Animal Farm

[Mike]

The book Animal Farm by George Orwell symbolizes communist/fascist government. Orwell demonstrates the problem of the government by showing the problem it makes within the characters. This book symbolizes the Russian Revolution. One problem with this government is that the absolute power can make anyone corrupt. Each character represents a person who played a significant part in the Russian Revolution. In the following term paper I will explain how these characters played a significant role, and I will explain more how this book symbolizes a communist/fascist government and the problems that this type of government creates.<br> The characters play a significant role in this book. In this book Mr. Jones is Czar Nicholas II, the leader before Stalin (Napoleon). Old Major is Karl Marx due to the fact that Karl Marx spoke his mind and he stirred up rebellions. Napoleon is Stalin, who becomes corrupt with power, and also becomes paranoid and plots many murders just like Stalin; also Napoleon gets so paranoid he hires a pig called Pinkeye to taste-test his food so that no one secretly put any poison into it. Snowball represents Trotsky; the arch-rival of Stalin, Snowball and Trotsky were both exiled. One reason that they were both exiled is that Napoleon (Stalin) feared his followers assassinating him. Moses the Raven represents the views of the church and “Sugarcandy Mountain” is heaven. Boxer symbolizes the Boxer Rebellion, which occurred in China. Squealer represents the Pravda, the Russian newspaper, in which Propaganda was a key to many publications. (http://www.novelguide.com/animalfarm/) <br>In this paragraph I will explain the significance of these other characters. Mollie characterizes the typical middle-class skilled worker who suffers from this new communism concept. No longer will she get her sugar (nice salary) because she is now just as low as the other animals, like Boxer and Clover. Benjamin symbolizes the old generation before the revolution. The dogs that were trained to protect the pigs are the equivalence of the KGB. Muriel represents the minority of working class peoples who are educated enough to decide things for themselves and find critical and hypocritical problems with their leaders. The pigeons symbolize Soviet propaganda, not to Russia, but to other countries, like Germany, England, France, and even the United States. The hens represent the kulaks that were forced to give up their farms (eggs). Mr. Fredrick is Hitler as in all of the secret agreements happen. Mr. Pilkington represents the capitalist governments of England and the United States. (http://www.novelguide.com/animalfarm/)<br> There are many problems with a communist/fascist government. The problems with a communist/fascist government are: trusting one person with absolute power, getting drunk with power, command economy and possible revolts/rebellions. In Animal Farm the pigs (the communists) break their own amendments (that everyone else follows) because they are above the law. When the pigs try alcohol and try sleeping in beds and living in the house they realize that they like these things so they no longer outlaw them. The farm stands for the Kremlin, in the early days of the USSR there were sightseeing tours through the Kremlin. Later it became the residence of Stalin. The Battle of Cowshed is clearly a metaphor for the overthrow of the old Russian government based on czars (Mr. Jones). (http://www.k-1.com/Orwell/)<br>Since most of the other animals can’t read and/or write they don’t realize that words were added, they just think they couldn’t remember them from before. They never think that Napoleon is corrupting the whole entire farm just to adapt the amendments to make it more suitable for just the pigs. When there is any type of a rebellion there must be some consequence for having such an act, and Napoleon executed the hens that would not surrender their eggs for market. Also the windmill represented the Russian industry, which has been built by the working class, and the destruction of the windmill symbolizes the failure of the First Five-Year Plan. As Napoleon made the animals reconstruct the windmill, it was destroyed again symbolizing the Second Five-Year Plan. <br>All of these characters have strong connections to people and things that actually existed during the Russian revolution. Orwell does a tremendous job for symbolizing these real people as characters in this book. <br>