Allegory & Symbols
This is a type of story that has two levels of meaning - surface meaning and deeper meaning.
What is allegory?
"Comrades!" he cried. "You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of this farm depend on us. Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades," cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, "surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?"
Squealer is able to convince the animals that the pigs deserve the milk and animals by a combination of these two types of propaganda.
What are fear and fabricated statistics?
This is the main idea for the "Beasts of England" song that Old Major teaches the other animals.
What is all animals must work together to free themselves from man?
The work of organizing and teaching about the rebellion fall naturally with the pigs for this reason.
What is they are clever.
These two characters take the lead making resolutions for the farm because the other animals know how to vote but can never think of resolutions on their own.
Who are Snowball and Napoleon?
Animal Farm is an allegorical satire about this revolution.
What is the Russian Revolution?
“Nevertheless, [Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Frederick] were both thoroughly frightened by the rebellion on Animal Farm, and very anxious to prevent their own animals from learning too much about it.”
This line most likely represent this historical fear about Communism.
What is The Red Scare or Democracies fer the spread of Communism?
Old Major's dream eventually encourages the animals to do this.
What is rebel against the humans?
The revolution of the animals on Animal Farm has this effect on the rest of the animals throughout the country
What is it inspires other animals to try to rebellion against humans?
After Old Major’s death, Napoleon establishes himself as a leader partly through cultivating this reputation.
What is a bully who sees himself as a boss?
This character is an allegory for Karl Marx and his dream of equality for classes that inspires a revolution.
Who is Old Major?
“At the Meetings Snowball often won over the majority by his brilliant speeches, but Napoleon was better at canvassing support for himself in between times. He was especially successful with the sheep. Of late the sheep had taken to bleating ‘Four legs good, two legs bad’…and often interrupted…at crucial moments in Snowball’s speeches”
This segment plays on the general knowledge and connotations about real sheep.
What is sheep are followers?
Most of The Seven Commandments demonstrate a rejection of this.
What are human status symbols and vices?
The Battle of the Cowshed was the infamous skirmish that involved Animal Farm fending off an attack from Pinchfield Farm, Foxwood Farm and Mr. Jones. The Battle of Cowshed is important to the animals for this reason.
What is the animals were able to work together, validating the rebellion?
The pigs blaming the destruction of the windmill on this character as a way to create a common enemy in which they can rally and unite against.
Who is Snowball?
Russia changing its name to the Soviet Union is represented by Manor Farm renaming itself as this.
What is Animal Farm?
“Let us face it: [under Mr. Jones] our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep breath in our bodies, and [we] are forced to work to the last atom of our strength…[then] we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty” shows these two traits of Mr. Jones.
What are tyranny and cruelty?
Napoleon being addressed as "our leader' is a sign of this change.
What is a communist society changing to a dictatorship?
This is the first change that Napoleon makes on the farm as soon as Napoleon takes over.
What is cancelling Sunday meetings and debates.
The other animals admire this character for their hard work.
Who is Boxer?
This character and their actions represents the superficial citizens who preferred life before the rebellion.
Who is Mollie?
“Silent and terrified, the animals crept back into the barn. In a moment the dogs came bounding back. At first no one had been able to imagine where these creatures came from, but the problem was soon solved: they were the puppies whom Napoleon had taken away from their mothers and reared privately. Though not yet full- grown, they were huge dogs, and as fierce-looking as wolves. They kept close to Napoleon. It was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones.”
In the excerpt, the dogs symbolize this.
What is the brainwashing of youth raised to be enforcers (like the KGB), using the threat of violence to control the others.
The illusion of democracy at Animal Farms is demonstrated in this event.
What is Napoleon as the sole candidate for President?
Napoleon says he would he would be happy to let the animals make their own decisions, but sometimes they do this.
What is make wrong decisions?
At the pigs' party, the humans compare the lower, less intelligent animals to this human group.
What are the lower classes?
Napoleon gains power through propaganda and the blind trust of citizens, just like this real life leader.
Who is Josef Stalin?
“They were fine…willing workers and good comrades, but very stupid. None of them proved able to learn the alphabet beyond the letter B. They accepted everything that they were told about the Rebellion and the principles of Animalism…”
Orwell really criticizing here this group of people.
Who are humans who blindly trust the government?
The pigs use these two tactics to persuade the other animals to go along when Napoleon takes over Animal Farm.
What is fear tactics with the dogs and warnings that Jones will come back?
Napoleon announces that there will be a new policy. Animal Farm will engage in trade with the human farms, in order to raise funds for the windmill. Napoleon would trade hay, some of the wheat crops, and eggs. Napoleon asking the other animals on the farm to do this.
What is make sacrifices to build the windmill?
When the pigs cheat at cards, it is the final act that makes humans and pigs indistinguishable for this reason.
What is pigs are now masters of human corruption?
This magical place symbolizes the promise of rest and rewards after the animals' hard lives.
What is Sugarcandy Mountain?
"The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which."
The closing line of Animal Farm means that the animals have done this.
What is traded one tyrant for another?
The pigs sleeping in beds is a sign of this.
What is the pigs growing corruption?
When Napoleon changes the name of Animal Farm back to Manor Farm, it symbolizes this.
What is the return to corrupt human values and vices?
“If she could have spoken her thoughts, it would have been to say that this was not what they had aimed at when they had set themselves years ago…”
Once Napoleon takes over, this character has questions but can’t speak her thoughts freely because she fears execution.
Who is Clover?