This past September, the 8th grade students had the opportunity to visit A Noise Within theatre in Pasadena to watch their Animal Farm production, after they had read the book in class. The famous allegory parallels the historical events of the Russian Revolution of 1917, as George Orwell reminds readers that history often repeats itself. The show was geared toward students, with a special post-show discussion with the artists. Students then compared the two mediums in an essay, one of which you can read below.
Animal Farm – The Allegory of Corruption and Power
by Eva M.
Pigs taking the place of humans, sheep chanting “Four legs good, two legs bad!”, an intense revolution made by animals against humans…. These are all parts of the book Animal Farm, which continues to teach an important lesson: how history often repeats itself. Based on the original book by George Orwell published in 1945, Animal Farm has been transformed into a theater production by A Noise Within, located in Pasadena. This classic story tells the allegory of the corruption and of tyranny of the Russian government, with fictional characters representing real-world situations and ideas. The book and musical performance each convey the theme of Animal Farm in different, yet compelling styles that have educated and will surely continue to enlighten many generations to come. The main takeaway of this story is about how power can corrupt those in charge quickly.
Corruption comes easily when one is in power, and fear can be used to manipulate others. Shortly after the death of Old Major, and the rebellion against Mr. Jones (owner of Manor Farm), the pigs immediately take charge over the animals, that being two in particular: Napoleon and Snowball. Soon afterwards, the pigs already take the daily supply of milk and apples to be mixed into their mash, saying that they are the “brainworkers” of the farm and “Surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?” (36). During a meeting, Napoleon’s guard dogs drove Snowball off the farm, never to be seen again. The guard dogs instilled fear and growled whenever any animal tried to object to Napoleon. Later in the book, animals gave false confessions of being in league with Snowball due to fear. These animals were slaughtered (in the book, by cutting their throats out, and in the play, by a firing squad), until “the air was heavy with the smell of blood” (84). Napoleon eventually carries whips in his trotters to keep the animals hard at labor, much like Mr. Jones before the rebellion.
Many forms of propaganda were used to influence and control the animals. Shortly after the rebellion, seven unalterable commandments were written on the walls (24-25). However, over the course of the next few years, the rules were changed to better suit what the pigs wanted. The farmhouse had originally been a museum, but when the pigs decided to move in and sleep in the beds, the rule “no animal shall sleep in a bed” was changed to “no animal shall sleep in a bed without sheets” (67). Many other edits were made, and Squealer, who could “turn black into white” (16), always questioned the animals’ memory, convincing them that things were only getting better. The pigs abused the power of uneducated and illiterate followers. For example, Squealer claimed that “Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start” (79), saying that it was written on paper. The animals were unlettered, so they took his word.
By the end of Animal Farm, men and pigs were indistinguishable; pigs took on the habits of mankind. “Four legs good, two legs better!” is a maxim which summarized all seven commandments. Despite this, by the end of the story, the sheep bleated “Four legs good, two legs better!” (134), because the pigs stood on their hind legs. (It must be noted that this change was not made in the play.) In the musical production of Animal Farm, Napoleon appears dressed in a military suit, even if there was a rule against clothing. The pigs drank whiskey, slept in houses, and participated in trade. Napoleon even had a meeting with Mr. Pilkington and his men in the closing scene. Only one commandment was left written on the wall in the end: “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” By using the term “comrades,” it seemed as if pigs were just as equal as the other animals were. However, all evidence showed that animals were no longer equal.
The meaning behind Animal Farm, as previously mentioned, is about the corruption of the Russian government. Each character represents real-life ideas or people; for example, Napoleon portrays Joseph Stalin, who was the leader of Russia after excommunicating Snowball, who represented Leon Trotsky. The gruesome series of public killings when animals gave false confessions parallels Stalin's Purge, where 50,000 to 200,000 people were killed also because of fear and force. Boxer, a sturdy horse, was sold to the knacker’s after being injured while working, and corresponds to the betrayed followers of Communism. Squealer the pig resembles propaganda, and even some minor characters, such as Mollie the mare (who represents wealthy aristocrats) have a meaning. The hoof and horn flag represents the hammer and sickle flag of Russia. The windmill that the animals labored to assemble, but was demolished twice, symbolizes industrialism.
In conclusion, Animal Farm warns people of what can happen when people take hold of power. As previously stated, fear and the power of uneducated and illiterate followers can be used to manipulate people. Propaganda can be used to get away with duplicity, and is used in all types of forms to make the animals believe what Napoleon says. The pigs gradually take on the habits of men until the two are practically identical. This book portrays the Russian Revolution, each event and character representing real-world affairs and people. Based on the original book by George Orwell, this classic story has earned its way into a theater performance at A Noise Within. It is paramount to realize the reality of this fallen world, and Animal Farm helps convey this message in a hidden allegory. This cyclic narrative draws on important takeaway lessons: how history often repeats itself, society’s tendency towards class structure, the danger of uneducated people, and ultimately, how authority can easily lead to corruption.
Works Cited
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York, Signet Classics, 1996, pp. 3-141.