How Does George Orwell Use Satire In Animal Farm

Animal Farm Essay

Animal Farm is a novel written by George Orwell. Animal farm is a satirical novel that uses animal stereotypes to make the hierarchy of the farm more realistic. The novel is an allegory of the Russian Revolution; George Orwell makes the story to show what was happening when the Russian Revolution took place. Orwell uses the commandments to show how irony is shown throughout the novel. Parody is used throughout the novel to show how the pigs make the commandments but by the end of the novel the pigs start to disobey and act like the new “Mr Jones”. The novel shows how propaganda is used to show how the pigs, Napoleon, would persuade the other animals. The pigs show the most amount of Hypocrisy during the novel. Power of
words and abuse of power is shared throughout the pigs in the novel. Animal farm is a novel that shows all of these techniques.

George Orwell uses satire and stereotypes throughout the novel to show how the pigs and other animals act.
Animal Farm is full of satire. The use of satire is Orwell’s way of communicating the problems and resolutions in the novel. One of the main messages in the novel is that power cannot be divided equally throughout the animals on the farm and that it will never be equal. Once Napoleon has taken the power and control at the farm, the power starts to make the other animals on the farm think as leader does. On the farm equality does not exit, it is almost impossible for all the animals to be equal. The stereotypes in the novel show how the power is spread throughout the farm and the animals. The pigs are the smart ones, which mean they get the most power and control the farm, whereas the sheep are gullible which makes them less smart and less likely to become the one in power. The chickens are considered dumb and all over the place, but the horses are considered strong but innocent. Orwell uses these different techniques, satire and animal stereotypes, to show the reader how the pigs got the control on the
farm.

Animal farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution. The novel is a story in which is real and the specific characters and situations stand for other characters and situations to make a point about the Russian Revolution. The novel is based on the Russian Revolution in 1917. Animalism is actually communism. The manor farm is an allegory of Russia, the farmer Mr jones is an allegory of the Russian Czar, Old Major is an allegory for either Karl Marx or Vladimir Lenin, Snowball is an allegory of Leon Trotsky, Napoleon is an allegory of Stalin whole his dogs are the secret police, and Boxer is an allegory of public and working class. Orwell uses allegories to show the reader how the story relates so much to the Russian Revolution and to describe how the pigs and characters represent people in real life.

George Orwell uses irony and parody to criticize the dictatorship and the communism on the farm.
Irony is shown in the novel by Napoleon, the dictator pig, he creates the commandments but by the end of the novel decides that those rules do not apply to him. For example one of the commandments is “no animal shall drink alcohol” but by the time that Napoleon has got the other animals listening to him he begins to make a barley plantation the make his own alcohol, but the other animals are forbidden to drink alcohol as it is a commandment and they must obey them at all costs. The novel animal farm is a parody of the Russian Revolution. The hierarchy at the farm places the ones who do all the work at the bottom of the pyramid while the man, Mr Jones and then Napoleon, gain all the power just like the public and the Russian dictator in the Russian Revolution; this is an example of Parody in the novel. The communism and dictatorship on the farm is shown through the techniques, Irony and Parody that George Orwell
uses.

Animal Farm shows the use of propaganda and hypocrisy to show what the pigs have to do to get the leadership on the farm. One example of propaganda in the novel is old majors speech at the beginning of the story. Old major detects that the humans are the enemies and starts to join the other animals together to be against the shared enemy. Old Major promises that the other animal’s lives will become better once Mr Jones and the humans have gone. Old Major honestly believes that he is helping that other animals on the farm and is not trying to betray them. Orwell uses the technique propaganda to show how the thought of help and power is considered shared around the farm until Napoleon comes in to power. The animal civilisation in the novel fails because of the hypocrisy of the pig’s leadership. The pigs changed the seven commandments and rules of the society to their own advantage, but the changes that the pigs make weaken the civilisation and do not benefit the other animals on the farm. The leadership and persuasion that the pigs use on the other animals on the farm to get what they want, shows how Orwell used propaganda and hypocrisy in the novel.

Power of words and abuse of power are the major techniques that George Orwell uses in the novel. The use of power of words is affecting the other animals behaviour and beliefs. When Old Major gives his first speech the animals are encouraged by the positive motivation that he gives, saying things like how good their life would be if they started the rebellion. Some sayings that the animals say, “Two legs bad, four legs good”, give them an idea that they have to follow. When the sayings start to change by the end of the novel the animals change their beliefs quickly. The language starts to persuade and make the animals go along with what the pigs have to say. The abuse of power is used in the novel by Napoleon. Napoleon wants the power and will step in front of anyone to get it so he uses it to push around the other animals and make them do what he wants them to do. The main techniques in the novel are power of words and abuse of power.

In conclusion, George Orwell uses different techniques in the novel Animal Farm. He uses satirical features, and character stereotypes, an allegory, irony, parody, propaganda, and hypocrisy, power of words and abuse of power. The novel is a representation of the Russian Revolution.