George Orwell, perhaps one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century, wrote Animal Farm to personify the failures of Stalin’s communism. In this book, Stalin clearly represents the character Napoleon, a pig who ceases power from Snowball’s true principles to bring about his own version of a utopia, which is not a utopia at all. In this paper, I will attempt to argue that George Orwell did not believe in Stalinist communism, but believed in a true Marxist communism. For my argument I will use solely the text of Animal Farm, because my argument is based solely upon the way Orwell portrays communism in the book.
Whether George Orwell truly believed that a true Marxist communism could possibly exist, is difficult to tell. It seems from Animal Farm that Orwell has very real doubts about the concept ever fully taking shape after Stalin ceases power. For example, at the end of the book all the animals witness with their own eyes that the pigs (Stalin and his regime) have become identical to the humans (Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, and anyone outside of the communist state.) This depiction of even men like Winston Churchill, a clear-cut anti-communist, shows that Orwell’s distaste for the man, or perhaps his beliefs. (Orwell 87-97)
This is where the argument becomes pure speculation, but very factually based speculation at that. Orwell does in fact paint an honest picture for Snowball, showing him to be a person who really had the people (other animals) at hand when making political decisions. He worked with the lowest animals (the lowest were the dumbest), such as the sheep (peasants), and taught them as much as he could. Snowball’s character represents Trotsky. With this pretty picture painted of Trotsky it, can reasonably be assumed, that Orwell admired the character, or perhaps his ideas, in real life.
The final character that supports this argument is that of Old Major, a rather small rolled character in the book, but of no doubt, great importance. Old Major essentially sets the scene for the seizure of Animal Farm via Snowball. His old wisdom clearly portrays Lenin, but holds an essence of Marx as well because Marx created the concept of communism. Old Major’s concepts are seen as liberation from a terrible regime, Mr. Jones and his wife (Tsar and Tsarina of Russia). Orwell’s writing suggests that this was indeed a great and noble movement for the animals, but it was led astray by Napoleon (Stalin).
I have provided several characters and showed their real-life personifications. These characters each clearly support my argument in their own way. I have based nearly all my arguments on fact and from these facts it is clear that George Orwell indeed believed in a true Marxist communistic state if in fact one could ever be obtained.
