Situational Irony In Animal Farm

Orwell effectively conveys the rise of communism in Russia throughout the book Animal Farm by the accurate elucidation of the context in the Soviet Union from 1917-1945. Orwell’s attitude and political view towards Russia is evident in his representation of the farm animals on Communist Party leaders: Napoleon and Snowball, for example, are figurations of Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky, respectively. He expresses the anthropomorphic characters of farm animals, and major events in Animal Farm such as the Rebellion and the construction of the windmill, reminiscent of the Russian Revolution and the “Five-Year Plans”. Orwell also uses many techniques to describe the crucial points in Animal Farm by metaphoric language and allegorical means

In the novella Animal Farm, the timeline of early 1900s Russia unfolds in an allegory, with revolutionists Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx sparking a rebellion against Czar Nicholas II. Subsequently, a social democratic party known as the Bolsheviks overthrew the czar, aided by two significant leaders: Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. Even so, the newfound ideology of communism that Stalin introduced and quickly corrupted through propaganda proved to be just as oppressive as the reign of Nicholas II. Most importantly, this corruption and oppression was elucidated by British author George Orwell through the use of rhetorical devices in the allegorical satire Animal Farm, where the audience receives a glimpse into the cunning caricature of

a. Animal Farm is an allegory, which is a story in which concrete and specific characters and situations stand for other characters and situations in order to make a point of them. The main plot of Animal Farm stands for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet Union in which animalism is actually communism. Each character stands for a certain figure, or group of people in the Russian Revolution. Most of them stand for important political figures.

Throughout George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Orwell creates valid criticisms about Communism and Stalinism by using an understandable plot. It is critical that the reader has knowledge about the Russian Revolution in order to understand some of the criticisms which are being made throughout Animal Farm. This book insists upon the truth, which was most difficult for people during this time period. Orwell brings up understandable points about power and humanity during this time period. Orwell is able to use many rhetorical devices in order to reveal these unpalatable truths.

George Orwell’s allegorical novella, Animal Farm is a satirical retelling of the events leading up to the 1917 Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin. After the animals rebel against Mr. Jones and his employees, they set up a government constituted by “Animalism”, which in its raw state parallels the basic principles of socialism. In order to govern them, they create basic laws meant to unify them known as, “The Seven Commandments”, which they write on the outer wall of the barn. However, the pigs begin to disobey the commandments and change them to get away with it. None of the other animals notice due to their illiteracy, so Napoleon continuously exploits this fact to get what he wants. As a result, the farm that was meant to be utopic

George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm is a great example of allegory and political satire. The novel was written to criticize totalitarian regimes and particularly Stalin's corrupt rule in Russia. In the first chapter Orwell gives his reasons for writing the story and what he hopes it will accomplish. It also gives reference to the farm and how it relates to the conflicts of the Russian revolution. The characters, settings, and the plot were written to describe the social upheaval during that period of time and also to prove that the good nature of true communism can be turned into something atrocious by an idea as simple as greed. This essay will cover the comparisons between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution. It will also explain why

“Animal Farm” by George Orwell is an allegorical novel published on England in 1945. According to the author, this book reflects historical events leading up and during the Stalin era before World War II. It is the story of a revolution which goes wrong, based on the Russian revolution and Stalin’s use of power, the overall message is that man’s desire for power makes a classless society impossible. In the book, each animal represents a public figure or a type of person in real life. With this we can begin to develop the questions below in order to have a more complete idea of the meaning of the novel.

Orwell uses the allegory, Animal Farm, to present the story of The Russian Revolution and essentially express his opinions on the matter. By plainly exposing the unjust and corrupt system that is communism, Orwell is ultimately presenting his pessimistic view of human nature.

One night, all the animals of Mr. Jones’ farm, gather together in the barn to listen to Old Major, the pig, tell them about a dream he had, in which no animal had to live under the reign of human owners which would happen after a large rebellion against the people that treated them as slaves. After his death, which occurred only three nights after that meeting, the rest of the animals spent months working on plans to make the rebellion that Old Major had spoken of, into a reality. In the beginning the pigs, particularly Snowball and Napoleon, which had naturally become the leaders, faced difficulties convincing the other animals that this was the right thing to do.

