Animal Farm: Society Symbols and History Essay Sample
A narrative does non entirely shack in one dimension ; it exists in multiple dimensions brought frontward through symbolism. Symbols are put in topographic point to give a deeper significance to words and expresses cardinal points in the novel. In the novel Animal Farm. George Orwell uses symbolism to associate and reflect upon human society and its history. Orwell uses the farmhouse. the barn and the windmill to typify the ultimate power of the hogs and to cite points in Russian history. Furthermore. the farmhouse represents the authorization and corruptness in society every bit good as the Russian Kremlin. It symbolises authorization because merely specific forces were allowed in. In Animal Farm hogs were the lone 1s who could travel into the farmhouse which was once owned by Farmer Jones.
The house stands in which where the leader of the farm lives. in the yesteryear it was Farmer Jones and so alterations to be Napoleon and the hogs. This house give the permission for the hogs to make as they want. because they themselves are the regulations. intending no 1 has authorization over them. They became the thing they despised the most ; Farmer Jones. After the revolution. the animate beings vowed to ne’er crouch to the degree of work forces. but in the terminal they did merely that. The hogs became merely as greedy. vile and angry as the work forces: “Twelve voices were shouting in choler. and they were all alike…the animals outside looked from hog to adult male. and from adult male to pig. and from hog to adult male once more: but already it was impossible to state which was which” ( Orwell. 95 ) .
The farmhouse intoxicated the hogs ; they had everything at their disposal and that included power. The hogs became corrupted by luxuries of powerful. and once and for all changed into worlds. there was no line between worlds and hogs. they had one thing in common ; they were corrupted. The farmhouse besides takes a actual representation of the Russian Kremlin. The farmhouse is reserved entirely for the leader of the Communist hogs. merely like how the Kremlin was reserved for Tsar. In the beginning of the novel. all the animate beings agreed that. “the farmhouse should be preserved as a museum. All were agreed that no animate being must of all time populate at that place. ” ( 14 ) . Much like the animate beings. Stalin agreed to continue the Kremlin but subsequently changed his head. He every bit good as the hogs. both began to shut off the entree from the populace until it was merely reserved for the leaders. The power and exclusive usage of the farmhouse for the hogs is an accurate representation of what Stalin treated the Kremlin as. In entire. the farmhouse stood as a symbol towards the immoralities in society and immoralities in history. Equally of import. the barn in the novel systematically stands as a symbol of the corporate integrity of the society but besides comments the control of the hogs. such as perceived by in the seven commandments.
The barn was a topographic point of basicss for the revolution and a topographic point where all the animate beings came together for the same end. Together the animate beings joined to “remove adult male from the scene” ( 4 ) . and to hold the difficult work the animate beings have suffered through. “abolished for ever” ( 4 ) . These words were put in topographic point by Old Major. a symbol to the beginning of the revolution. The barn was where any animate being could come together ; it serves as a memorial to socialism. The barn was the topographic point for the general populace. whereas the farmhouse was entirely for the hogs. As the barn stood for the socialism. the seven commandments printed upon the barn represented the ideals of communism. Once Farmer Jones was overthrown. all the animate beings came together to make the seven commandments. but these were vastly influenced by hogs because they could compose. This is communism. the animate beings thought they had their ain pick but they were genuinely being persuaded to the ideals of the hogs or higher power. The commandments besides stand as a symbol for the pig’s control. The commandments were made for everyone but the regulations did non use to the regulation shapers themselves ; the hogs.
Much like the Russian revolution. when Stalin was in power. he got to do regulations but ne’er followed them. All regulations were made for the animate being and society to follow but the leaders were allowed to flex them. This was shown throughout the novel by the hogs invariably interrupting the regulations. but before the remainder of the animate beings recognizing. the hogs would travel back to the commandments and change them so they would technically non be interrupting the regulations. One regulation was all animate beings were equal ; intending they all got the same ration of nutrient. When animate beings were found to be stealing they were instantly executed. Killing was against the commandments besides. until being looked upon once more. “No carnal shall kill another animate being without cause. ” ( 61 ) . The hogs. unbeknownst to the other animate beings had gone back and changed the regulations therefore they technically did non interrupt the regulation. But in all really. the hogs did. this symbolises the control of the hogs because they were allowed to alter the regulations.
