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Essay / Symbolism, satire and other literary devices in Animal Farm, a novel by George Orwell
Table of contentsOrwell's symbolism to attract readers' attentionThe pig snowball as a representation of Leon TrotskyConclusionMany literary authors use a a number of literary devices in their writings. Some of the most common are devices such as similes, symbolism, satire, and alliteration. Many writers attempt to express their own ideas through their writing in the hope that one day others will read their thoughts and ideas and contemplate them. For example, in George Orwell's short story Animal Farm, Orwell uses a combination of symbolism, satire, and other literary devices. In his book, Orwell uses animals to represent key figures of the Bolshevik revolution in Russia in 1917. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay To truly understand the symbolism behind Animal Farm and its characters, you must first understand the timeline of the Bolshevik Revolution. In 1917, Russia was a tsarist autocracy, meaning there was a king-like figure called a tsar who ruled everything. His name was Emperor Nicholas II. In February 1917, members of the imperial parliament, the Duma, took control of the country. There was also an October Revolution in which the Bolsheviks led an armed insurrection to overthrow the Duma. The Bolsheviks founded their own federal government, practicing Soviet democracy. The main figures of this period were Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Karl Marx, Nicholas II, Rasputin, Adolf Hitler and Alexandra. Nicholas II was the old overthrown tsar. Leon Trotsky was one of the leaders, rivaling other leaders such as Joseph Stalin. Trotsky founded the ideology of Trotskyism, which opposed Stalinism. He remained in Russia and as an influential leader until he was driven out by Stalin. Joseph Stalin became a political leader of communist Russia for many years. Karl Marx is known as the father of Marxism, the foundation of the political ideology of communism. He was also one of the main authors of the Communist Manifesto, which contains the essence of the ideology of communism. Alexandra was the wife of Nicholas II. Adolf Hitler was the leader of Germany during this time and is infamous for his political ideas and actions. Many famous and infamous leaders emerged during this time, and Orwell sheds light on the actions of these leaders. Orwell's Symbolism to Grab Readers' Attention In "Animal Farm", Orwell deliberately uses symbolism and foreshadowing to represent the socialist nature that was constructed in the beginning. For example, Orwell uses character names such as "Snowball" to symbolize purity and fairness on the farm. In chapter two, the revolution begins and the farm begins to work toward “animalism.” The pigs aim to carry out their revolt by establishing seven commandments primarily prohibiting any human-like behavior and introducing the song "Beasts of England", a triumphant battle cry that evokes images of freedom and a positive future. On page seventeen, the Seven Commandments say, “Everyone that walks on two legs is an enemy.” Anything with four legs or wings is a friend. No animal should wear clothing. No animal should sleep in a bed. No animal should drink alcohol. No animal should kill another animal. All animals are equal. Throughout the novel, Orwell uses these guidelines toforeshadowing the possible spiral of corruption and absolute power of the pigs that has not yet been revealed. Old Major is one of the first characters we are introduced to. This is an older pig who will die soon. He calls a meeting one evening to talk to all the animals on the farm. All animals respect him, because it is said that all animals are willing to lose a few hours of sleep to hear him speak. (Orwell, 4 years old) Old Major tells them about his dream in which all the animals are freed from their captivity and no longer slaves to their human masters. He tells them that all animals are equal, which becomes the basis of the ideology that will arise among the animals, known as animalism. He talks about a song that sang of the freedom of animals. Old Major then declares that a rebellion must take place so that the animals can be freed. Old Major is commonly compared to Karl Marx, the founder of Marxism, which forms the foundation of communism. Many similar ideas are shared between Marx and Old Major. Marx believed that all men are equal, just as Old Major did with animals. It was at Old Major that the whole rebellion began. One of the main leaders in the book is a pig named Napoleon. Although his name resembles that of Napoleon Bonaparte, he is believed to resemble Joseph Stalin in his actions. Napoleon, shortly after the rebellion, began addressing those around him as comrades. A comrade is someone you travel with or fight alongside. This is also how many addressed Joseph Stalin, calling him Comrade Stalin. Napoleon also displayed great tact, a skill for which Stalin was known. Napoleon studied military tactics used by others and tried to implement successful ones in his own battles. Both Napoleon