Animal Farm & The Psychological Foundation of Revolution

There are several key terms involved in the statement that must be explained before the statements accuracy can be ascertained. Animal Farm is firstly described as an allegory; a novel of multiple levels of meaning. On the first level, Orwell describes a very moving account of a farmyard battle between neglected animals and unjust, greedy humans. Delving down further into the meaning of the book, the animals and events serve as symbols. This second stage describes the animals on a new level, and it can be seen that the animals and events have certain parallels in Stalinist Russia. Even the minor characters of the story symbolize relevance with Russian history.

Another key term mentioned, irony, describes the disjunction between what the audience would expect, and what really happens. Orwell uses a certain type of

irony in Animal Farm, referred to as dramatic irony. He takes full use of what the animals understand, and what the audience understands about the situation at Animal Farm. Surprisingly, these two interpretations are similar; however the audience has a much wider and more significant view on the circumstances.

1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

The processes are essentially the events that occurred after revolution. In Animal Farm, the Battle of Cowshed represents the civil war that followed the Russian Revolution. Jones is assisted by men from the bordering farms of Foxwood and Pinchfield, just as several western countries sent troops to aid the Russian forces; the Battle of Windmill symbolizes the industrialization of Russia. Even in some of the small details, similarities can be seen. The hen's revolt against Napoleon when he decides to sell the eggs corresponds to the feudal lords' revolt against Stalin when he makes farming collective.

“No question now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. 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.” (118)

Finally, there is the mention of the ‘irony of displacement’. Orwell uses dramatic irony to create a particularly subtle satire. The dramatic irony of Animal Farm reveals hypocrisy that the animals don’t see, nor understand. There are many instance of irony throughout the novel, such as when Squealer announces that Napoleon is dying, the audience already knows that really, he is just hung over from drinking the night before. The main ironic theme, which takes place throughout the entire novel, is the transition of the pigs into ‘human beings’. At the beginning of the story, we have Old Major’s clear vision of the future that outlaws humans and all their features. It goes against his ideals to copy human behavior, but one by one the fundamental rules, the Seven Commandments, are revised and then disregarded. Consequently, those that originally revolted against Mr. Jones, turn into humans. These laws should in reality, be unchangeable, but ironically, the pigs amend the Commandments so that the final effect is that the rule is turned into an opposite meaning. This is evident in the text, wit

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