The Downfall of Communism
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The Downfall of Communism
George Orwells Animal Farm is a very powerful book. There are many references to the Russian Revolution and Communism within it. Although most of these references are masked they still have a very powerful message. The message reveals what happens when power comes into the hands of those not worthy or ready for it. The Communist Party had a dream where everyone was equal. This dream did not last very long. The main theme behind Animal Farm is that Communism was doomed to fail from the beginning.
George Orwell felt that people were blind to the corrupted and evil side of Communism. He felt the need to warn everyone of the deception and failure of the Communistic revolution. He also believed that making people aware of what was going on in the inner circle would help society. So Orwell decided to express all of these things in Animal Farm, and by throwing many parallelisms in the book. Orwell wrote about how Communism promised equality to all by showing all of the Animals working and eating together as a unit. Things did not remain this way for long. Just as the people involved with Communism found out that they were not really free and equal, the animals in Animal Farm found out that freedom and equality came only when the leaders of the revolution were obeyed. Resources, food, and labor were not shared as the leaders now were becoming overcome by their newly acquired power.
The book begins with all of the animals attending a meeting held by the eldest pig, Old Major. Old Major tells all of the animals of a dream he had. A dream in which all animals were treated equal and one in which there are no humans to enslave them. This mirrors Karl Marxs idea of an equal world and “is very similar to the Communist Manifesto” (Meyers 105). Old major then informs his comrades that he is going to pass on soon. The animals are both happy and sad as they begin to think about the news that they have just heard. Old Major, shortly after the meeting, dies leaving the animals hope of a new and better life.
There are three little pigs that come into the picture. They are going to lead the animals to freedom. The two most important of the three pigs are Snowball and Napoleon. Snowball takes on the roll of Leon Trotsky in Animal Farm. “The name snowball recalls Trotskys white hair and beard, and the fact that he melted before Stalins opposition” (Meyers 109). Orwell made Snowball a great speaker, very intelligent, the leader of the animal army during the battle of the cowshed, and the organizer of everything. Snowball is later accused of siding with the humans and is run off of the farm by the other animals.
Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin in Animal Farm. Napoleon has most of the same characteristics of Stalin “Napoleon is Fierce-looking, not much of a talker, but with a reputation for getting his own way” (Meyers 108). Napoleon controls the education of the younger animals, and comes up with most of the plots for the animals. He does not present most of his own plans but instead he steals most of his ideas from Snowball. Napoleon is the main reason for Snowballs exile. Two of the battles that occurred between Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin are added into Animal Farm “Trotskys fight for the priority of manufacturing over agriculture and for accelerated industrialization” (Meyers 109-110).
The anthem for Animal farm, which was formerly known as manor farm, was called “Beasts of England”. This anthem closely relates to the anthem of the Communist party called “LInternationale”. Other allegories throughout the story include “Mr. Jones-Tsar Nicholas II, Boxer-The Proletariat, The Pigs-The Bolsheviks, Moses-The Russian Orthodox Church, Pilkington-Britain, Frederick-Germany, The Rebellion-The Russian Revolution, The Battle of the Cowshed-The allied invasion 1918-1919, and The battle of the Windmill-The German invasion of 1941” (Meyers 107).
The farm runs smoothly with the pigs leading it and everyone seems to be happier now that they are free. Then some of the animals begin to realize that some of the original commandments that kept them from enslavement were being changed, along with the leaders themselves. They noticed how Napoleon and the other pigs begin to act as humans. Napoleon and the other pigs begin to live in the house, drink alcohol, and dress and walk like the humans. Some of the lower ranking animals began to speak of abandoning the farm. Then one day Boxer, the strongest of the animals, realized that he had no strength left in him. Napoleon, realizing this also, tells the other farm animals that boxer