Totalitarianism And Symbolism In George Orwell's Animal Farm

The history of humankind reveals the cyclical flaws embodied in an individual’s nature. These occurrences are depicted in literature, through which we subjectively compare the zeitgeist of different eras. Authors often characterize the human ethos as the plot of the story, as which can be most prevalently noted through George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where he expressed his dissatisfaction for the Soviet Union’s abuse of the Marxist theory. The novel serves as a satirical piece relaying the Bolshevik Revolution, the overthrowing of the, through the usage of animals. Orwell deciphers the cyclical nature of power for mankind and how outside forces lead mankind into the folly of maligne totalitarianism. His allegory serves as the ideal platform for his critique on the Russian Revolution, not the foundation of socialism, as can be analyzed through a historical lense. These ideas are exemplified through the symbolic name of specific animals, their fear tactics, and their exploitation of ideologies.

Orwell relies heavily on symbolism as a form of critiquing the actions of the Stalinist regime. Through examining historical patterns, Orwell uses specific names for the animals that give the sense of a human cycle of power, his most prominently being shown through the use of the usage of the name “Napoleon.” Orwell’s Napoleon is “not much of a talker [his speeches are ‘short and to the point’ (Orwell 29)], but with a reputation for getting his own way,” (Meyers 120) but his