The short satirical novel "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, published in 1945, takes place on a farm in England. The story revolves around the animals of the Manor Farm, who are exploited by men. After being inspired by the speech of the pig Sage the Elder, the animals decide to revolt against the human farmers. The pigs Napoleon and Snowball lead the rebellion and successfully drive out the farmers. They then establish a farm run by the animals themselves. However, the intellectual Snowball is eventually ousted by his rival Napoleon, who becomes a tyrant and rules the farm with an iron fist. In the end, life for the animals becomes even more difficult than it was under human rule, leading to the realization that it has become impossible to distinguish pigs from humans. The only commandment that remains from the initial rules of equality is "All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others."
Main Characters
The main characters in "Animal Farm" include the pigs Sage the Elder, Napoleon, and Snowball, as well as Napoleon's militia of nine dogs. Other key characters are Malabar, the horse with the motto "I will work harder," the mare Douce, and the cynical donkey Benjamin, who is the only animal apart from the pigs that can read.
Analysis
The novel serves as a satirical portrayal of the Stalinist regime through its transposition into the world of animals. Sage can be associated with Lenin, Napoleon with Stalin, Snowball with Trotsky, and Malabar with Stakhanov. The character of the donkey, clear-sighted and cynical, may represent the author's perspective. The strength of the novel lies in its implicit but clear denunciation of authoritarian regimes through black humor. It portrays uneducated individuals as a weak and easily manipulated mass. The author offers no hope of escape from oppressive regimes, leaving the animals resigned at the end of the novel, similar to Benjamin's outlook from the beginning, who believes that all dominations are equal and that life can only be difficult and sad.
