RUSSIAN POLITICIANS AS PIGS

Russian Politicians as Pigs in Animal Farm
George Orwells novel Animal Farm (1945) was written to reveal the real world
counterpart. He uses his written work to express his negative perspectives toward Russian
Revolution and uses the novel as the universal message sending to the readers about equality.
The novel is about the farm in England where the animals are provoked by the way Mr.
Jones, the owner of Minor Farm, treats them unequally. The book is talking about animals
rebellion and why they want to chase away human out of the farm. Animals want to create
their own utopia which they want equality. Orwell also shows Communism during Russian
Revolution in a form of inequality. Pigs, the smartest of all animals, symbolizes the powerful
Russian politicians and the major events in Russian Revolution are portrayed throughout the
novel. Orwell draws a parallel between the inequality created by the Russian Revolution and
the inequality encountered by different characters in Animal Farm.
First of all, Old Major is the main initiator who starts the idea of rebellion in Animal
Farm. One night, Old Major calls for the animal assembly and send That is my message to
you, comrades: Rebellion (p. 9) to all animals in the minor farm. Old Major is an aging boar
who gives the speech to all animals about Animalism and start the idea rebellion. The idea of
rebellion is about equality and freedom. Moreover, he seems to be the most respected animals
in the farm as same as Vladimir Lenin, leader of Bolshevik Party in Russian revolution, who
starts the idea of Communist in Soviet Union. Both Old Major and Lenin are the idealist who
wants to create their own ideal government. Between Communist and Animalism, both have
the same idea about equality. Communist focuses on the equality of people while Animalism
focuses on the equality of animals
During Revolution, Lenin gives speech that We of the older generation may not live
to see the decisive battle of this coming revolution (Chamberlin, 1967, p. 4), reflecting on his
uncertainty of life that he is not sure he can be with his officers until the end of the revolution

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or not. This situation directly matches with Old Majors speech before his death, I do not
think, comrades, that I shall be with you for many months longer, and before I die, I feel it my
duty to pass to you such wisdom as I have acquired (p. 6). Three nights later, Old Major dies
peacefully in his barn and his skull has been placed publicly on the top of the farm as same as
Lenins body as elaborates in BBC (2014) that his body was embalmed and placed in public
at Moscows Red Square. For all the respects both of them have gained from their citizens,
they both get honored after their deaths.
At the beginning of Animal Farm, Orwell describes pigs as the cleverest of all
animals (p. 15). This lead to the way pigs take over and control the farm. Three significant
pigs, Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer, play an important in this novel. They set up the
meeting and begin to force animals to do work and use power to control them. According to
Letemendia (1992) statement, what you get over and over again is the movement of the
proletariat which is promptly canalized and betrayed by astute people at the top, and then the
growth of a new governing class. The one thing that never arrives is equality. This parallel to
the situation in novel that after pigs become leader of the farm, other animals have to harvest
crop. Foods are the main motivation to motivate animals to do work because they feel that
when Mr. Jones own the farm, they do not have enough foods which pigs are the one who
control the food supply.
Since Animal Farm is a parody of the Russian Revolution, Joseph Stalin is portrayed
through the character Comrade Napoleon, who ruled the minor farm. During Russian
Revolution, Stalin was the tyrant of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and the
leader of Menshevik party during Russian Revolution. In 1912, after Lenin was exiled to
Switzerland, he wanted Stalin to take the power and become the first Central Committee of
Bolshevik Party (History, 2009). Similarly, Napoleon is the first leader of Minor after Mr.
Jones is overthrown. Characterization of both Stalin and Napoleon are somewhat similar in the

