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Elective English—IV

Notes
to question authority condemns the working class to suffer the full extent of the ruling
class’s oppression.
The Abuse of Language as Instrumental to the Abuse of Power
One of Orwell’s central concerns, both in Animal Farm and in 1984, is the way in which
language can be manipulated as an instrument of control. In Animal Farm, the pigs gradually
twist and distort rhetoric of socialist revolution to justify their behaviour and to keep the
other animals in the dark. The animals heartily embrace Major’s visionary ideal of
socialism, but after Major dies, the pigs gradually twist the meaning of his words. As a
result, the other animals seem unable to oppose the pigs without also opposing the ideals
of the Rebellion. By the end of the novella, after Squealer’s repeated reconfigurations of
the Seven Commandments in order to decriminalize the pigs’ treacheries, the main
principle of the farm can be openly stated as “all animals are equal, but some animals are
more equal than others.” This outrageous abuse of the word “equal” and of the ideal of
equality in general typifies the pigs’ method, which becomes increasingly audacious as
the novel progresses. Orwell’s sophisticated exposure of this abuse of language remains
one of the most compelling and enduring features of Animal Farm, worthy of close study
even after we have decoded its allegorical characters and events.
4.3 Symbolism/Interpretation

The novel Animal Farm is a satire of the Russian revolution and is thus filled with symbolism.
Normally, Orwell links some real characters with the characters of the book. Here is a list of the
characters and things and their meaning:
Mr. Jones: Mr. Jones is Orwell’s most obvious villain in Animal Farm. Orwell states that earlier
Jones was a decent master to his animals. At this time the farm was flourishing. In the recent
years however, the farm had tough times and there was opportunity to revolt. With the world-
wide depression beginning in the United States, the stock market had crashed in October 1929.
The depression spread throughout the world as American exports were very dependent on
Europe. The U.S. was a major contributor to the world market economy. Germany along with
the rest of Europe was particularly hard hit. The parallels between depression in the 1930s and
crop failure of the farm are very clear. Only leaders and their followers enjoyed during this time
period. In addition to the evils of capitalism, Mr. Jones represents Czar Nicholas II, the leader
who ruled before Stalin (Napoleon). Jones is a representation of the old government, the last of
the Czars. George Orwell says that Jones was losing his “edge”. Actually, he and his men had
started drinking. Old Major shows his feelings about Jones and his administration when he says,
“Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not
lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plough, and he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he
is lord of all the animals. He sets them to work, he gives back to them the bare minimum that
will prevent them from starving and the rest he keeps for himself.” So the old government and
Jones are effectively uprooted by the animals. They didn’t know that history will repeat itself
with the pigs and Napoleon.

Old Major: Old Major is the first main character defined by George in Animal Farm. This “pure-
bred” of pigs is the kind philosopher of change - a clear metaphor for Karl Marx. Old Major gives
a solution to the animals’ desperate difficulty under the Jones “administration” when he
encourages a rebellion of sorts amid the animals. The definite time of the revolt is untold.
It could possibly be the next day or several generations to come. Old Major’s philosophy is an
ideal. After Major’s death which occurred three days after the barn-yard speech, the socialism he
recognises is severely changed when Napoleon and the other pigs begin to dominate the other
animals. It’s interesting that George doesn’t mention Snowball or Napoleon at any time during
the entire speech given by old Major. The principles Old Major announced were not being

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