Animal Farm Essay, Research Paper

Introduction

?Animal Farm? is a symbolical political satire in which animals take the

place of humans. These animals can talk and are just as intelligent as humans. They

learn to read and each type of animal a different aspect of humanity.

(Ex.: Pigs- Politicians; Horses- Laborers; Sheep- Gullible People; etc. )

This book shows how a government that is set up to serve the people turns against

them, just like communism did to the Russian people. Animalism symbolizes

communism and the characters symbolize Russian leaders and people of

importance. This is a tale with no happy ending.

Characters

The Pigs

They symbolize politicians in a stereotypical sense. Some of them lie, cheat,

and steal from the animals they are supposed to serve. They make promises

that are never kept. Propaganda is spread to the animals they are supposed to

represent.

Old Major

He is a pig who is very old. He has seen the lifestyle the animals live and is

dissatisfied with it. He creates a government ideology called animalism which

represents communism. He is the Karl Marx of this world.

Napoleon

He is a large, fierce looking Berkshire boar, who is not much of a talker. He

uses animalism only to increase his power and the dogs to terrorize the other

animals. Napoleon symbolizes the dictator Joseph Stalin in this world.

Snowball

He is a pig that fights with Napoleon over the power on the farm. He is a very

energetic, eloquent speaking, brilliant leader who organizes the defense of the

farm. Napoleons jealousness of him makes him try to kill Snowball. Snowball

flees the area and every misfortune in Animal Farm after that is blamed on

him. He represents Leon Trotsky in this story.

Squealor

He is a short, fat, twinkle eyed pig who is a brilliant talker. He justifies the

horrible actions of Napoleon and most of the animals buy into it. He has a sly,

persuasive air to him. This is why he is head of Napoleon?s propaganda plan.

Boxer

He is a large, very powerful horse who is not too bright. He buys into

animalism and works the hardest on the farm. He saves the farm on multiple

occasions and declared a national hero. After he gets too sick to work

Napoleon secretly sells him to a glue factory. Boxer symbolizes the hard

working Russian class that Stalin abused for his own benefit.

Mollie

She is a mare who abandons Animal Farm for sugar and ribbons at the human

inn. She represents the nobles of Russia that abandoned the people after the

Russian Revolution.

The Dogs

These animals are the military force and secret police of this totalitarian

government. They were trained at birth to be completely loyal to Napoleon.

They are Animalism only true physical force and without them the pigs would

be powerless.

The Sheep

These animals are totally gullible. They will believe whatever they are told

and repeat it. Their role in this communist society is self explanatory.

Farmer Jones

He is a human who is drunk and neglects the farm. He is later thrown out of

the farm at the Animal Revolution. Humans in this story represent cruelty and

evil.

Setting

This story takes place in England in the countryside on a farm. The name says

basically where it is; On a Animal Farm.

Plot

After decades of the animals being suppressed they have a meeting in the

barn. Mr. Jones, the drunken human owner of the farm, is sleeping soundly in his

bed. The oldest animal there, Old Major who is a pig, talks of their submissive

existence in which man uses their labor for his benefit while abusing them. He next

talks about Animalism, a government in which Animals rule themselves without

humans for the benefit of animals. The old pig dies shortly after. The animals begin

a revolution in which Mr. Jones is forcibly banished from the farm. The pigs learn to

read and write very quickly. They write commandments for all animals to follow

and for the good of all animals. The commandments are:

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.

3. No animal shall wear clothes.

4. No animal shall sleep in a bed.

5. No animal shall drink alcohol.

6. No animal shall kill any other animal.

7. All animals are equal.

The pigs organize the animals to run the farm. The animals do very well in

running the farm. Snowball organizes the animals and creates a defensive

force in case Mr. Jones returns. Napoleon finds two litters of puppies and

takes them away to be trained for his own purposes. He trains them to be

loyal without question and for his own secret police. Mr. Jones tries to retake

the farm, but Snowball?s clever defense fights off Mr. Jones. The growing

conflict between Snowball and Napoleon builds up when Snowball proposes

that a windmill be built. Napoleon gets agitated with Snowball and sics the

dogs on him. Snowball just barely escapes and goes into hiding. Napoleon

orders that all debates be done only between the pigs. He uses the dogs to

enforce his orders through terrorization. Apples go missing along with the

milk. Animals are now working with little food.

Squealor then explains that the pigs need the apples and milk for their

brainwork. Squealor begins other propaganda and most of the animals buy

into it. Napoleon decides that a windmill should be built after all. After half

completing it a tornado blows it down. Napoleon blames it on Snowball. The

pigs become more like people and start to slowly change the commandments

to justify their actions. The pigs create a final commandment:

All animals are equal, but some are more equal than

others.

As one animal looks into Mr. Jones house he sees Napoleon playing poker

with a human. The two are calling each other cheaters. The animal looks back

and forth and each of them and can not tell which is which because Napoleon

has become just like one of them….. a human.

Theme

The theme of this book is ?rebellion.? Just because you rebel against a force

you believe that is oppressing you does not mean that if you succeed you will

be better off. There are many bumps along the road and you could become

what you initially rebelled against.

My Thoughts

I enjoyed this book tremendously because it showed the problems with

communism very clearly. The government may have been set up to serve the

animals, but when a corrupt leader came along he pressed the animals into

basically slavery for his own power and glory. The government then served

the ruling class not the rest. This book shows the true nature of a totalitarian

government.