I used to have that quote about rough men visiting violence on my web page. Might sticj it back up.
For those interested in AF please read this short essay by a youngster. It gives some of the socio-political context and the similarities to the "whiter than white ... Trust me ... I'm basically a good guy" sofa committariate of New Labour are plain to see. PS Kids still read AF for O and A level.
In Animal Farm, George Orwell gives a very expressive and accurate description of what happened in Russia after Czar Nicholas II was forced to surrender. The story being an allegory Orwell uses animals to represent people and events that happened in Russian from 1917-1939. Mr. Jones represents Czar Nicholas II, they both lost control over what they administered, Mr. Jones controlled Manor Farm, and Czar controlled Russia. Animal Farm as well as Russia needed new leaders; in Animal Farm the pigs were the ones to stand up; in Russia, Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky stood up. Orwell chose to represent three famous Russian leaders with three pigs--snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer--in order to show us that power can corrupt us, the story being an allegory he chose the pigs, the smartest animal on Animal Farm.
Since Old Major was dead and Jones was gone, the Animals, ironically, needed a leader to be in charge of the new Animal Farm, where they were all free and equal.
Pigs were considered the most intelligent; Snowball and Napoleon were the most distinguished among them. The pigs become corrupted by power, Napoleon wants the farm to be governed by pigs, and that they should be the only ones to have a say. On the other hand, Snowball thinks that everyone should have an opinion, and that they shall have meetings to discuss new plans with all the animals. Snowball and Napoleon constantly argued; Napoleon was already hungry for power and soon after the Rebellion, had plans of getting rid of his opponent (Snowball).
Trotsky and Stalin fought for power, but Stalin eventually eliminated Trotsky, having him expelled from Russia. In the same manner, Napoleon directed the dogs he had raised to attack Snowball. Thus, he had eliminated his only rival and was free to control the farm, and he has Snowball expelled for the farm. Upon the expulsion of Snowball, Napoleon’s first decision was to cancel the Sunday Morning Meetings. “They were unnecessary”, he said, and “wasted time”. In the future all questions related to the work of the farm would be settle by a special committee of the pigs. This is also very much alike the Command Economy that Stalin had made, in which the government made all economic decisions.
As Stalin gained more power, it was essential for him to eliminate any who might challenge him, and also to keep a bodyguard around him to prevent any harm from coming to him. He assigned a secret police to assassinate people who were against him and to keep him safe. Napoleon needed his personal army also, and this was the dogs’ actual purpose. Squealer the pig was very persuasive and “.... could turn black into white.” He communicated to all the other animals what Napoleon had said, and always convinced them that it was right. Lenin, much like Squealer made sure that everyone agreed with Stalin’s decisions, and persuaded them to think that it was always the right move.
Animal Farm characters have strong connections to people and things that actually existed during the Russian revolution. Orwell did a great job contrasting three famous Russian leaders, with three common farm pigs.
© Christian Ballesteros.