and Stalin saw the usefulness of brute force. Napoleon, after the birth of a litter of puppies from Jessie and Bluebell, takes the litter to raise. The dogs are then transformed into the bodyguard equivalents of Napoleon and the other pigs. This resembles the excessive force used by Stalin in combat. Stalin was known for favoring a strong army. The Moscow Foreign Languages Publishing House published an article in 1950 on Stalin and the Soviet armed forces. In the newspaper it is stated: “Stalin is the creator of advanced Soviet military science.” (Nikolai Bulganin, 1) Both Stalin and Napoleon saw the power of a strong army, so they made efforts to develop their army. Napoleon had dogs to guard him, Stalin had his soldiers. They had to enforce the laws forcefully so that no one would speak out against the wishes of the rulers, or in some cases, speak out against them. But it was at that moment that Napoleon stood up and, casting a curious sidelong glance at Snowball, uttered: a high-pitched moan of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before. Just then there was a terrible barking outside, and nine huge dogs wearing copper-studded collars came bounding into the bar. They rushed straight at Snowball, who jumped from his place just in time to escape their snapping jaws. In this scenario, Napoleon used his dogs to chase away Snowball, who was opposed to Napoleon. Other sources, such as History.com, claim that Joseph Stalin banned other potential leaders from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, as was the case with Leon Trotsky. In other places in the book, it is evident that Napoleon is abusing this force, such as by killing the "culprit" animals who allegedly conspired with Snowball. Napoleon is an almost mirror image of Stalin andhis beliefs. Snowball the Pig as a Representation of Leon Trotsky One of the most influential characters in the book Animal Farm is another pig named Snowball. Snowball is an influential leader and had the potential to do great things. He helped found the idea of animalism, based on the idea that all animals are equal. He is also very intelligent, as seen when he designs the windmill for the farm. His imagination now extends well beyond straw cutters and turnip slicers. Electricity, he said, could operate threshers, plows, harrows, rollers, reapers and binders, in addition to providing each stall with its own electric light, hot and cold water and electric heating. (Orwell, 52) Snowball's creativity and intelligence can be demonstrated through the plans he made to make each animal's job easier. He favored three-day work weeks instead of six weeks, so that the animals would not be overworked. In the book, Snowball is generally portrayed as being more in favor of equality among all animals than of special privileges. About halfway through the book, Snowball is chased by Napoleon's dogs. Snowball is commonly compared to Leon Trotsky. As stated in a previous paragraph, Trotsky was kicked out of the USSR because his idea of Trotskyism opposed that of Stalinism. He was seen as a potential threat to Stalin, so Stalin decided to kick him out of the country. Once Snowball leaves Animal Farm, nothing definitive is ever said about where he went. He mainly serves as a scapegoat for Napoleon in case of problems. This was the case with the windmill. “Comrades,” he said gently, “do you know who is responsible for all this? Do you know the enemy who came during the night and knocked down our windmill? SNOWBALL!" he suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. "Snowball did this!" Even though it was explicitly stated that it was in November, when the strong winds were blowing from the southwest, and there had been a strong storm the night before, Napoleon still accuses Snowball of being responsible for this affair which was now in ruins Snowball is used as a scapegoat in the. rest of the book so that Napoleon can do what he wants and someone else is responsible for the consequences As the book progresses, nine dogs begin to play an important role in the book and its depiction. of the Bolshevik Revolution They are dogs born by Jessie and Bluebell When they are young puppies, they are taken by Napoleon so that he can train them. He tells the other animals that he focuses on raising them. young, so he took the opportunity to train the dogs privately. When they returned, the dogs were trained as bodyguards. On page 53 it says: “At that moment there was a terrible barking outside, and nine enormous dogs wearing copper-studded collars came bounding into the bar. » (Orwell, 53) The puppies were no longer innocent puppies, but large dogs who were to act as Napoleon's own private military officers. Under Stalin there was what was called the Red Army. Public broadcasting services state in their archives on Russian history that they are talking about the main officers of military units. PBS states of these officers: “Although most remained loyal to the Soviets, political officers, called “advisers,” were attached to all units. They ensured the reliability of the officers and carried out propaganda.” (PBS) Dogs could be considered..