Animal Farm as a Political Commentary Essay

Animal Farm- Essay

George Orwell, the British novelist, wrote many novels in his lifetime, Best known for his [political] novels Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-four. George Orwell served in the Indian Imperial Police. It took him many years of trying to establish himself as a writer before he finally had written his first masterpiece, Animal Farm. Orwells, Animal Farm mocks the beliefs of socialism, using the animals in the story as allegories to real life political leaders.

George Orwell was born in Bengal, India. At the age of four he an his family returned to England, staying in Henley. When Orwell grew up he joined the Indian Imperial Police, serving from 1922-1927, [from serving] He had come to understand the imperialism which he was serving and had rejected it (ONeill). Orwell decided to resign and chase his dream of becoming a writer.

Orwell returned to England in hopes of establishing himself as a writer. George decided to, become acquainted with the poor people of England this is when he decided to change his name from Eric Arthur Blair to George Orwell because he did not want anyone to notice who he was. Orwell trying to establish himself as a writer was earning a living by teaching and writing occasional articles. He published his first novel Down and Out in London and Paris, [which] recorded his experiences in the East End an in Paris (O'Neill). George Orwell continued to write many novels. In 1937 he wrote, The Road to Wigan Pier, which was the birth of him as a political writer.

Orwell joined the Spanish Civil War in hopes of, [gathering] material for articles and perhaps to take part in the war. He joined the POUM militia in the beginning of the war and then transferred to the British Independent Labour party where he was given the position of Lieutenant. During his stay in Spain he had become a, revolutionary Socialist (ONeill). During the second world war Orwell, rediscovered his latent patriotism(Rossi), he argued that patriotism binds the different social classes together. After the second world war Orwell had a changing of views in Socialism and began to realize the dangers in it, this is when he started writing his Animal Farm in 1943. Orwell wrote one more book, Nineteen Eighty-four before he dies on Jan. 21, 1950.

Animal Farm, the entire book, is allegorical. Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin because they both oppress their people as evil dictators. Leon Trotsky is represented as Snowball. Boxer portrays the working class because he is being taken advantage of the ruling class but doesn't realize it. Animal Farm written by, George Orwell criticizes the Soviet Union by using animals to represent actual people.

Joseph Stalin was the dictator of the Soviet Union, much like Napoleon was the dictator of Animal Farm. Napoleon gets the animals to believe that since they are no longer working for Mr. Jones they are working for themselves and the greater good of Animal Farm, Every mouthful of food was an acute positive pleasure, now that it was truly their own food, produced by themselves and for themselves, not doled out to them by a grudging master."(Orwell) Napoleon gets the animals to work even harder then they did before, since the animals are totally brainwashed by Napoleon they believe he is always right and always listen to his demands. Napoleon oppresses his animals much like Joseph Stalin oppressed his people.

Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. In real life Leon Trotsky opposes Joseph Stalin, and in, Animal Farm Snowball opposes Napoleon. Snowball tries to show make the animals better by teaching them how to read etc. he breaks down all of the maxims of the farm into one basic principle, four legs good, two legs bad(Orwell).In real life the person who lead the war charge in the Bolshevik Revolution was Leon Trotsky, and in the book Snowball leads the way in the Battle of Cowshed. Both, Stalin and Napoleon, realize that Trotsky and Snowball could get in the way of them becoming rulers. Snowball has an idea of a windmill which Napoleon opposes. Napoleon uses trained puppies to chase Snowball out of the farm, making Napoleon the only ruler of the farm. Trotsky gets sent to Mexico and is assassinated for opposing Stalin.

Boxer, the hard working horse of the farm, portrays the working class. In Animal Farm Boxer works up to the end of his life working as hard as he can on the belief that what he is working for is good. Boxer does not realize that what he is working for is not a good cause and is getting tricked by the evil dictator Napoleon. Boxer believes everything that Napoleon says to him and works until the end of his life getting sold to a horse slaughterer,unknowingly, at the end of his life when he could not work any more. Boxer represents the working class who are very devoted to the cause that they forget everything else. Boxer only thinks about, I will work harder(Orwell) and, Napoleon is always right(Orwell). Boxer represents the common working man because does not have selfish thoughts and only thinks for what would benefit his country, not himself.

George Orwell clearly depicts the idea that a totalitarian government deceives its people and controls all aspects of life for its people through terror. He mocks the idea of socialism in the story through the use of allegorical events and animals. Orwell shows that communism can be seen very appealing and as a good idea to some but when run by greedy, oppressive, and tyrannical people it ultimately becomes a failure.