George Orwell's 'animal Farm' As A Piece Of Dystopian Fiction

Biswas 1

Stella Chitralekha Biswas CL-614 Discourses of Otherness and the National Imaginary: Canada and India M.Phil in Comparative Literature Enrollment no.: 16301103 Central University of Gujarat 3rd November, 2016 George Orwell’s Animal Farm as a Piece of Dystopian Fiction The genre of dystopian fiction is one in which the setting is completely opposed to that of the writer’s ethos such as the portrayal of extreme poverty, regressive state control, oppression, mistrust and suspicion, dehumanization, totalitarian governmental regimes, environmental disasters and the like. Being contrary to the idea of an ideal, utopic world, dystopia tends to highlight the picture of a negative or unfavorable society, often with pessimistic views directed against a brutal government ruling with an ‘iron fist’ against which resisting groups emerge to effect changes. Dystopian literature “provide fresh perspectives on problematic social and political practices that might otherwise be taken for granted or considered natural and inevitable” (Booker 1994). George Orwell’s celebrated political satire Animal Farm which was published in 1945 is a brilliant example of dystopian fiction written with allegorical intonations and reflecting upon the Russian Revolution of 1917 which was followed by the Stalinist regime of the Soviet Union. It shows how the ideologies of a society can be manipulated and changed by individuals, making revolutionaries turn into tyrants and liberation movements into totalitarian dictatorships.

Biswas 2

The novella recounts the story of some animals on a farm who, inspired by their initial leader Major, a “prize Middle White boar” (Orwell 1) who dies early in the novel, dream of a better future for themselves devoid of human beings in general and riddance from their master Mr. Jones in particular. They initially succeed in their efforts to drive the latter out and gain ownership of the farm. However, a persisting rivalry ensues between the two new aspiring leaders on the farm— the pigs Snowball and Napolean. The former is viewed as possessing a more educated mind, inspiring the animals towards rebellion for freedom and laboring for their own prosperity. The latter appears to be lazy initially but it turns out that he is of the shrewd, scheming type who hatches a long thought-out plan to overthrow Snowball, portray him as a traitor in the eyes of other animals and gain complete authority over the farm and the animals for his own selfish greed. Along with his pact of other cunning pigs and ferocious dogs, he changes the condition of the farm to the worst with all their corruption, abuse and lust for power. He uses the farm harvest produced by the sweat of the hardworking animals for the sole use of pigs and dogs as well for commercial purposes. His pact rarely indulge in any other useful work on the farm rather than doling out orders, commands and brutality. Much to the horror of the animals under his leadership, he even indulges in trade relations with Man, once proclaimed as their worst enemy. His sycophantic followers are on the constant move to justify his wrongful acts and unjust decisions, cleverly manipulating the miserable farm animals with falsely-devised hopes and fears. He even goes to the extent of ruthlessly killing those who are against him as well as murdering those who have no use left for his self-centered motives. By the time the novel comes to an end, the other animals are in utmost misery, confusion, anxiety and dilemma as to whether their condition would be better with or without Mr. Jones.

Biswas 3

It can be clearly understood from a reading of the novel as to how the idea of a utopia which had originally been a vision to Old Major becomes warped, twisted and deformed to give rise to a dystopic situation which worsens gradually. Old Major had dreamed of a golden future which was then sought after by the animals in real life. Although a sort of solidarity is initially proclaimed among all animals and the commandments of the future society free from the hated tyranny of man established, yet it soon becomes evident that the pigs start abusing their power as leaders and exploiting the other animals for achieving their own personal ends. Since these pigs enjoy the privilege of being the only ones properly educated among the lot, they start manipulating the other animals for their own benefit. Fear is the most crucial tool which these pigs use, especially when Napolean is in leadership, to indoctrinate and achieve ultimate control over the lives of the other animals. This becomes all the more enhanced due to the gullibility and submissive attitudes of these animals with uneducated minds who are prone to perpetual fear regarding the re-establishment of the earlier regime of Man. The fear instilled within their minds leave them blind to gauge the real situation of their lives and subjugate their freedom to the rigorous control of the pigs who quickly transform from benevolent protectors into murderous tyrants. They slave and suffer day-in and day-out unquestionably, unable to voice out their own opinions or fight for their dreams because their rebellion is curbed by the manipulative, powerthirsty pigs who use their superior intellect and similar devious means to rule over them. The animals had initially hoped to be able to enjoy the fruits of their own labor and be content with their lives: “…the animals were happy as they had never conceived it possible to be” (Orwell 20). The utopia which they had imagined for themselves as being established by the seven commandments of Animalism which they deem as most important for the preservation of their society, melts away before their own eyes. Although vaguely uneasy about the unfavorable