This is a polar point because if the hogs could alter the basic basicss of the farm they could alter the society as a whole. In apogee. the barn stands as two opposing ideals with control wedged middle. Furthermore. throughout the novel the windmill serves as multiple symbols. It represents the use skills that the hogs have. the submissiveness of the animate beings. and the modernization of Russia. The windmill was foremost brought to attending by Snowball. and Napoleon strongly opposed the windmill stating that the farm should concentrate on nutrient production. Once Snowball was in expatriate. Napoleon said he was ever supportive of the windmill. even though that contradicts his sentiments that he had stated ahead. From so. the farm began to construct the windmill until one dark “the windmill was [ found to be ] in ruins” ( 47 ) . and it was none other than Snowball. “the enemy who comes in the night” ( 47 ) . and the whipping boy now created by Napoleon. to be at mistake for this offense. Napoleon stated that Snowball merely proposed the windmill because he was allied with Farmer Jones and Snowball’s end was to destroy Animal Farm.
All the animate beings on the farm believed this narrative and a common enemy was made ; Snowball. Napoleon twisted and manipulated a narrative to his ain favor. doing non merely a common enemy but a devoted work force that he could utilize at his leisure every bit good. Though it was the hogs that had used their uses accomplishments. it was still the other animal’s submissiveness to the hogs that caused the windmill to go a symbol. Throughout the narrative the windmill was destroyed multiple times. and under dependance and obeisance to the hogs. the animate beings all suffered to reconstruct it. Although forcing frontward a gesture to raise and to retrace the windmill. the hogs ne’er included themselves in the back-breaking work it took to really construct it. The hogs took all weekend and privileges from the animate beings but they animals still continued to construct the windmill. while the hogs lived the life of luxury. The animate beings ne’er took a base against the hogs even though they were enduring. The animate beings believed that the hogs were good to the farm even if the animate beings themselves were no cogent evidence of that. Multiple times the animate beings had suffered through the edifice of the windmill but still stayed under the control of the hogs.
This ignorance for their ain rights is shown through the agony and ultimate submissiveness needed to construct the windmill. Last the windmill symbolises the modernization of Russia. In the early 19th century the Russian Empire was ruled by a really old manner of authorization. through the narrative this is represented by Farmer Jones. Once the Russian Empire ( Farmer Jones ) was overthrown. modernization was inevitable. Throughout the modernization and alterations in kineticss. both societies associated power to one entity ; the Tsar. The Tsar’s place is occupied by Napoleon and underlined by the hogs. Such like Russia. Animal Farm tried to puddle their manner through jobs. and their leader frequently made empty promises. Such promises made to the farm were. “… supply the farm with electrical power. This would illume the stables which would warm them in the winter. and would besides run a round proverb. a chaff-cutter. a mangle-slicer and an electric milking machine. ” ( 32 ) . Because of these promises the animate beings all agreed to endure and travel on to construct the windmill. Like Russia. Animal Farm overcame some jobs but their leaders had empty promises that would ne’er be filled. This is shown by the hogs who finally convert the windmill for commercial usage. ne’er giving the electricity needed to the farm.
Overall. the windmill represents multiple things changing different points of personalities to a point in history. As a consequence. Orwell uses the farmhouse. the barn. and the windmill to exhibit the inordinate power the hogs have over the animate beings and the farm every bit good as the history that defines an epoch. Animal Farm proves to be more than a novel. instead it be an indicant of societal challenges and carnal nature. That is because a symbol is more than a symbol ; it is a gateway to an sentiment and a contemplation of our universe.
Plants Cited
Orwell. George. Animal Farm. England: Penguin Books. 2008. Print. “The History of the Moscow Kremlin” . World Wide Web. kreml. ru/en/history/kremlin/ . RBC. GASPROMBANK. Website. November 7th 2012.
“The Russian Revolution” . hypertext transfer protocol: //rationalrevolution. net/war/russian_revolution. htm Rational Revolution. Website. November 7th 2012.
