What Is The Connection Between Russian Revolution And Animal Farm

Talking animals and historical figures have something in common in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Orwell’s novel describes farm animals rebelling against the humans and creating their own society. The novel’s intent compared the simple plot and characters to the more complex Russian Revolution and criticized communism. Using literary elements, the novel’s allegory successfully shed light on the dark part of history. Therefore, Orwell uses characterization, conflict and theme to symbolize the figureheads of the Russian Revolution and the revolution itself to Animal Farm. The characterization of major characters throughout Animal Farm symbolizes the major figures in the Russian Revolution. One major comparison is between Napoleon and Joseph
As described before, Napoleon’s iron fist on the farm alludes to Stalin’s iron fist on Russia. Not only did the proletarians of both situations experienced the conflict of rebellion, they suffered from their leaders’ power. As the story progressed, Napoleon and the pigs grew hungry for power, where they soon become human like. “‘It says, ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets,’’ she announced finally,” shows the pigs changing the original commandments to suit them, as well as slowly become like the humans. The rebellion started off as a powerful idea, before it was corrupted by the pigs’ thirst for power. Similarly, “Stalin reversed the Bolshevik agrarian policy by seizing land given earlier to the peasants and organizing collective farms” (Biography, para. 7). Stalin reversed the law, similar to Napoleon reversing the commandments. The theme of wrong leaders corrupting a good cause can be derived from these two actions. Both Napoleon and Stalin were infamously known for their fear and corruption. Therefore, Orwell used characterization, conflict and theme to successfully connect and criticize the events of the Russian Revolution to Animal