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Communism and socialism in animal farm
Critique of communism in animal farm
Critique of communism in animal farm
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Animal Farm is an allegory that symbolizes the Communist rule over Russia and the Soviet Union. Although the story is conveyed through animals, the animals symbolize various key figures in the Communist party. For example, Napoleon the pig represents Joseph Stalin. Napoleon shows an innate desire for power when he removes Snowball, his second-in-command. Napoleon senses that Snowball is threatening his role as the leader, causing Napoleon to remove Snowball from power using a plan he devised previously.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a classic work of literature that was published in August 17, 1945. Its impact on the communist ideas Americans held in the 1950s has made it one of the most influential books of its time. This simple story is an allegory for the Russian Revolution and has many hidden meanings to each character and event that takes place in the novel. Famous critics Harold Bloom, Kingsley Martin, Cyril Connolly, and Northrop Frye all review and explain the ideas that are shown in this novel. Animal Farm is a well written novel explaining a well thought out story, has many references to real world people and events, explains class and communism in a unique way, and has had reviews done by many critics.
Power, Oppression, and Corruption Animal Farm brings alive the voices and personalities of farmyard animals. It is a twist on the events that took place during the Russian Revolution. This fable tale brings forth the conflicts the fallen Russian Empire through displaying the levels of class and real life people in animals. There is easily a good and a bad archetype, however, using the naivety of the uneducated animals the population is manipulated and leered into a false security. The leaders take control and under the power of suggestion, the public becomes starved, overworked, and silenced.
Historical Events That Prove That the Main Political Value in Animal Farm is Communism Joseph Stalin killed approximately 10,000,000 innocent people including people with mental and physical handicaps, homosexuals, foreigners, and anyone who was against his cause or wanted his power. This is just one example of communism. In George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm” there are very strong tones of communism throughout the book. I believe that there several historical events that you can reference to see the communism in this book. Some historical events that are similar to Animal Farm are: the Russian government under Stalin, the Cuban government under Fidel Castro, and the Japan government under Hideki Tojo.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm portrays every character and situation leading to World War II. In Animal Farm the Bourgeoisie, or the middle class, is played by a mare named Mollie, who loves ribbons and bows. Mollie craves attention and wants to be spoiled and pampered. Other characters living on the farm include the pigs on the farm, Napoleon and Snowball, who come up with the idea to overthrow Mr. Jones, the farmer. After all the animals are on board with their idea, known as communism, they act together and eventually the farm becomes theirs.
Marxists believe in equality among all and focus on including everyone disregards their race, class, or force in power. In George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, many animals get abused, mistreated, and overworked by their farmer, Mr. Jones. Once the animals come to a realization of how they are genuinely treated, their ideology is to eliminate all injustice towards animals. After Old Majors death, all the pigs continue to rebel against the humans and fight for their rights. Unfortunately, as time passes by, the pigs become rulers of the farm and begin to control every animal with their power.
Background Research for Animal Farm 1. Communism: Communism is a form of government in which everyone is equal. People often tend to use the term "Marxism" interchangeably with communism, but Marxism is simply the theory of communism while communism itself is a political system where the fundamentals of Marxism are actually applied. The main proponent of communism Karl Marx, who did not invent the idea, but simply "gave it new meaning". His philosophy inspired many revolutionaries such as Lenin, Stalin, and Mao Zedong to establish their own communist governments.
College history courses are usually just harder and more detailed versions of highschool and middle school histories. But how do they teach elementary children? Allegories. Allegories are a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. They make it easier to explain and understand difficult subjects such as war.
In the book, “Animal Farm”, by George Orwell, it describes how animals revolt against a farmer and rule over themselves. The central theme of the story is how no utopian society can exist. The author uses the strategy of conflict to portray how the animals obtain the farm from the farmer. In the story, the author relates a parable about animals revolting against farmer Johns. Johns was an alcoholic; as a result, he neglected all the animals.
Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels express their major critiques and opinions on capitalism in their 1848 publication of The Communist Manifesto. Their critiques are based around the idea that capitalism is simply unfair, meaning that one class benefits significantly more than the rest. The class that benefits least from capitalism is the proletariats. This unintelligent labor class suffers from the capitalists dominance, and is unaware of the damage they are experiencing. George Orwell’s depiction of Boxer in his novel, Animal Farm, fits precisely into Marx and Engels’ negative critique of capitalism by representing a strong symbol for the proletariat class and succumbing to the powerful demands of the capitalists.
"Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. But I will come to the dream later. I have something else to say first. I do not think, comrades, that I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I die, I feel it my duty to pass on to you such wisdom as I have acquired” (George Orwell, Animal Farm, page 2) These are some of the words the elderly pig Old Major said before he died.
Animal farm is an allegorical novella that was written in the 1940’s. The story describes what it would be like for farm animals to over throw their farm. And, how they would handle their new life. However, with this new found since of freedom, one of the animals let it go to his head. This was the major factor in the animals’ slight downfall.
Originally the Manor Farm, animal farm was generated because the animals overthrew the human farmer, Mr. & Mrs. Jones, who they believed was treating them poorly. Mr. Jones fed the animals small rations of food and made them work long hours for which he just benefited from. He lived in the farm house and slept in a bed while the animals slept on the dirty barn floor covered with hay. This sparked an idea of a rebellion to Old Major. Although Old Major pasted, the animals carried through with his idea because they wanted to move away from all of this.
George Orwell wrote Animal Farm to represent the USSR, and it does a good job defining many other oppressive governments, “Animal Farm is a fable that offers simple, valuable political lessons. Among them are the following: power corrupts; revolutions tend to come full circle and devour their peoples; and even good, decent people not only hunger for power, but also worship powerful leaders. Animal Farm will continue, therefore, to serve as an aid to grasping twentieth century history, both Russian and Western, and for understanding biographical and political issues related to the nature of socialism, the Russian Revolution, Marxist theory, and the abuse of language” (Rodden 75). However, that is not to say that Animal Farm can’t be interpreted
Imagine a community with no hate, no war, and no famine. A place where everyone is accepted and everything is better than imaginable. This idea of perfection is known as a utopia, an ideal society. A utopia is known as a successful, perfect society. A place where everything goes right for everyone that lives there.
