Sara R. Fletcher
HUM111/1
11/28/03
Professor: Mr. Marano
ANIMAL FARM by George Orwell
George Orwell's novel Animal Farm does an excellent job of drawing
parallels from the situation leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917.
Animal Farm is a satire that uses its characters to symbolize leaders of
the Russian Revolution. The animals of "Manor Farm", the setting of this
novel, which symbolizes Russia, overthrow their human master after years of
mistreatment. Led by the pigs, the farm animals continue to do their work,
only with more pride, knowing that they are working for themselves, as
opposed to working for their human master, Farmer Jones. Slowly over time
the pigs gain power and take advantage of the other animals. They gain so
much power that they become just as power hungry and corrupt as their human
master. The theme in the novel being that in every society there are
leaders who will, if given the chance, likely abuse their position.
Old Major is a prize white boar who helps point out to the animals that no animal in England is free. He continues to tell the animals that the their
labor is stolen by man, who benefits alone. The animals in return get near
nothing, just enough to keep them away from starvation. Old Major gave
many speeches to the farm animals about hope and the future. He is the
main animal who got the rebellion started even though he died before it
actually began. Old Major's role compares to Lenin and Marx whose ideas
would spark the communist revolution. Lenin became the leader and teacher
of the working class in Russia, and their determination to struggle against
capitalism. Like Old Major, Lenin and Marx wrote essays and gave speeches
to the working class poor. The working class in...