Point of View

Orwell employs a third-person perspective, typical of fables and fairy tales, for Animal Farm, his story about an animal uprising against humans where the pigs ascend to power. The narrator, in keeping with fable conventions, provides just enough information for the reader to follow the plot and minimal details about each character, avoiding direct commentary. Orwell highlights the confusion of the simpler animals—horses, birds, and sheep—as they are manipulated by the pigs, evoking the reader's sympathy.

Setting

Animal Farm is set on a British farm near the town of Willingdon, which is briefly mentioned. Initially named Manor Farm, the farm is later renamed Animal Farm and eventually reverts to Manor Farm. The term "Manor" can refer to the estate managed by a lord or a grand house, linking the farm to the ruling class. Orwell concentrates exclusively on the farm's activities, except for a short scene in Willingdon when Jones seeks his neighbors' assistance. By maintaining a narrow focus, Orwell renders the specific English location insignificant.

Narrator

The narrator of the novel acts as a storyteller, relating a fable. Orwell injects irony into the fable by using a naive narrator who avoids commenting on events that the reader recognizes as false. For example, after Muriel reads to Clover that the fourth commandment of Animalism states, "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets," the narrator notes: "Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the Fourth Commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so." Both the reader and the narrator are aware that the commandment's wording has been altered, but the narrator does not acknowledge it. This creates dramatic irony through the tension between what the narrator knows but does not say and what the reader understands.

Dramatic Irony

Dramatic irony occurs when the audience or reader perceives the truth of a situation that the characters remain unaware of. For example, Squealer claims that the van taking Boxer to the hospital previously belonged to a horse slaughterer. He adds that the veterinarian now using it hasn't had the chance to repaint the sign, so the animals shouldn't be concerned. The narrator states: "The animals were enormously relieved to hear this." The reader, who suspected the truth when the van first appeared, feels an intensified sense of outrage at Squealer's explanation.

Fairy Tales

The fairy tale, a form of folk literature prevalent worldwide, features a highly imaginative story told in a straightforward manner that even children can easily understand and enjoy. Although these tales lack a specific moral, they teach by placing their characters in challenging situations that they must overcome, allowing children to envision how they would react in similar circumstances. Fairy tales often include talking animals. Orwell titled his work "A Fairy Story," suggesting that the narrative in Animal Farm possesses universal relevance, resonating with every culture or country, and is easily comprehensible. Labeling his novel as a "fairy story" adds an ironic twist, as the political narrative underlying the tale is far from the lighthearted entertainment the term typically suggests.

Satire

A satire is a literary work that employs humor to criticize a flaw or defect. The satirist uses various techniques, including irony and biting humor, to make the subject of criticism appear ridiculous. ©eNotes.com. The goal of the satirist is to provoke change in the behavior being critiqued. Orwell mocks the supposed successes of the Russian Revolution in several ways: by likening its proponents to animals, by creating irony through a naive narrator, and by having each animal or group of animals represent a human trait or tendency that he criticizes.

Fable

A fable is a brief, imaginative story, usually featuring animal characters, that conveys a moral lesson. These characters often represent specific human traits, such as jealousy, to satirize people who exhibit similar behaviors. Orwell adds realistic details to his animal characters: the cat disappears for hours at a time, and Molly the mare enjoys having her nose stroked. The animals also symbolize human characteristics: the pigs are greedy power-seekers, the sheep are mindless followers, and the horses are diligent workers. Animal Farm, like a traditional fable, is narrated in a simple, direct style.

Allegory

In an allegory, characters and events symbolize something else. In this novel, the characters represent key figures from twentieth-century Russian history. Orwell makes these characters easily recognizable to those familiar with historical parallels by assigning each one specific traits or actions that mirror those of historical figures. Old Major represents Karl Marx because, similar to how Old Major’s teachings inspire the Animal Rebellion, Marx’s ideas sparked the Russian Revolution. The pigs Napoleon and Snowball symbolize Russian leaders Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, respectively, whose conflict mirrors that of Napoleon and Snowball. Historical events, such as the revolution itself and the Moscow purge trials of the 1930s, are also depicted in allegorical form within the novel.