Animal Farm Russian Revolution

Between George Orwell's Animal Farm and Muammar Gathafi's Jamahiriya

Do you know the similarity between George Orwell’s allegorical novella “Animal Farm” and Muammar Gathafi’s fabled “Jamahiriya”? The answer is that they both reveal authoritarianism disguised as utopianism. Both books speak of visionaries who are either a white boar named Major in the Animal Farm or a colonel named Muammar in the Jamahiriya and who had visions of perfect systems enshrined in justice and equality for all. While the revolt to dismantle the old systems in Orwell’s book was led by three pigs namely Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer the revolt in Gathafi’s book was led by a group of army officers including Khuwaildi, Kharubi and Yunis. Just as the pigs’ revolution succeeded in overthrowing Mr. Jones the human owner of the manor farm, liberate all the other farm animals from bondage and declared the establishment of an independent animal farm, Muammar and his coconspirators succeeded in overthrowing the Libyan Monarchy and later on changed the name of the state to a Jamahiriya or government of all the people. As a matter of fact the victorious insurrecters in both scenarios vowed to establish a new order in which all members are equal regardless of any minor or major differences in characters and capacities.

What should make the similarity between the two books even more obvious is that Orwell’s novella is actually an allegory of the Russian 1917 Revolution and the Soviet totalitarianism that followed. It reveals how the so-called ideals of Communism degenerated into anarchy and totalitarianism and as such resembles the situation in Libya during Gathafi’s reign of terror. The characters in the book are actually based on exponents and enforcers of Communism. The character of the pig Napoleon that was the leader of the insurrection is based on that of Joseph Stalin. Leon Trotsky who was Stalin’s rival is represented by the pig Snowball and the pig Squealer stands for Vyacheslav Molotov who was Stalin’s propagandist. Along with the subject matter which is in this case the fallacies of utopianism the two books also reveal how power and greed could easily reveal the essence of those who hide behind appealing ideals to further their own goals and ambitions. Even the ideals of equality and justice that they raised to legitimize their rules eventually degenerated into self serving slogans and pronouncements that curtailed freedoms and increasingly tightened the noose around the necks of unsuspecting followers.

Important to Understand the Russian Revolution? - Animal Farm ...

The whole point of Orwell's 'Animal Farm' is to portray by means of a fable-allegory the events leading up to and following the Russian Revolution. The story may indeed be read and understood as a simple tale, but it is meant to convery much more than that.

For a young child it is not important to understand the political significance of the story.  However, for an adolescent or adult, to miss this aspect would be to eclipse its essential message.

I think this question should be on the discussion board.

In my opinion, it is important for students to know the historical background and inspiration for the story in order to know the author's intent. However, students do not need to know one thing about the Russian revolution in order to understand the message of "Animal Farm": communism does not work. In theory, living communally is wonderful. In practice, though, one group of people will always be a little more equal than all the rest, and they will always be the ruling class that decides what all the rest will get.

left-wing writer and very interested in the possibilities of successful communism. Animal Farm highlights the mistakes of The Soviet Union under the leadership of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin. It does not follow that Orwell was damning all forms of communism. He was trying to find a way to make it work and to draw attention to the pitfalls. What Orwell hated and feared was totalitarianism

There are several "messages" in Animal Farm."  I think the book would have limited appeal if you had to understand any historical moment for it to make sense.  I have always though that the book is about language and propaganda, and these are topics that are as relevant for us as they were for the society of the Russian Revolution.  The ability of the pigs to control the other animals by feeding them propaganda and simply changing the rules/commandments they had once agreed on,is far from dead.  Many of us don't take the time to or are unable to separate the "truth" from what we are told is true.  Until we are able/willing to do that, we are as vulnerable as Boxer and the sheep.

Pretty frightening, and you don't need any knowledge of history to get the point.

It completely depends on what your goal is in reading the novel.  To simply read the book without any background on Russian History doesn't detract at all from receiving the message of propaganda, censorship, and language.  If the reason you are reading the book is to use as an allegory for what the problems were in Russia during the Revolution years, then yes, you need to know some history.  When I read Animal Farm, it was simply to read.  I didn't need any history to realize I admired Boxer and felt sorry for the common animals or that I hated the pigs.  The need for background completely depends on the goal.