Political Themes

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The animals are presented as illustrative of the utopian dream of socialism pitted against the vices of capitalism represented by the humans in the story. Neither political ideology is presented in a favorable light, but whereas the evils of capitalism are taken for granted, it is the futility of the socialist ideal on which the work primarily focuses. Yet the means by which it levels this criticism at Communism—that is, in terms of a relatively simple and two-dimensional beast fable—does little to illuminate either the virtues or the vices of that complex ideology.

Animal Farm perhaps works best not as a specific allegory of the Russian Revolution but rather as a fable about the basic nature of human beings, both in isolation and in groups, which militates against any utopian ideal. What Orwell has seized upon is precisely those qualities of animals that humans share which make such an ideal impossible—qualities such as sloth, stupidity, fear, and greed. The central irony of the fable is that although the animals initially rebel against the humans because of behavior which humans usually call “beastly,” the animals themselves, as the work progresses, become more and more like humans—that is, more and more base and beastly.

What is most demoniacally human about the pigs is their use of language not only to manipulate the immediate behavior of the animals through propaganda, emotive language, and meaningless doubletalk but also to manipulate history, and thus challenge the nature of actuality itself. This manipulation, however, is only one primary means of the pigs’ control; another, equally important, is the threat of brute force as manifested by Napoleon’s pack of vicious trained dogs. In the final image of the allegory, the realization is that humans prove to be no better than animals, and animals prove to be no better than humans.

The great ideal of the windmill, itself a Quixotic gesture of idealism, cannot be achieved because the animals, like humans, are basically limited by their own natures, and because nature itself is blindly indifferent to the aspirations of man. Orwell’s own pessimistic view in the work seems to be echoed by the cynical donkey, Benjamin: “Things never had been, nor ever could be much better or worse—hunger, hardship, disappointment being . . . the unalterable law of life.” The law of man is the law of the jungle after all; the truth of “power corrupts” is the same as the truth of “the fittest shall survive.”

Historical Context

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Since Orwell penned Animal Farm, readers have enjoyed it as a simple tale about animals. While one can read the book without understanding the historical context in which Orwell wrote it, being aware of the global situation during the 1940s adds depth to the novel. This awareness helps readers grasp why the political themes were so significant to Orwell and encourages a re-reading to uncover its subtler political and social references. Even as the original publication date becomes more distant, the historical events preceding it may lose their immediacy, but Orwell's narrative remains relevant. Orwell highlighted the timelessness and universality of his message by not anchoring the story in any specific era and, although the farm is set in England, he did not make this detail crucial.

World War II

Orwell's target in Animal Farm was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R., or the Soviet Union), which was a military ally of Great Britain during World War II when the book was written. The publication of the book was postponed until after the fighting on the European front ended in May 1945. When England declared war on Germany in September 1939, it seemed improbable that by the war's conclusion, England and the U.S.S.R. would be allies. Just a week prior, the world was shocked by the announcement of a Soviet-German non-aggression pact. Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin secretly brokered the deal, while Stalin publicly sought an alliance with Great Britain and France against Germany. The pact outlined the creation of German and Russian spheres of influence in Eastern Europe and the partitioning of Poland between the two nations. The world, which had been watching Germany's expansionist actions for several years, suddenly witnessed the Soviet Union deploying troops into eastern Poland and other neighboring countries. In his book, George Orwell: The Ethical Imagination, Sant Singh Bal quotes Orwell on the situation: "Suddenly the scum of the earth and the bloodstained butcher of the workers (for so they had described one another) were marching arm in arm, their friendship 'cemented in blood,' as Stalin cheerily expressed it." Orwell depicts the Hitler-Stalin pact in his novel through the agreement between Mr. Frederick and Napoleon.

At the onset of the war, Orwell and his wife resided in a 300-year-old cottage in Wallington, a rural village in southeastern England. There, they tended to animals and ran a small store. When it seemed that Germany was preparing to invade England, the couple relocated to London. Frustrated by his inability to join the fight against fascism, Orwell wanted to be in London, hoping he might still be called upon to defend his country. The German Air Force, or Luftwaffe, unsuccessfully attempted to force England into surrender with nightly bombing raids over London that persisted sporadically for nearly two years. The bombings and shortages of nearly every essential made life in London especially challenging. Despite the hardships, Orwell felt a strong obligation to remain. According to Peter Lewis in George Orwell: The Road to 1984, Orwell told a friend, "But you can't leave when people are being bombed to hell." Like many of his fellow citizens, Orwell experienced personal loss in the war; his wife's brother, Laurence, an Army surgeon, perished during the Battle of Dunkirk in 1940.