RUSSIAN POLITICIANS AS PIGS

way both of them are dictatorship. Napoleon begins to take the power in the farm by exiling
Snowball out of the farm. Furthermore, he has his own privilege beyond other animals in the
farm such as eating sugar, sleep well on Mr. Jones bed, dining with Mr. Jones dishes.
Additionally, Napoleon opposes Snowballs plan to build the windmill. At first, he does
not want the windmill at all as Orwell mentions Napoleon produced no schemes of his own,
but said quietly that Snowballs would come to nothing, and seemed to be biding his time (p.
48). Once the story continues, Napoleon sees the importance of the windmill to the farm, so he
steals this idea from Snowball. This is similar to Stalin during Russian Revolution that he steals
the idea of five year plans from Trotsky as for Lavender (2015) once mentions, But Stalin
soon dropped his disagreement and adopted Lenins line. Conversely, at the end of the novel,
Napoleon changes his mind about the windmill and lead other animals to build the windmill
which make other animals surprised to hear Napoleons thought about the windmill.
Napoleons power to control the farm allows him to remain his power and be the great leader
of the farm.
Orwell uses the allegorical as a tool to represent Snowball as Leon Trotsky. Snowball
is the pig who follows the Old Majors tenet and he is the one who other animals in the farm
expect him to be the next leader after the death of Old Major. Similar to Trotsky, he is the
second only to Vladimir Lenin as for BBC (2014) mentions He see himself as Lenins heir
apparent. According to Shubin (2001, p. 59), The Bolsheviks nevertheless managed to form
a new army, the RKKA (Workers and Peasants Red Army. Trotsky gains support from
Bolshevik party and form his own army which is called Red Army. He leads the Red Army
to against the White Russian forces in Russian civil war (BBC, 2014) while Snowball is the
leader who organizes animal army to fight with humans.
Snowball is also Napoleons opposition. They always fight and against the idea of each
other. However, Snowball seems to win the loyalty from others animal in the farm;

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nevertheless, Snowball is exiled during his speech at the farm by Napoleon. Napoleon orders
his own nine secretary dogs to drive Snowball out of the farm as mentioned in page 53,
nine enormous dogs wearing brass-studded collars came bounding into the barn. They dashed
straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their snapping
jaws. Snowball is exiled to the nearby farm as same as Trotsky who is exiled to Soviet Central
Asia. This is an obvious sign to compare an exile of Snowball with the assassination of Trotsky
while he is in Mexico which this assassination is ordered by Stalin (BBC, 2014). As one can
clearly see, Snowball is used to criticize the action of Leon Trotsky who follows the direction
of Lenin in Soviet Union.
Propaganda plays an important role in Animal Farm written by Orwell. Squealer, the
brilliant pig, acts as the propaganda and spokesperson for Napoleon. Whenever other animals
wonder about Napoleons action, Squealer always convinces animals that Napoleon is doing
the best thing for them as mentioned in page 57, That evening Squealer explained privately
to the other animals that Napoleon had never in reality been opposed to the windmill. Even
the windmill plan is originated by Snowball which Squealer knows the truth wholeheartedly
but he still takes Napoleons side and conveys other animals by using persuasive language to
change animals thought that Napoleon sacrifices his life for the farm.
During Russian Revolution, propaganda influences the belief of people. There are many
posters around Soviet Union that change the way people think. According to Bryan (2010),
Propaganda also built up a cult of personality around Stalin, portraying him as beloved father
of the Soviet Union. Under Stalin, the purpose of Soviet propaganda became the glorification
of the State, its policies, and its leader. This is related to the situation which propaganda is
used to build up the community among animals about inequality that they do not get from
Napoleon but Squealer is able to turn black into white. The use of propaganda goes into
animals mind and it is sure that they accept his explanation without any doubt.

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The main characters, pigs, in the novel are relevant metaphor for the Russian politicians
during the revolution. First, Old Major introduces the idea of rebellion to other animals same
as Lenin. Second, Napoleon is dictator who rules the farm as same as Stalin. Third, Snowball
gains supports from Lenins side similar to Trotsky. Lastly, Squealer is used as the propaganda
to persuade other animals during the revolution. Every idea in Orwells novel shows the
negative aspects toward Russian Revolution relates to the idea of inequality. Even though, all
the characters in the novel are all animals and it may seem unintelligent, Orwell can convey to
readers an understanding that humans are like animals when power are embedded in their mind.

RUSSIAN POLITICIANS AS PIGS

References
BBC. (2014). Leon Trotsky (1879 1940). Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/trotsky_leon.shtml
BBC. (2014). Vladimir Lenin (1870 1924). Retrieved from
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/lenin_vladimir.shtml
Bryan, A. (2010). The Soviet Poster Collection. Retrieved from
http://www.reeec.illinois.edu/teachers/lesson/documents/soviet_posters.pdf
Chamberlin, W. (1967). The First Russian Revolution. The Russian Review, 26(1), 4-12.
Joseph Stalin. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin
Lavender, W. (2015). History and The Emergence of Bolshevik Strategy For The 1917
Russian Revolution. Culture & Religion Review Journal, 2015(2), 50-56.
Letemendia, V. (1992). Revolution on Animal Farm. Journal of Modern Literature, 18(1),
127.
Shubin, A. (2001). Russian Revolution and the Bolshevik Dictatorship. Journal of Russian &
East European Psychology, 39(6), 41.