Totalitarianism Animal Farm

The fable Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, depicts social and historical contexts from the Russian Revolution of 1917, as well as the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R). Orwell’s novel is unique in its use of farm animals to portray the rise of Stalin,a totalitarian leader, and the dehumanization of Soviet Union citizens during the Stalinist era. The novel is set on a farm in Great Britain by the name of Animal Farm, where the values of Animalism and neglective behavior of the farm owner lead to the overthrow of human jurisdiction. The basis of the newly implemented animal run society was to have equality among animals along with branding humans as the common enemy of all animals. However Napoleon the pig, the character representing

The ethics of Animalism ended up being tainted by Napoleon; due to the pig violating, as well as tweaking the Seven Commandments for his own benefit. The Seven Commandments were the guiding laws of Animal Farm, embodying the ideals of Animalism, which includes equality among animals. The Seven Commandments would be continuously adjusted and reduced, until one single commandment stood,“...Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out to her what was written on the wall. There was nothing there now except a single Commandment. It ran: ‘All Animals are equal’ ‘But some are more equal than others’ ’’(Orwell 133). Similarly, Stalin implemented The 1936 Soviet Constitution, which promised human rights as well as equal access to opportunities and goods to the the people of the Soviet Union. Napoleon’s violation of the Seven Commandments mirrors Stalin’s own contravene of The 1936 Soviet Constitution through censorship, illegal arrest and executions, overall showing disregard to human

Much like the Great Purges, the Animal Farm executions had show trials beforehand; the trials consisted of forced confessions of prospering with the enemy, aka Snowball. Overall, the trials allowed Napoleon to eliminate those who opposed him and those he felt threatened his autocratic rule, further strengthening his grasp on power. The remaining farm animals were scared into submission due to the cruelty of the execution,“When they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess.” (Orwell 93 ). Stalin’s Great Purges had achieved the same control through the eradication of military leaders, old Bolsheviks and intelligentsia; all seen as possible political rivals that threatened Stalin’s authority. The Great Terror affected the general population of the Soviet Union as well, since innocent citizens were being rounded up and convicted by the NKVD (Soviet Union secret police), for things such as: being an anti revolutionaries or “enemy of the state.” The prior lead to widespread paranoia, seeing that any citizen could be convicted without just reasons, thus intimidating the public into