CRITICAL OVERVIEW POLITICAL MEANING The political message of Animal Farm is inspired by the events of the Russian {Bolshevik} Revolution {1917–21}, when Russian peasants overthrew the monarchy in favor of socialism, a political system in which land, business, property, and capital are owned by the community as a whole. In Animal Farm, Orwell {a Socialist} shows the animals' efforts to overthrow human dictatorship and to establish a socialist community in which everyone contributes to the common gain. During the course of the novel, Napoleon takes control, moves socialism in the direction of communism {Stalinism}, a political system in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a "totalitarian" state {dictatorship} dominated by a single political group or party that keeps itself in power. Orwell's intent in writing this fable was to destroy the Soviet {communist} myth of the perfect society and to restore genuine socialist principles. He wanted to show how the original intentions of revolution have all too often been corrupted and perverted by one person or group who, for selfish reasons, seizes power, exploits people, and eliminates all opposition.
( W. John Campbell )
[ The Book of Great Books: A ]
www.QuoteSweet.com