Matthew Cortines
Hollister
H.English 10
November 17, 2016
Animal Farm Compared to the Russian Revolution
George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm” is similar to the events of the Russian Revolution. It began with an overthrowing, and progressed over the years to something even bigger, turning both Russia and Animal Farm into something that the parties of the revolts, would never have seen coming.
The beginning of Animal Farm starts with the uprising of the animal against Jones, the farmer. This uprising soon sends Jones of the farm, much like when the Bolsheviks overthrew Nicolas the Second. Two people arose from each situation, both struggling with the other to get the power that they desperately wanted. In Animal Farm, Snowball and Napoleon are the two individuals who fight for power, and in the Revolution, there counterparts, are the leaders Stalin, and Trotsky. Napoleon (Stalin) continues to debate ideas with Snowball (Trotsky), until it results in Snowball, being run of the farm, much like Trotsky, who was removed as war commissar, and deported from Russia. After this they animals build the windmill, and continue to work, much like the start of Industrialization.
Soon after the start of industrialization, the factory workers, not wanting to work for Stalin, began to starve, due to their harsh working conditions, and the fact that they were given little to eat. This is the same in Animal Farm, were the hens, starved because they didn’t want to sell their eggs. After a while of Animal Farm producing its own food, power, and achieving things such as government, the other Farms begin to recognize and taln notice to Animal Farm. This is like when the USSR, began to rise to higher power, and other countrie such as the Usa, and Germany started to recognize this.
There are other things that are similar such as the relationship between the dogs, and Stalin’s secret police, who both worked for the benefit of the two leaders Napoleon and Stalin. Both were used as a way to inject fear into the society, and bend it to the decisions that the leaders wanted. Making the animals free, but still being controlled.
As time goes by, the animals begin to realize the problems with their society, this leads to trials, both in Stalin’s society, and Napoleons. Stalin instigated a series of trial, known as the Moscow Trials. The Moscow trials, were a series of killings, to show that Stalin was not a forced to be messed with. There was a total of four trials that took place between nineteen thirty six, and nineteen thirty eight. Though the time span does not match in Animal farm, the number of trials is the same. There came the death of four pigs, than three hens, then the goat, and the sheep last. These trials, again like the police submit fear into the society, show all that Napoleon was serious. These killing were justified by the change to the commandments, now saying “NO ANIMAL SHALL KILL ANOTHER ANIMAL WITHOUT REASON.”
Animal Farm then makes ties with other farm, like Russia did with germany, and the the two made treaties, Russia with germany, and Animal Farm with Pilkington.
Conclusion
In Conclusion you can tell that Orwell got his inspiration from the russian revolution, as many of the event translate over. There are some here and there that don't match, but many do for the most part. Orwell did a great job of setting you in the story, and connecting you with the characters, making you feel as though you were apart of the story. IT perfectly shows how power can corrupt people of all kinds, no matter who you are. Power will pull you in and control you. This was the problem in Animal Farm as well as the Russian Revolution, and has continued to be a problem in many other cases today. Animal farm translates this idea over, and really connects this with real life. Orwell did a wonderful job, and I really enjoyed this book.
Citation
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace, and World, 1954. Print.