Situational irony is displayed when the pigs are ordering the animals to work, because it contradicts what most readers would have expected. During the year after revolting against the humans, “the animals worked like slaves” (59). This quote illustrates irony, because outcome is much different from readers expect. Earlier, Napoleon and the other pigs promised work wouldn’t have to be handled by the animals in a slave-like manner that happened under Jones. However, the quote describes the animals “working like slaves,” which contradicts the pigs’ promise. Furthermore, the pigs issue a rule saying that “work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half” (59). Through this rule, animals are practically required to work, as half of one’s rations isn’t enough for one to sustain himself. Again, this contradicts the pigs’ promise of no forced work, like what happened under Jones. Forced, slave-like work was promised to be abolished by the pigs, yet they contradicted themselves, illustrating how situational irony is used to show the corruption among the pigs.

In this paper I will discuss Orwell’s main purpose, which is a critical commentary on totalitarian governments. By forming rich allegorical characters and creating different situations providing the same main stream he depicted several historical figures and pinpointed the two different factions of imperial Russian and soviet society. The purpose of this research is to highlight the fact that how well Orwell succeeded in doing such a criticism in artistic and fable like way and to hammer this in a reader’s mind that Animal Farm is a harsh satire on Russian regime which not only teaches us that gaining power and exploiting others is not a fair way to rule but also shows us the hypocrisy and tyranny when power comes ultimately. Orwell’s fusion

George Orwell’s novel ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegorical fable of the Russian Revolution. It depicts the Revolution in a way that is inoffensive to people and also very easy to understand. This controversial novel also teaches many valuable lessons, all very true in man’s past and also in the present.

In Animal Farm, George Orwell uses satirical allegory throughout his novel to present the pessimistic view of human nature. The animal fable is used to demonstrate the issues of unfair treatment, exploitation and inequality in society. It is evident that this irony is particularly evident in the ending of both novels (Gulbin 88). The satirist irony is directed on the events of the Russian Revolution and on the totalitarian regime. Orwell uses political reason with creative reason to show his negative belief that people only change the dictators though revolutions but the systems stay the same. It is only a dream that people can gain a classless society through revolutions. Orwell believes that everyone wants equality, yet it is in one's nature as human beings to obtain power.

Snowball and Napoleon fight over the windmill, and all the animals listening can’t decide on who to believe, and tend to believe whoever is speaking. This ridicules humans and how they usually believe what they are hearing at the time, even if they don’t fully understand it Napoleon, the dictator, represents Joseph Stalin, who was also a dictator. Both did not prioritize their subject’s needs, and most lived in fear and poverty. As in the book, the pigs all had huge

Post-revolutionary Russia is depicted in this work. The real historical characters are read in Orwell’s animals. The novel is an allegory to the whole society, regime, ideology. Religious or ethical writers usually use allegory to convey abstract ideas through characters and events and to teach the morals of their faith and beliefs. However, Animal Farm is written in the form of satire where questions of social and political nature are discussed and the characters symbolize movements, political parties and certain beliefs of the period. In allegorical satires, as in Animal Farm, the author may not be adherent to the ideology he describes. On the contrary, the principles and morals of the ideology are questioned and undermined. Orwell uses animals who take over a farm, as an allegory to a society under communism of the former Soviet Union. The author depicts the ways when good will and high-pitched ambitions can be turned to hypocrisy, selfishness and the abuse of power. Such good purposes as equality, justice and dignity of labor are the motoes of animals’ revolution. However, through the writer’s words, intonations and structures, the reader is able to see the real nature of these watchwords: “pigs were manifestly cleverer”, Napoleon believed “that all animals are equal… But sometimes [they] might make the wrong decisions…”, “This work was