Animal Farm by George Orwell: A Satirical Allegory of Soviet Totalitarianism

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Recommended: Examine the theme of power and corruption in animal farms

Eric Arthur Blair’s (pen name: George Orwell) 1945 novella, Animal Farm, ostensibly provides a satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism. Written during World War II, Orwell was inspired to reflect the events leading up to the infamous Stalin era due to the widespread influence in the media he witnessed during his involvement in the Revolution. Orwell successfully engrains societal concerns and disturbing political ideas of the Russian Revolution within Animal Farm byway of the development of characters and themes that represent fundamental figures and events of the time. Furthermore, Orwell has been able to portray the influence of media and propaganda in the falls of political idealism to still is relevant in today’s modern age, successfully mirroring the concerns of the society out of which it is produced. Orwell effectively elucidates the notion that revolutions and political movements will not succeed because of the human nature to abuse power through twisting events in the media. This is due to rotten foundations upon which all revolutions are built and the desire to cling desperately onto power. This message is conveyed through the parallels drawn between key figures and events in the Russian Revolution and Animal Farm. Thus, Orwell’s Animal Farm provides a warning to young adults as to the bias influences of media and propaganda that will plague any political path.

Orwell’s direct involvement in revolutions lead to the questioning of his own beliefs, eventually influencing the underlying criticism of revolutions and bias influence in media in the novella Animal Farm. Thus from this disillusionment is what lead him to write Animal Farm. Growing up in a wealthy and educated family Orwell was widely aware of the differen...

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... to the corrupt abuse of power through media and propaganda. However, although writing about revolutions, in particular the Russian Revolution, Animal Farm deals with the issues that mirror the concerns of the society out of which it is produced. This is exemplified through the control prominent business magnate Rupert Murdoch had on the Australian elections of 2013. Orwell ingeniously elucidated complex ideas into simpler forms through the construction of characters and themes that represent fundamental figures and events of the time. Therefore it is able to help readers understand the complexities and shades of grey involved in dealing with these issues. Animal Farm is one of the most prominent examples of good young adult literature constructed by George Orwell written under the criticism of revolutions and abuse of power through means of media and propaganda.

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