Preview

Animal Farm: Animalism vs. Marxism Essay Example

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1645 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Animal Farm: Animalism vs. Marxism Essay Example
Animal Farm: Animalism Vs. Marxism

Characters, items, and events found in George Orwells book, Animal Farm, can be compared to similar characters, items, and events found in Marxism and the 1917 Russian Revolution. This comparison will be shown by using the symbolism that is in the book with similarities found in the Russian Revolution.

Old Major was a prized-boar that belonged to Farmer Jones. The fact that Old Major is himself a boar was to signify that radical change and revolution are, themselves, boring in the eyes of the proletariat (represented by the other barnyard animals), who are more prone to worrying about work and survival in their everyday life. Old Major gave many speeches to the farm animals about hope and the future. He is the main animal who got the rebellion started even though he died before it actually began. Old Major's role compares to Lenin and Marx whose ideas were to lead to the communist revolution.
Animal Farm is a criticism of Karl Marx, as well as a novel perpetuating his convictions of democratic Socialism. (Zwerdling, 20). Lenin became leader and teacher of the working class in Russia, and their determination to struggle against capitalism. Like Old Major, Lenin and Marx wrote essays and gave speeches to the working class poor. The working class in Russia, as compared with the barnyard animals in Animal Farm, were a laboring class of people that received low wages for their work. Like the animals in the farm yard, the people is Russia thought there would be no oppression in a new society because the working class people (or animals) would own all the riches and hold all the power. (Golubeva and Gellerstein 168). Another character represented in the book is Farmer Jones. He represents the symbol of the Czar Nicholas in Russia who treated his people like Farmer Jones treated his animals. The animal rebellion on the farm was started because Farmer Jones was a drunk who never took care of the animals and who came home

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm an allegory to the Russian Revolution it has many connections to the history of Russia and the Revolution created by Karl Marx and his philosophy. Many of these connections in the book deal with Old Major, animalism, Napoleon, The KBG (Secret Police) and the overall endings to both stories. Though both events started out on god intentions both failed miserably and took the lives of many innocent people/ animals.…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    animal farm chaper 2

    • 1487 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Old Major dies three nights after the meeting that united the animals. Over the next three months, the more intelligent animals begin to approach life differently. They now anticipate the Rebellion, for which they assume the task of preparing. The pigs take on the task of organizing and teaching the other animals because they are “generally recognized as being the cleverest of the animals” (35).…

    • 1487 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The novella by George Orwell, Animal Farm, is an allegory, or a piece of literature with a hidden meaning, of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Animal Farm follows the events of the farm animals and their uprising against the farmer. Despite the obvious differences between, Animal Farm, and the Russian Revolution, they are very much similar. Characters from the novella can be compared to historical figures from the revolution. While the novella is not limited to these characters, these are the most significant. These characters are: Jones and Czar Nicholas II, Old Major and Karl Marx, Snowball and Leon Trotsky, as well as Napoleon and Joseph Stalin. In addition, certain events of the Russian Revolution can be compared to those of Animal Farm.…

    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    He wanted to tell them about his dreams of a happier time for animals, a time when the animals can live together and have a much better life without Man.…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The basic reason for the corruption of the society of Animal Farm was because the pigs were smarter than the other animals, hence, there was a natural inequality that gave the pigs a chance to exploit the other animals. However, those few animals that were smart enough to understand what was going on were unable to stop the pigs because they were afraid of being punished for raising doubts about Napoleon’s supposedly great leadership.…

    • 555 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story Animal Farm is not just one of farm animals working for human beings. Rather, the tale gives us insight of the Russian Revolution and what occurred during and after the event, the animals functioning as certain historical figures and groups. George Orwell, in Animal Farm condemns and criticizes the actions and injustices that occurred during the reign of Joseph Stalin with the evil character Napoleon. As the farm animals are encountered with no freedom, no equality, and are being slaughtered by their own kind, Orwell illustrates the misinterpretation of a Utopian society and the wrong turn rebellion can take with the wrong leader in charge.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Old Major, a prize-winning boar, gathers the animals of the Manor Farm for a meeting in the big barn. He tells them of a dream he has had in which all animals live together with no human beings to oppress or control them. He tells the animals that they must work toward such a paradise and teaches them a song called “Beasts of England,” in which his dream vision is lyrically described. The animals greet Major’s vision with great enthusiasm. When he dies only three nights after the meeting, three younger pigs, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer formulate his main principles into a philosophy called Animalism. Late one night, the animals manage to defeat the farmer Mr. Jones in a battle, running him off the land. They rename the property Animal Farm and dedicate themselves to achieving Major’s dream. The cart-horse Boxer devotes himself to the cause with particular zeal, committing his great strength to the prosperity of the farm and adopting as a personal maxim the affirmation “I will work harder.”…

