Animalism in Animal Farm

Animalism in Animal Farm

A thoughtful student contributed this essay so that it might help other students.

George Orwell’s classic, Animal Farm is about a group of oppressed animals on Manor Farm. The book takes the reader through the revolution of the animals. It tells of how the animals form a system of government, Animalism, on their new farm, Animal Farm. The animals try to form a government where everyone is dependent upon everyone else. The book conveys the message that no matter what laws and equality bind the citizens, corruption and power will seek to destroy that delicate balance. I believe that there is a similarity between the fictional Animalism, and the early form of Communism, called Marxism. In this essay, I will describe the main idea behind and similarities between Animalism and Marxism.

Karl Marx was born in the year 1818. He studied several different forms of government, searching for the key elements in their structures, including feudalism of medieval Europe, and capitalism. He fused the backbones of these two forms of government, and gave birth to early communism, which we call Marxism. The idea of Marxism is very complex. Stated as briefly as possible, it is the idea that the economy depends upon the production of the country. If all social classes are dropped, and very person instead works for rations, then there is no need for a large group of political leaders, for the country will basically be self-sufficient. Marx saw that the transition from capitalism to communism would occur after a revolution and require the brief rule of a dictator. After the government was establish...

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...e's worth. Though there are still social classes, every human being counts as one vote, and only one. There is no oppression by the government, because the people elect their government officials. Orwell clearly states what he thinks of Marxists in his final line of Animal Farm: "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."1

1 chapter10 of George Orwell's novel Animal Farm pg. 140

Bibliography

1. Andrews, William G., The Land and the People of the Soviet Union, "Marxism", Pg.6-8, Harper Collins Publishers, NYC, 1991

2. Laqueur, Walter, Stalin; The Galnost Revelations, Charles Scribner's Sons Macmillan Publishing Company, NYC, 1990

3. Unger, Howard, "Animalism vs. Marxism", www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/2074/orwell.htm