1984 and Animal Farm: A Comparison

As the final vestiges of World War Two were swept away with the Yalta Conference and the surrender of Japan, a new world problem loomed on the horizon. Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, wanted to protect his country from further invasions by establishing Communist governments in surrounding nations, while the United States wished for freedom and democracy to spread into the war-torn countries of Europe. With war meaning the end of civilization, these two superpowers stopped short of traditional battle. The Cold War was begun.

George Orwell, a British author born Eric Blair, watched these events unfold and saw in them the possibility of a grim future. In 1946, he published Animal Farm as a warning against Stalinism, and followed up with 1984, masterfully illustrating a potential future that could occur should nations continue down their respective paths. Both these works paint a gloomy picture of what could be.

Animal Farm shows the evolution of a totalitarian government from its well-intentioned beginnings, whereas 1984 begins after the Party has been in place for a few decades. They carry many of the same characteristics, despite the difference in beginnings, that are parallel to what actually happened in Russian history. Animal Farm's timeframe allows it to represent more aspects than 1984. The book opens with old Major describing a revolution that could happen someday and stating that the animals' oppression will not end until they take control of the farm; Major represents Karl Marx who advocated a revolution of the working class. The actual revolution and the ousting of Farmer Jones represents the actual Russian Revolution and the removal of Czar Nicholas II.

Neither of the books illustrates the Lenin period but instead jump into the Stalin and Trotsky conflict. In Animal Farm, Napoleon and Snowball are the leaders of the rebellion, just as in 1984, Big Brother and Goldstein are the leaders. All three of the rebellions establish a Communist society. Animal Farm's Snowball also led the animals in the Battle of the Cowshed to maintain their independence; Trotsky organized the Red Army to acquire and maintain the Bolsheviks' supremacy. In Russian history, after Lenin's death, both Stalin and Trotsky vied for the leadership of the country. Stalin won and exiled Trotsky to Siberia and became the dictator of Russia. Both Goldstein and Snowball suffered the same fate of exile.

Animal Farm, since it illustrates the beginning of the revolution, is able to detail it more clearly. The cooperation of Snowball and Napoleon is shown early on, similar to Stalin's and Trotsky's cooperation under Lenin. The animals send out pigeons to spread the news of rebellion to the other farm, and it seems as if these pigeons ceased to fly following the exile of Snowball. This echoes the Russian example of Stalin wanting to strengthen communism in Russia and Trotsky arguing for more Communist rebellions in other countries ("Trotsky," 412).

Following the assumption of absolute power, Stalin executed thousands for supposed disloyalty during the 1930's and 1940's. This action is also paralleled in both books. Napoleon elicits false confessions from various animals and executes many. In 1984, Winston recalls the great purges of the 50's and 60's. Later in Stalin's life, he pulled out of the public view but was just as controlling as ever. Toward the end of Animal Farm, "Napoleon himself was not seen in public as often as once in a fortnight" (p89), and in 1984, no one had actually seen Big Brother for quite some time.

As Stalin grew more distant, he was portrayed "as a father figure" and his image was omnipresent ("Stalin," 762). Napoleon was constantly talked about, sung about, and credited with success. His image is also painted on the barn alongside the Seven Commandments. The comparison is more striking in 1984, in which the leader is titled Big Brother, and everyone honors and venerates him. The almost godlike qualities Big Brother seems to have is closer to Lenin, but his ubiquitous image is like Stalin.

At this point, the books diverge from Russian history, though not from each other. The animals are pitted against two different farms, and are always allied with one or the other. In 1984, there is a perpetual war going on among Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Just as in Animal Farm, the alliances periodically shift. Both books detail the erasing and changing of history: Squealer constantly repaints the Seven Commandments in Animal Farm, whereas Winston Smith himself is one of the many who alter history for the Party. Both books also contain characters who can't remember what the truth really is and are thus persuaded to believe what they are told to believe. The constantly changing Battle of the Cowshed in Animal Farm and the inventions claimed by the Party in 1984 are examples of history being altered with few realizing it.

Both books make it clear that the ruling members - the Inner Party for 1984 and the pigs in Animal Farm - take many privileges denied to the rest of society. O'Brien, a member of the Inner Party, has access to real food and not rations. The pigs sleep in the farmhouse, drink alcohol, and get the best of the crops. The ruling group continually reduces the rations in each while reading escalating figures of production to appease the masses. The lower animals, such as the sheep, and the proles are oblivious and seem to think everything is fine. The smarter animals, such as Clover and Boxer, and the Outer Party members, like Winston and Julia, are aware that something is amiss and can see the corruption of the government, but have no idea how to change it.

1984 elaborates more on certain details of Russian history. The Ministry of Love, in which people are tortured and forced to labor, draws its source from the forced labor camps in Russia during the thirties. Winston also ruminates on the various plans of the party to increase production, similar to Stalin's various Five-Year Plans. The abbreviations used, such as Minipax and Minitrue, are reminiscent of Soviet and Nazi abbreviations such as Gestapo and Comintern.

The books, written with similar styles and purposes in mind, differ in their focus. Animal Farm's focus seems to be on the society itself and how it changes; 1984, while also painting a totalitarian society, is more of a story of Winston than of the Party. Animal Farm shows how despite a revolution, the new government was worse than the first, just as the Communist dictatorship was ultimately worse for the Russian people than the rule of the czar that they overthrew. 1984, while establishing a setting for Winston, details his trysts with Julia and his efforts at turning from conformity.

Both Animal Farm and 1984 are warnings to a troubled world in a time that witnessed the horror of both the Nazi and Stalinist regimes in Europe. The well-informed reader will observe the sobering parallels between their stories and actual history, and the casual reader will understand the meaning of the stories even without their historical ties. Orwell's simple writing style makes the stories easy to grasp, and his Swift-esque details make them all the more vivid. These timeless classics can continue to instruct the generations to come on the potential horrors of totalitarian governments.

Sources

"Lenin, V. I." New Standard Encyclopedia, 1985. Vol. 8, pp156-157.

"Marx, Karl." New Standard Encyclopedia, 1985. Vol. 9, pp167-168.

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company Inc. 1949.

Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company Inc. 1946.

"Stalin, Joseph." New Standard Encyclopedia, 1985. Vol. 14, pp761-762.

"Trotsky, Leon." New Standard Encyclopedia, 1985. Vol. 15, p 412.

"Union of Soviet Socialist Republics." New Standard Encyclopedia, 1985. Vol. 16, pp 63-67.