How Does Animal Farm Relate To Communism

How could a book about animals taking over a farm ever compare to the history of the USSR? The book Animal Farm depicts a farm being taken over and run by animals because they were mistreated and overworked by the farmhands. They then proceed to govern the farm in a form of communism used by the USSR. The events in the book mirror the events throughout Russian history, specifically while it was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In both instances power corrupts the leader and the original goal of the society becomes changed. The leaders take total control over their followers and a dictatorship emerges. Animal Farm is an allegory to communism because it directly compares to the people and events in Russian history and communism. First

The first comparison is between Old Major and Vladimir Lenin/Karl Marx. Old Major was told by his family that one day the animal would rise against the humans. Old Major then takes his teachings and inspires the animals on Manor Farm to rebel and live a life of equality before he dies. He is quoted as saying, “Rebellion: I do not know when that Rebellion will come…” (Orwell 9). Karl Marx created the idea of communism and passed it on to Lenin, who led the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Major believes the same ideas as Marx: “He predicted that as workers were increasingly exploited and impoverished by their capitalist bosses, the angry laboring class would rise up in a violent revolution against their wealthy oppressors…” (“Karl Marx” 2). Although Old Major has the role of Lenin in Animal Farm, Lenin dies after the Bolshevik Revolution which means Major would be Marx. Because of this phenomenon Old Major fits as a combination as Lenin and Marx. The second correlation between characters and people is Napoleon to Josef Stalin. Napoleon first works together with Snowball to govern Animal Farm but then becomes corrupted by power and exiles Snowball. He then takes complete control over the farm and becomes a strict dictator. This is paralleled to what Stalin did. Stalin fist rose to power alongside Leon Trotsky until he exiled Trotsky. The dictatorship of

Animal Farm in the simplest interpretation is an allegory to communism. The animals in the farm (specifically the pigs) have a good idea in theory but as time goes on, power and other factors corrupt the pigs. Communism was first introduced as tsar Nicolas ii was overthrown and the new leaders decided to follow the view of Karl Marx and make Russia into the USSR, a country that is communist. But the revolution caused some unseen consequences: “The tsar’s abdication threw the country into chaos, as various groups vied to take his place… but for the most part it represented the interest of the elite class of Russian citizens” (“Vladimir Lenin Leads the Bolshevik Revolution: November 7, 1917” 3). This is mirrored in Animal Farm as when Mr. Jones is overthrown and the animals decide to be communist, the pigs elect themselves the leaders because they are the smartest. Communism was what Stalin called it when he took control over the USSR but in reality it was a dictatorship, and it went against many of the communist ideals the people wanted: “In the end, the Bolshevik’s dream of equality for all translated into a nation hampered by myriad problems, including the scarcity of basic goods, pollution, and poverty” (Thompson 5). As Stalin is represented as Napoleon in Animal Farm, Napoleon too strays away from the ideals he originally