Interpretation

The most important thing to understand when analysing Animal Farm by George Orwell is that the entire novel is intended as an allegory of the Russian Revolution, the formation of the Soviet Union, and Josef Stalin’s rise to power. Therefore, almost all characters and events are intended to directly symbolisesomething similar from real life.  

A main theme is therefore the Russian Revolution, but the novel’s scope is not completely limited to this event. More broadly, it is also concerned with the general theme of violent revolutions. There is also a related sub-theme focused on the power of state propaganda, as we frequently zoom in on Squealer’s various efforts to distort or hide the truth about events.

Because of these more general themes, the story’s …