    • 1025 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The idea of Animalism (the name would come later from a different source) was brought forth by one of the oldest and most respected members of the farm, Old Major. He relays his through a magnificent speech to the whole farm. Throughout his speech he speaks of a farm no longer controlled by humans and a world in which all animals are equal:…

    • 983 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm Theme Essay

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Animal farm is an allegory on the Russian revolution written by george Orwell, Orwell ties in many important themes within this text. The story is based around the Russian revolution it's shown through a group of animals on a farm, the animals revolt against their "master" and attempt to run the farm themselves the farm slowly turns to corruption and inequality. Within the story animal farm there are A Lot of significant themes a few of these are equality, hypocrisy and violence. Thought out the novel George Orwell is depicting these themes as human nature, we are hypocrites we are violent creatures and we can never truly be equal, but he is also saying as humans we should strive for equality a nonviolent society and perform less hypocritical…

    • 902 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    It is easier to quantify a historical figure’s achievements not by showing what he changed, but rather by showing what the world would be like if he had not been there. If Vladimir Lenin had not been born, there would be no Cold War, no Soviet Union and Russia might still be ruled by a Tsar. However, Lenin was not simply a catalyst in the many changes Russia faced; he was a most volatile reactant in the chemistry of Russian and world politics. Breaking the barrier between attaining both economic success and political achievement, Vladimir Lenin almost singlehandedly ended the Tsardom and brought the socialist “Bolshevik” party to power in Russia. Lenin’s unique experiences in his youth led him to his status as a revolutionary and ultimately changed Russia and the world. Lenin’s early life helped to shape his destiny as a revolutionary leader.…

    • 1160 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Satire Animal Farm

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a satire, which criticizes the Russian leaders, government, communism, and world powers. It shows how an uneducable lower class can lead to social corruption in the fictional world and real world. Orwell shows Stalin and Trotsky as the leaders of Russia, in a way, in which the nation of Russia and the world had never seen before; he portrays the world leaders as animals on a farm that wish for a rebellion. Mr. Jones treats the animals on the farm atrociously and consequently they long for freedom from the humans. However, the animals later realize that their freedom was not everything they wish for. The book includes many ideas from the Russian rebellion, the injustice of communism, and the struggles of the lower class in Russia. Animal Farm demonstrates that when many leaders come together and others blindly follow, social corruption and inequality may occur.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm Satire

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Animal Farm is a story about a group of farm animals who rebel against Mr. Jones, their careless farm owner,…

    • 617 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm Essay

    • 615 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Snowball represents a morally legitimate political alternative to the corrupt leadership of Napoleon. Do you agree? Discuss with close reference to the text.…

    • 615 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    George Orwell's Animal Farm perfectly portrays dictatorship at its worst. The animals of Manor Farm dream of creating a perfect utopian world for themselves where they can live freely without human rule and antagonism. Sadly though, soon after the animals conquer and drive out their master, there comes along yet another suppressing figure. Napoleon the pig begins to manipulate the other animals like putty in his hoofs in order to gain ultimate power and control over them. He and the other pigs take advantage of the animals with ease by using their superior intelligence against them. They feed the animals more lies than they do rations of food, they make them work to nearly death, and convince them that the lives they now lead are far greater than the lives they had under human control.…

    • 673 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm Essay

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages

    'Animal Farm', written by George Orwell depicts the events of the Russian Revolution through the theme of power and corruption, The hierarchical structure of Animal Farm helps the pigs power by having the system favour and revolve around the pigs. The hierarchical system of Animal Farm places the pigs at the top and puts all of the other animals at the bottom, the pigs are placed at the top due to their intelligence and ability to manipulate the other animals. This then keeps all of the other animals at the bottom as they cannot emulate the pigs traits.…

    • 500 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays