Totalitarianism And Allegory In George Orwell's Animal Farm

Animal Farm hit a nerve at the right psychological moment when the pro-Soviet era was beginning to unravel. Whether it was the allegory of revolution or totalitarianism, Orwell’s novel operates upon historical satire, a political treatise, and a fairy tale perspective. Due to the fact that the novel functions as an allegory on multiple levels, it is difficult to choose soley one. On a verbal level, it is a children’s story about an animal rebellion among a farm. While, on the other hand, it acts as an animal story and allows for compassion to be shown toward the suffering and oppression of the vulnerable animals. Early on, Orwell begins with a speech from Old Major. He states that humans are evil and that animals are comrades. “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing...Yet he is the lord of all animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that will prevent them from starving, and the rest he keeps for himself”(Orwell, 1946). The animals overthrow the farmer and take full control of the farm. The animals quickly begin learning how to read, write, and speak fluently. Among them, they decide to make up the Seven Commandments. This is a compilation of rules that the animals must abide by. As the years go on, many of the animals begin to gain humane attributes. This would include walking upright, wearing clothes, and sleeping in a bed. At this point, many of the animals are quarreling with each other and the farm is beginning to