Animal Farm

SYMBOLISM

When Orwell published Animal Farm in 1945,a popular belief held that the Soviet Union was an honorable nation. Orwell hoped to write a novel that exposed the truth of the Soviet System; he employed allegory to show a truth that remained unclear to many. As an allegory on early 20th Century Russia, ANIMAL FARM introduces its audience to a wide array of characters--each serving as a symbol. The table below provides a list of fictional characters, events, and items from the film ANIMAL FARM, and the real-life counterparts they appear to represent. Consider how each character could also be interpreted to have a larger, broader meaning. Farmer Jones : The farmer stands for the Russian Czar Nicolas II who was forced to abdicate after the successful February Revolution. In addition, Mr. Jones symbolizes the evils of capitalism, and the moral decline of men under this type of society. Humans: The humans stand for the capitalists, who exploit the weak. The gradual transformation of the pigs into human-like creatures represents the process by which the revolution's leaders became corrupted. Whether capitalist or communist in name, the underlying reality of many political systems is tyranny. Old Major : Many believe Orwell made Old Major a symbol for Karl Marx, the father of the Communist belief system. Both Old Major and Karl Marx serve as the founders of a revolutionary creed, and both die before the revolutionary events they predict. Snowball: Snowball represents Leon Trotsky. Like Trotsky, Snowball is a smart, young speaker who dreams of making life better for all animals. One of the early leaders of the "October Revolution", Trotsky was banished from the Soviet Union. While abroad, he was repeatedly denounced as a traitor by his native country, and wild lies were invented to discredit him. Trotsky was eventually killed in Mexico by the Russian internal police. Napoleon: Not as clever as Snowball, Napoleon is also cruel, selfish and corrupt. Napoleon is most...