Discuss this statement, detailing the ways in which Orwell uses language to create political satire.
‘Animal Farm’, written by George Orwell is an allegorical fable in which animals are personified to epitomise the conflicts and struggles of the Russian Revolution in 1917. Written as ‘A Fairy Tale’ on the book, the moral Orwell is attempting to illustrate is universalised, with the inclusion of farm animals, to appeal to a larger audience. Through the fictional form of a satirical novel, Orwell has created a brilliant masterpiece, embodying the exploitation and corruption of the Russian Socialist State. Throughout the novel, the author uses various stylistic techniques to persuade the reader, subconsciously, that language is a powerful tool that can be used to manipulate and control people.
Orwell’s chosen approach and perspective, his use of irony and symbolism, his use of characterisation, and use of satirical allusions in combination, achieve the intention of his book, his theme. The author attempts to express to the audience that “Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely” as said by John Emerich Acton. This is presented in the events that occur throughout the novella and, particularly, in the behaviours of the pigs.
‘Animal Farm’ is not told from any specific point of view but, the common animals as a whole, enabling Orwell to illustrate the human attributes that allow for oppression to rise, that of which include gullibility, loyalty, and perseverance. This allows the audience to place themselves in the ‘shoes’ of the guiltless animals and empathise with their plight.
Throughout the novella Orwell has created striking parallels between the historic Revolution and the farm animals themselves. The pigs were the highest in the hierarchy of the farm with Napoleon representing Joseph