behavoirs of the charaters. Many of the characters and events of Orwell 's novel parallel those of the Russian Revolution: In short, Manor Farm is a model of Russia, and old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon represent the dominant figures of the Russian

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745 Words | 3 Pages

Animal farm is a book written by George Orwell. The book is a reflection of the events of the Russian Revolution and Joseph Stalin’s rise to power. Joseph Stalin is represented by Napoleon and the story follows the events that lead up to Napoleon’s rule over Animal Farm. During the novel, Napoleon uses both psychological and physical fear to control the animals. This is proved by Napoleon using Jones and Snowball as a Physiological fear, to prevent rebellion.

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843 Words | 4 Pages

The book Animal Farm, by George Orwell is an allegory to the Russian Revolution. There are direct correspondence within the characters and the situations. The animals in Animal Farm are contrasted to the people in the Russian Revolution. As well as the people, almost all of the events in the Russian Revolution were related to the events that happened in the book.

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1281 Words | 6 Pages

Allusions allow him to convey hidden messages regarding Soviet Russia and its leaders. The majority of the characters in Animal Farm allude to powerful figures in Russia’s history. This novella presents different allusions which all lead up to the main allegorical theme. For example, Napoleon the leader of Animal Farm is an allusion to Joseph Stalin, similarly he uses attack dogs to subdue and keep the animals loyal. Furthermore Napoleon and Stalin were both manipulative dictators with a lust for power.

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1354 Words | 6 Pages

“Animal Farm” by George Orwell, is a story to show how absolute power corrupts, just as Stalin’s power did during the Russian Revolution in 1917. In the allegory “Animal Farm” each character represents a political figure from the days around the Russian Revolution. For example, Joseph Stalin is represented by a pig named Napoleon, Squealer, another pig, represents Stalin’s propaganda department, and the dogs represent the Secret Police (KBG). Using the nine dogs that Napoleon raises (intimidation), Squealer (propaganda), and manipulation, Orwell illustrates how Napoleon was able to gain and maintain control of the farm. The nine dogs that stay by Napoleon at all times are useful for Napoleon to gain and maintain control of the farm because they scare the other animals, intimidating them so that they do not disobey Napoleon.

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804 Words | 4 Pages

George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, was a great example of political satire and allegory. One of the main ideas in this novel was how each event paralleled events from the Russian Revolution. The novel was written to criticize tyrannical rule and particularly Joseph Stalin's corrupt rule in Russia. The characters, settings, and plot described the social disturbance during this period and proved how the good nature of communism could be turned into something atrocious from an idea as simple as greed.

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