Allegory

Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution

George Orwell intended Animal Farm to be an allegory about the Russian Revolution and the following rise of the Soviet Union. In this section you can read a brief summary of the historical events. Afterwards we will give a detailed overview of how these events correspond to the story of Animal Farm.

In response to a long period of poverty and Russia’s disastrous involvement in WWI, the people rose up against Tsar Nicholas II, who was forced to step down during the February Revolution of 1917 (and was later executed along with his wife and daughters).

The February Revolution was followed by the October Revolution led by Vladimir Lenin, which ev…

...

Events

In Animal Farm

In Russian history

The Rebellion against Jones

The Russian Revolution (1917)

The pigs taking the best food for themselves

The communist government and the Red Army taking food from Russian farmers (‘forced requisitioning’) (1918-1922)

Snowball’s defeat and exile

Trotsk…

...

Characters

In Animal Farm

In Russian history

Mr. Jones

Tsar Nicholas II

Old Major

Karl Marx and/or Vladimir Lenin

Napoleon

Josef Stalin

Snowball

Leon Trotsky

Squealer

A minister in Stalin’s government, possibly Vyacheslav Molotov. Also government propa…