The war took a significant turn when the Germans unexpectedly invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941. Despite still feeling the sting of Stalin's betrayal just two years earlier, the Allies (France, England, and—following Pearl Harbor—the United States) were compelled to ally with him to defeat Hitler. Orwell was dismayed by photographs of the leaders of England and the United States—Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin Roosevelt, respectively—meeting with Stalin at the Tehran Conference from November 28 to December 1, 1943. It was at this critical juncture that Orwell began writing his book. In the preface to the Ukrainian edition of the novel, Orwell stated: "I thought of exposing the Soviet myth in a story that could be easily understood by almost anyone and which could be easily translated into other languages." He anticipated difficulties in getting it published, as Stalin had gained considerable popularity in England for preventing an invasion. Orwell couldn't forgive the Soviet leader's complicity with Hitler or his brutal purges of the Soviet Communist Party during the 1930s, which led to the deaths or deportations of hundreds of thousands of Russians. These purge trials are depicted in Animal Farm when the animals confess to aiding Snowball in various ways after his exile from the farm.

Although completed in February 1944, Animal Farm wasn't published until 1945, a significant year in global history. The war concluded, but 1945 also saw diverse events such as the first use of a nuclear bomb in wartime and the approval of the United Nations charter, which established an international organization aimed at fostering peaceful economic cooperation.

The cost of the war was immense: financial estimates placed it at one trillion dollars, and approximately 60 million people lost their lives. Almost sixty nations were embroiled in the conflict, dramatically altering daily life for those in the war zone.

The war's end signified the cessation of rationing but also the dismantling of the economic machinery that had produced war materials. Soldiers returning home flooded a suddenly stagnant job market, and the United States witnessed a significant rise in births, known as the "Baby Boom," which would influence American society until the century's end.

The war left only the United States and the Soviet Union as surviving world powers, leading to the onset of the Cold War. This ideological struggle between the Soviet Union and its allies and the United States and its allies continued with varying levels of intensity until the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991.

Social Concerns

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In the mid-1930s, Orwell, like many of his literary peers, became increasingly attuned to the social and political issues of the time. This period marked a pivotal moment for Orwell, shaping his artistic direction and solidifying his prophetic vision of the future. Having been deeply affected by the social injustices he witnessed in Burma as a young man, Orwell entered the decade firmly opposed to imperialism, which promoted aristocratic privilege at the expense of the poor and disadvantaged. By 1936, his views had evolved significantly, transforming him into one of England's foremost political writers.

Victor Gollancz commissioned Orwell to write a book about the conditions of the unemployed in industrial northern England. What began as a study on poverty culminated in The Road to Wigan Pier, published in 1937. This work is best described as an exposé of the English class structure and marked Orwell's first significant alignment with socialist ideology. Following this, Orwell embarked on an investigative journey to Spain and became involved in the Spanish Civil War. This experience profoundly impacted him, reinforcing his belief in human decency and community while deepening his commitment to democratic socialism. However, it also left him disillusioned with the Communist party and convinced of the looming threat of totalitarianism to intellectual freedom.

Animal Farm is undeniably a literary extension of Orwell's political evolution and is most often seen as a satire on communism, particularly the totalitarian regime of Soviet Russia and Joseph Stalin's dictatorship. Orwell quickly recognized how emerging political regimes could replace poverty with a security rooted in social and economic servitude. Dedicated to preserving intellectual liberty, he saw the inherent danger in sacrificing this ideal to government control. His firsthand experiences in Spain showed him how the suppression and distortion of information could undermine individual freedom and political truth. By the decade's end, Orwell's primary concern was finding the right medium to convey his message. The beast fable, which blended political and artistic purpose, represented a significant departure from his earlier works but proved to be a highly successful literary vehicle and possibly his most distinguished creative accomplishment.

Additional Commentary

In the mid-1930s, Orwell, like many of his literary peers, became increasingly aware of the social and political issues of his time. This period marked a significant turning point for Orwell, shaping his artistic purpose and direction as a writer, while also solidifying his prophetic vision of the future. Animal Farm, often seen as an extension of Orwell's political evolution, is widely recognized as a satire on totalitarian communism and the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.

Orwell understood how emerging political regimes could replace poverty with a form of security rooted in social and economic servitude. Dedicated to preserving intellectual freedom, he also saw the inherent danger in sacrificing this ideal to governmental control. By the end of the decade, Orwell's main focus was to find the right medium to convey his message.

Compare and Contrast

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1940s: The first part of the decade was dominated by the challenges and upheaval of World War II. The latter part focused on adapting to a post-war economy and the United States' emerging role as a global superpower.

Today: A planned $100 million World War II memorial, intended to be constructed on a 7.4-acre plot on the National Mall in Washington, DC, has sparked significant controversy.

1940s: In 1945, the liberation of the remaining inmates of Nazi death camps by Allied Armies confirmed the horrifying rumors of Nazi atrocities during World War II.

Today: The World Jewish Congress and other groups are calling for a thorough investigation into the millions of dollars in gold and other valuables stolen from Jews and others killed by the Nazis that still lie in unclaimed Swiss bank accounts.

1940s: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin convened in Tehran, Iran, and other locations to discuss war tactics.

Today: Following the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991, U.S. presidents regularly meet with the Russian president to deliberate on European security and the management of strategic warhead stockpiles in both nations.

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