George Orwell’s controversial satire novella, Animal Farm, was written in 1945 as an allegory for the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the communist Soviet Union. During that time, Russia was controlled by a monarchy, which caused the working class to suffer significantly under their rule. Orwell recognized this classist ordeal and wrote Animal Farm as a societal reprimand. Russia’s political circumstances developed the main themes of Animal Farm such as the Russian Revolution of 1917, the socialist paradigm, the corrosion of the socialist ideal, and the inevitably of hierarchy.

    The plot of Animal Farm is a direct allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Many similarities lie between the characters and political figures of that time. For example, Snowball represents Leon Trotsky, a famous political leader, and Marxist, while Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, the infamous Russian dictator. These connections are crucial to the development of Orwell’s message to the reader. Another example would be the downfall of capitalism on the farm which slowly transformed from the ideal socialist government to an overbearing totalitarian society. A quote from the novel states, “Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer – except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs” (Orwell 10). The same financial and political exploitation occurred during the Russian Revolution in 1917.

     The civic ideology in this novel suggests complete socialism for a successful society. ‘Animalism’ (the faux government system in Animal Farm) is an analogy for socialism. Snowball, the moral and equitable pig who followed Old Mayor’s original teachings, introduces these principles to the farm, expecting a smooth fundamental integration of the new policies. Yet, he was soon overridden and exiled by his partner, Napoleon. Napoleon then went on to corrupt the rest of the farm with his maxims. Similar circumstances were found during the Russian Revolution leading up to the construction of the Soviet Union, which is how Stalin’s integration of ideals was so successful. Samples from an essay account, “The party elite determined the goals of the state and the means of achieving them in almost complete isolation from the people….Stalin's “revolution from above” sought to build socialism utilizing forced collectivization and industrialization, programs that entailed tremendous human suffering and loss of life” (Zich and Ellis 1).

     Hence, the corrosion of the initial socialist ideal is a critical turning point in the transformation from a successful Orwellian society to a totalitarian dictatorship. This theme appears throughout the novel and history. Furthermore, the creation of the U.S.S.R.  is a pristine example of the thorough corruption of ideals. With the citizen’s well-being in mind, a socialist community was being manufactured, yet with the appearance of Stalin and his party, the original plans were soon discarded. This is similar to Animal Farm’s original code of conduct progressively manipulated by Napoleon and his propaganda department. It only takes minor fundamental modifications to mutate a society completely, yet the process of maintaining ideals can be a difficult ordeal.

     History has repetitively proclaimed the inevitability of hierarchy in authoritative situations. From naturally occurring environmental scales to political ones, hierarchy seems to be a default for humanity's animalistic nature. From the beginning of Animal Farm, a power hierarchy can be detected within the community of animals. Pigs rose to be leaders because of their intellectual advantages, followed by dogs, and then the remaining animals. In history, society seems to revert to hierarchical systems for a sense of stability.

    Animal Farm’s theme was developed by these political situations, such as the Russian Revolution of 1917, the socialist archetype, the corruption of the socialist ideal, and the inevitably of hierarchy. The formation of the Soviet Union was a turning point for Orwell’s creative mind, which formed the final product of Animal Farm. Socialism is a substantial theme throughout the novel and Russia’s political history, as well as the corruption and deceit that comes with it. With the fall of governmental systems, comes the rise of new and ferocious dictators. Overall, Animal Farm is a direct example of historical demise and ruin.