Animal Farm is a satiric fable in the form of a short novel written by the English author George Orwell. It was published in 1945 after Orwell’s experiences in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and World War II (1939-1945). The novel is an allegory on the Russian Communist revolution of 1917 and its aftermath. More broadly, Orwell focuses on the evils of all totalitarian governments. A totalitarian government is one in which the state has substantial control over virtually every part of people’s lives.
Animal Farm tells about a group of barnyard animals living on Manor Farm. The animals rebel against their brutal and corrupt human masters and drive them away. They are advised by a wise old pig named Major and led by two crafty pigs, Napoleon and Snowball. At first the animals establish their own society in which everyone is supposed to be equal, though the pigs, claiming superior intelligence, remain their leaders. Under the ruthless leader Napoleon, the pigs continue to assert their authority in more and more brutal ways. They turn into even worse tyrants than the human beings they expelled from the barnyard.
The new barnyard tyranny distorts the most basic principles of freedom, tolerance, law, and even the nature of political expression. For example, the pigs advance the famous slogan: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”
In the fable, Napoleon represents the Russian Communist dictator Joseph Stalin. The pig Snowball represents the early Russian Communist leader Leon Trotsky. Shortly after the animal revolution, Napoleon drives Snowball out of the barnyard. Similarly, Stalin drove Trotsky from Russia.
The most sympathetic character in the fable is Boxer. Boxer is a horse whose strength and noble decency represent the best of the ordinary population. But Boxer is eventually sent to be slaughtered, a victim of the new order. Throughout the story, a donkey named Benjamin provides sarcastic commentary on the actions of the animals.
See also Orwell, George; Stalin, Joseph; Trotsky, Leon; Totalitarianism.