Biswas 4

changes occurring within their lives through the breaking down of the commandments one by one and the falsities perpetuated by the dominating pigs, they do not voice out any protest due to fear of both the old regime as well the new leaders. Their lack of education which seems a deliberate stratagem on the part of the pigs render them incapable of voicing any opinion. Their own freedom is severely distorted and purposely left undefined by the establishment of a totalitarian regime by a few privileged pigs who centralize their power just like the humans before to rule over the majority of helpless farm animals. Boxer, the horse’s slogans “I will work harder” and “Napolean is always right” (Orwell 49) became the trademark of all these animals on the farm who suffer from the strongest emotion of fear. They become so starkly incapable of lifting themselves up from this ruinous fate that they seem to almost forget the first promises made when a utopia was proposed to be established. They have basically surrendered themselves totally to the new regime, putting aside their dreams of a free, glorious future. Their attitude to life was now based upon hard work and frugality. The final scene of “a pig walking on its hind legs” (Orwell 96) with the description of Napolean who “carried a whip in his trotter” (Orwell 96) makes the stark reality open itself up in its terrifying form in front of their eyes. They realize that “the pigs have become oppressors, remade in the image of actual evil” (Sapkie 10). There is now no distinction between their former oppressor, Mr. Jones and their now self-proclaimed protector, Napolean as well as in the society in which they lived before and the one which they had toiled to create but failed. Even the sheep start bleating that “Four legs good, two legs better” (Orwell 97) in a radical change from the former “Four legs good, two legs bad” (Orwell 26). They realize that this is not the world for which they toiled untiringly and uncomplainingly. The single commandment of “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS” (Orwell 97) make them realize that instead of living and dying for a

Biswas 5

just society, they have expelled one tyrant in order to suppressed by another from their own ranks. The ultimate card-playing scene depicts the animals as they “looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again: but already it was impossible to say which was which” (Orwell 102). The real face of their dystopic world “reveals the disillusionment of the working beasts with their porcine leaders” (Letemendia 129) but whether they will be able to rebel once again still remains an unanswered question. Orwell therefore wonderfully illustrates the degree of delusion and gullibility of people who obey totalitarian leaders as well as the terrible consequences of such regimes. Propaganda, manipulation and fear which serves as “the main inspirational source for the majority of dystopian novels” (Akman 76) is replete within Animal Farm as well. This novel was actually “designed to parody the betrayal of Socialist ideals by the Soviet regime” (Letemendia 127) by Orwell, becoming a universal model for a utopian society transformed into a dystopian one due to specific factors which are universal as well. It depicts the “betrayal of liberty in the name of ‘equality’ and false fraternity of collectivism” (White 85) that the minority of the pigs impose upon the majority of the farm animals.

Biswas 6

WORKS CITED: Akman, Kubilay. “Distopian Furcations in Modern Literature”. Dimensium Spirituale ale Literaturii si Sociologiei Moderne 26.1-2 (2015): 73-79. Web. 2 Nov 2016. Booker, Keith M. The Dystopian Impulse in Modern Literature. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994. Print. Letemendia, Veronica Claire. “Revolution of Animal Farm: Orwell’s Neglected Commentary”. Journal of Modern Literature 18.1 (1994): 127-137. EBSCO host. Web. 2 Nov 2016. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Penguin Group, 2013. Print. Sapkie, Polly. “Freud’s Notion of the Uncanny in ANIMAL FARM”. The Explicator 69.1 (2011): 10-12. Web. 2 Nov 2016.