Similarities Between Russian Revolution And Stalin Animal Farm

In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, it becomes evident that the animals of the namesake Animal Farm are allegorical comparisons to the Russian Revolution. While he drew inspiration from the Russian Revolution, in his comparisons of Stalin and the Moscow Purge Trials, he deviated slightly from the historical facts in order for the character and event to fit into the plotline. In his allegorical comparison of Napoleon as Stalin, Orwell stayed fairly true to the character of Stalin. The Russian dictator ruled with fear and power, and the only way that Orwell adjusted this to the plot is that the animals had a mutual respect for Napoleon under the guise that he was benefiting their society. As the animals reflected upon Napoleon’s rule, they thought, “Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer--except, of course, for the pigs and dogs” (Orwell,

The only difference is that the animals seemed unaware of the harsh reality of their lives because they had nothing to compare it to; they always managed to convince themselves that life must be better since they ruled themselves and weren’t slaves to the humans. However, this was false, as they later gazed upon Napoleon and his pigs conferring with the humans and realized, “No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which” (Orwell, 141), which was indicative of the oppression that Stalin brought with him. In history, Stalin came after the Tsar, a leader who everyone grew to hate and wish for someone better, promising