Western Civilization 1917, Workers, Soldiers

Western Civilization

1917, workers, soldiers and sailors from Petrograd rebel against the Czarist government. The Red Guards occupy the key buildings, main government institutions and surround the Winter Palace, headquarter of the provisional government. Thus, the Great Socialist Revolution began.

In 1945, George Orwell writes a satirical allegory of the Russian Revolution, particularly directed at Stalin's regime. Many events and persons, especially from Russia, but not only, have a correspondent in the book. Also, the book is a political analysis of regimes instituted trough revolutions and maintained through fear.

Throughout the history, some group always seemed to be "more equal than the others" as Orwell states in his book. Examples from history are numerous.

The French revolution, based on the ideas of "Liberte Egalite Fraternite" and on improving the states of the masses oppressed by the nobility, does not achieve its goals in the end, because of the greed of the leaders, leading to dictatorship and the Napoleonic Wars.

Of course, a classic example of "animals that are more equal than other" is the Nazi theory of the superior race (the Arian race, or the master race) opposed to the inferior races (the Untermenschen) like the Jews, the Gypsies and the Slavs.

Yet another example would be the treatment of the North American Native Indians by European colonists. Although claiming to be coming in the New World to evade tyranny and oppression (either religious or political), the end up by considering superior to the native Americans, and by oppressing them.

2. In the book, Napoleon and Snowball were the allegoric correspondents of Stalin and Trotsky. They fight together at first for the success of the revolution, but in the end the differences of opinion and the corruption that absolute power brings makes them enemies. Another example could be that of Hitler and his revolutionary friend Ernst Rohm. Rohm who, much like Snowball, plays an important role in Hitler's ascension to power, by organizing the special SA (Sturmabteilung) troopers, a paramilitary organization which at its height amounted to 3 million members. While Hitler's ascension to power continued, Ernst Rohm began to prove a nuisance, as he harbored other plans than Hitler. At last on the night of June 30th 1934, named the "night of the long knives" the SA was decapitated as Ernst Rohm and the main body of SA officers was killed. The "dogs" used by Hitler to get rid of an embarrassing ally and potential rival, who had his own ideas for the future of Germany, was the newly formed SS.

Another example is that of Hitler and Stalin themselves. Allies at first, when their interests coincided, even if their doctrines were opposed, they end up hating each other.

3. Most of the animals in Orwell's book have o real life correspondent, a person connected with the Russian revolution. For instance, Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm represents the last Czar of Russia, Nicholas II. Same as Mr. Jones, Czar Nicholas was a poor leader, especially compared with the western rulers, and this was proved mostly during theGreat War (WWI). And same as Jones, the Czar lost his country trough the "Great socialist revolution of October." Like his novel counterpart, the Czar was never to regain his power, and died as a victim of the communists.

The Old Major, the initiator of the ideas of the revolution and its theoretician represents Karl Marx. Its concept of "Animalism" represents the Communist doctrine. Same as the Old Major, Marx died before the revolution, and never lived to see what has become of his dream.

Squealer, the manipulative and talkative pig represents the propaganda service which worked for Stalin. It supported Napoleon's image and transformed him into an icon, as it did for Stalin. The propaganda service was responsible for making the leaders look good (as Squealer does), and to denigrate the enemies and potential rivals. The propaganda succeeded in "turning black into white," for instance when depicting Trotsky, a revolutionary hero, as a traitor to his country.

The dogs (Jessie and Bluebells' pups) are Orwell's Animal Farm correspondent of the secret Russian police, the NKVD (later to become KGB) led by People's Commissar Lavrenty Pavlovich Beria. Same as the dogs in the book, the NKVD had the role of oppressing the people, summarily dealing with so called traitors (in fact rivals or inconvenient persons) and protecting Stalin.

Moses represents Orwell's opinion on religion. The religion is used keep people hopeful and productive, and is as a consequence a tool. After the revolution the communists tried to banish religion from people lives, as Moses leaves after the rebellion, but they where never completely successful. In the book, the pigs end up using religion (Moses) as a tool themselves.

Boxer the horse represents the loyal if not so bright part of the people devoted to the regime and who believed with all their heart in the ruler. As Boxer, they are betrayed and killed when they are no longer useful.

The sheep represent the proletariat, the working class of unskilled and uneducated laborers who depend on their backs, not their brains for work. They are easily manipulated and brainwashed by the politician, but still, their support is crucial for the accomplishment of the goals of the political leaders. Their "bleating" covers the outraged cries of the more sober and clever people.

4. In the final chapter the rallying cry, which encompasses all the Seven Commandments, "four legs good, two legs bad" is changed to "four legs good, two legs better." This symbolizes the final dissociation from the original goals of the rebellion. With this last step, there is actually no difference any more between the old master, Jones, and the new rulers. If anything these are more vicious and cruel than old Jones. It also symbolizes the final dissociation with the other animals, and a distinctive mark of the ruling class. A parallel is obviously that of the Russian revolution. As soon as they had power, the ideals which Marx (the Old Major from the Animal Farm) believed in, and which have attracted people, are corrupted by Stalin and Lenin. They assume absolute power, and maintain the control of the people through an elaborate system of propaganda (marches, decorations and pompous figures, committees and five years plans), which could turn "black into white," and fear. People feared not only the police, which oppressed them, but thanks to the propaganda, they were also fearful of outside countries (depicted in the book by the neighboring farms).