Russian Leaders Are Reflection of The Animals.

Animal Farm is a symbolic novel because it shows many events that happened during the

Russian Revolution through symbolism. This is proven by discussing how the beginning of

the Animal Rebellion mirrors the starting of the Russian Revolution, the pigs' use of

propaganda based on the use of manipulation by Stalin to influence the Russian people, and

Mollie the cart horse and the pigs represent the bourgeoisie before and after the

Revolution. The events that led up to the Animal Rebellion in Animal Farm are based on

how the idea for the Russian Revolution first came to light.

In Animal Farm, the first evidence of the Animal Rebellion begins with a meeting of the

animals surrounding a dream that the wise pig Old Major had.

“Comrades, you have heard already about the strange dream that I had last night. But I will

come to the dream later”- Old Major (Animal Farm- Page:7)

His dream centers on a time when animals will be able to do one day overthrow the human

race and live under their own rule, without the suffering and hard work, they had to

tolerate for the longest time. He eventually explains that the spirit of the forthcoming

rebellion is to abolish anything and everything human made and related articles from their

day-to-day lives, such as ribbons, chains, and whips. He also teaches the animals a song that

his mother used to sing to him, in which he forgot about, until he heard it in his dream.
German philosopher Karl Marx, while under membership of the international workers'

group, the Communist League, developed an ideal plan that blatantly told of a time when

hard-working citizens across Europe would come together and start a revolution. Marx was

sure that this dream of his would lead to economic equality between everyone as one of

the seven commandments

“All animals are equal.( Animal Farm. Chapter 2)”

, but, alas, working conditions throughout Western Europe and America had gone through a

do-over and were now respectable to the workers' well-being and health. So it seemed like

Marx's plan was of no use, until a Russian Communist party that consisted of Leon Trotsky,

Joseph Stalin, and Nikolai Lenin. Their country was full of overworked and undermined

slaves who had to work for the ungrateful wealthy middle-class, and, after re-working and

re-wording Marx's idea of Communism, they brought the idea of the workers' revolution to

Russia.

Old Major serves as the role of both Marx and Lenin. He speaks of the key essentials of the

later renowned Animalism, and he passes on a song to the other animal that helps to show

his idea of animals overpowering human kind. Therefore, the teachings of how Animalism

will come to be are based on how Communism was formed. The influence over the animals
by the pigs are based on the techniques that the Soviet government used to control and

manipulate what the Russian people knew, saw, or heard.

“Squealer: Do not imagine, comrades, that leadership is a pleasure. On the contrary, it is a

deep and heavy responsibility. No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all

animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for

yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where

should we be? (Animal Farm. Chapter- 5).”

In Animal Farm, Napoleon, through Squealer, uses the animals' naivety to his advantage at

many times, from distorting the image of Snowball to using the animals' susceptible minds

to build up on his own personal gain.

In Russia, after Trotsky was forced out of the country, every trace of him was removed

(picture, newspaper articles, documents) by Stalin, whom didn't want any evidence of

Trotsky left in Russian history. Also, Stalin's newspaper, Pravda, was also used to edit and

control what kind of information the workers received. The pigs on Animal Farm represent

the Soviet government, with Napoleon resembling Stalin, and Squealer as his news agency

Pravda, because both forms of independent use manipulative means to get what they want

out of their civilians, either it is for their own personal gain, or what they wanted and didn't

want the workers to know. Therefore, the pigs' rule and use of propaganda resemble the

way Russia was ruled.

The middle classes in the Animal Farm are seen through earlier on in the book by Mollie,

the pompous white mare, and later on by the pigs. Mollie is Mr. Jones's favourite horse, and

he shows it by spending an excessive amount of time grooming her, and showers her with

luxuries that many of the other animals don't get, such as lumps of sugars and colourful

ribbons that plait her mane. She enjoys living the way she does, with humans ogling her and

spending a lot of time on her looks, and has a very self-loving attitude, no matter what the

situation. After the Animal Rebellion, however, she finds that the new living arrangements

made on the farm isn't to her liking, and she leaves to be pampered by another human after

conducting many secret meetings. The middle classes are later represented again later on in

the book when the pigs use propaganda to make their lives easier and more luxurious for

themselves, which include living in the farmhouse, sleeping in comfortable bed, and

keeping the milk, apples, and barley just for themselves, while the rest of the animals still

have to live life in the barn, on an almost scarce menu.

“you have your lower animals to contend with,” He said, “we have our lower classes!

(Animal Farm. Chapter 10)”

This quip, delivered by Mr. Pilkington to Napoleon and his cabinet during their well-catered

retreat inside the farmhouse in Chapter X, makes fully clear the process of political

corruption that has been taking place throughout the novel. Old Major’s idea of the
absolute division of interests between animals and humans here gives way to a division

between two classes, even cutting across species lines. Pigs and farmers share a need to

keep down their laboring classes. Mr. Pilkington’s witticism lays bare the ugly but common

equation of laborers with animals. Moreover, the quote serves to emphasize directly the

significance of Animal Farm as a social commentary, cementing the conceptual link

between the downtrodden animals and the working classes of the world. Orwell explodes

his “fairy story,” as he termed it, by bringing it into the realm of human consequence,

thereby making its terrors all the more frightening to his readership.

The Russian middle classes were lived a pampered lifestyle while poor, undermined slaves

overworked for beneficial purposes that could only serve the wealthy. They never took light

on how the workers' lives could be made easier and more enjoyable, and instead spent time

wrapped up in them, until the start of the Russian Revolution. Then everything changed for

them. The Czar government was no longer looking out for their best interests, and the new

Communist government was telling of a plan where every citizen would be treated equally,

and there would be no more classes. This plan caused a lot of controversy with the former

bourgeoisie. The next onset of classes came to light when the Soviet government began to

use propaganda to bring luxury into their lives, and equality between citizens began to

reduce, as government was starting to go back to the way it used to be with Czar. Mollie

and the pigs both represent the bourgeoisie at different periods in Russia. Mollie is symbolic

for the wealthy upper classes before the onset of the Russian Revolution, and the pigs as
the government went corrupt after the Revolution. They get better treatment than their

peers, and they live luxuriously. Therefore, both Mollie and the pigs represent the

bourgeoisie.

Animal Farm is a novel based on the events that were brought on by the Russian

Revolution. This is proven by looking at such supporting evidence that includes how the

early development of the Animal Rebellion was based on how the idea for how the Russian

Revolution first began, how the pigs' use of manipulation over the other animals symbolized

the Soviet government's use of propaganda, and how the Stalin was represented by

Napoleon.
Russian Leaders Are Reflection of The Animals.

By Rashik Sifat || For Mr. Mac Donald

Date: June 14th, 2010