Animal Farm The Fable The Satire The Allegory :: Essays Papers

Animal Farm The Fable The Satire The Allegory Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is a fable about rulers and the ruled, oppressors and the oppressed, and an idea betrayed. The particular meaning given will depend partly on the political beliefs- â€Å"political† in the deepest sense of the word. The book is there to be enjoyed about how human beings can best live together in this world. The novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell, successfully combines the characteristics of three literary forms-the fable, the satire and the allegory. Animal Farm could be called â€Å"A Fairy Story† because people think of the fairy story as the escapist form of literature par excellence. Animal Farm has sometimes been read as a fable against socialism. The animals are meant to represent certain types of human beings, not complex individuals. Using animals as types is also Orwell’s way of keeping his hatred and anger against exploiters under control. Each animal character is a type with one human trait, or two at most traits usually associated with that particular kind of animal. For example, the pigs represented corrupted human leaders in particular, â€Å"the Bolsheviks, who lead the overthrow of the capitalist Russian government only to become new masters in return.†(Internet) Old Major is a wise old pig whose stirring speech to the animals helps set the rebellion in motion even though he dies before the rebellion actually begins. Old Major and his role compare with that of Karl Marx, whose ideas set the co mmunist Revolution in effect. Also, the animals in Animal Farm talk and act like men and women. (Orwell 33) For instance, the pigs in the novel eat mash- real pig food but with milk in it that they have grabbed. (Orwell 34) The pigs also persuaded the animals to let them keep a human action. The dogs’ growl and bite the way real dogs do but to support Napoleon’s drive for political power. (Orwell 66) The two horses, Boxer and Clover, represent the long-suffering workers and peasants of the world. Old Mollie, the loving mare, took a piece of ribbon and put the ribbon on her shoulder looking at herself into the humans’ mirror. (Orwell 31) She actually leaves the farm for sugar and ribbons at a human hotel. (Orwell 52) He (Orwell) may have been thinking about certain Russian nobles who left after the Revolution or a general human type. Some readers view Animal Farm as a perfect illustration of the famous saying associated with British historian Lord Action, All pow er corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely.