, Research Paper
Communism and socialism plays an important role in Animal Farm by George Orwell.
All of the events that occurred in the book represent actual
events that happened to a communist country, now known as
Russia. Both communism and socialism have similar beliefs but
still have their differences. There has never been a communist
society where people were happy and treated as equals to high
ranking government officials. There has been a time in Animal
Farm when all animals were treated equal, but that was only
in the start of the post-revolution. In the end of the book
however, there is a different story. The motif of the book
is that any attempt to achieve the goals of a communist and
socialist society would be a continuous rise and fall of leaders.
Communism is where the government owns everything such as the
major resources and everything else. There is no need for private
business. All people would have equal work based on their ability
and benefits will be given based on the needs. In Animal Farm all
the animals work and all the types of animals get the type of food
they need. The animals felt better after the revolution even though
they were underfed because they knew they were doing this for themselves.
Napoleon and his other pigs were the government and let their power get
to them. They said that all the animals would work together yet in fact
the pigs were just ordering them around. They worked the other animals
relentlessly and with little food. They told all the animals what they
should make and how long it would take. Also they said that the thinking
they do is hard and they need the beds. The pigs were without a doubt the
leaders of Animal Farm. They could do anything to you, they could make you
live and could make you die.
The socialist system
distribution of products is maintained by the community.
In Animal Farm , the animals were put in even more smaller
communities by species. There was groups made during the
early post-revolution like the Egg Production Committee, the
Clean Tails League and the Whiter Wool Movement. Also all
political actions are done by the community. There was the
Meeting every Sunday where all the animals met in the barn. What they did in the barn was they planned what to do next week and also debate resolutions. The resolutions were put by pigs who were the only ones with the ability to make them. Soon Napoleon and Snowball were debating against each other and were trying to get majority for themselves. All the other animals couldn?t think up of anything for themselves but both of the pigs were throwing many at them. They soon got out of their Socialist ways and started to become closer to communism. An example of the complete end of Socialism in Animal Farm was when Napoleon ordered the hens to lay a certain amount of eggs. The hens refused to do so but was forced to which is definitely not socialistic. It isn?t socialistic because the production of products is maintained by the community and the hens are part of the community yet do not have any say. The animals say was totally useless and it was usually held in by the ferocity of the nine dogs of Napoleon.
“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.” This was a very
straight forward way of saying all the animals were back
at ground zero and would probably have another revolution.
The book clearly stated that a communist society would be
unsuccessful because the leaders would take advantage of
their power. That was the main problem in the book by Orwell.
It seems that the only way they would of been successful
would of been was to form a democracy.