Parody And Irony In George Orwell's Animal Farm
“Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working men of all countries, unite!" Like Marx and many other prominent figures in the Russian Revolution, the animals dreamt of the “Golden Age” when their cruel, human proprietors would be vanquished. Thus the failure of the “Golden Dream” made the Russian revolution a clear target for satire, or, in other words, mocking a historical event, idea, or literary work. The dark, humorous classic Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, draws on parody and irony to mock Communist leadership in Russia and autocratic rulers in general.
The pride and avarice of the pigs, specifically Napoleon, mimic the self-absorbed …show more content…
For instance, a poem written by Minimus praises the “full belly twice a day [and] clean straw to roll upon” that the animals have gained through the “Friend of Fatherless... Comrade Napoleon!” (100) Due to their mindless obedience toward Napoleon’s pigs, the animals believe they are receiving great amounts of food and bountiful sleep as said by the poem. On the contrary, the reader can assume that the farm animals devour minimal amount of rations and have to sleep less and work more. Upon hearing the animals sing Beasts of England, Squealer arrives to announce that the song represented “the Rebellion...[and their] longing for a better society,” and that since the society of the farm has finally been established, “clearly this song has no purpose” (96). Squealer’s opinion about the circumstances of Animal Farm appears to concern only the prosperity of the pigs, for the animals they rule over live in an inferno. As of result, Squealer’s words demonstrate the self-absorbed attitude prominent in the pigs, also pertaining to Stalin’s cult of personality. To make matters worse for the animals, “all the rations were reduced” except for those of the pigs and the dogs, because “a too rigid equality in rations...would [contradict] with the principles of Animalism” (115). Animalism preaches the equality of all the animals, whereas Squealer, under Napoleon’s orders, tells the animals that a similarity in all the animals’ rations would contradict such ideals. Napoleon once again displays the selfishness of the pigs, which in turn parodies Stalin’s drastic reduction of homes, farmland, and food for the farmers and workers. Irony in Animal Farm emphasizes the criticism of Russia and reveals the corruption present in the
The pride and avarice of the pigs, specifically Napoleon, mimic the self-absorbed …show more content…
For instance, a poem written by Minimus praises the “full belly twice a day [and] clean straw to roll upon” that the animals have gained through the “Friend of Fatherless... Comrade Napoleon!” (100) Due to their mindless obedience toward Napoleon’s pigs, the animals believe they are receiving great amounts of food and bountiful sleep as said by the poem. On the contrary, the reader can assume that the farm animals devour minimal amount of rations and have to sleep less and work more. Upon hearing the animals sing Beasts of England, Squealer arrives to announce that the song represented “the Rebellion...[and their] longing for a better society,” and that since the society of the farm has finally been established, “clearly this song has no purpose” (96). Squealer’s opinion about the circumstances of Animal Farm appears to concern only the prosperity of the pigs, for the animals they rule over live in an inferno. As of result, Squealer’s words demonstrate the self-absorbed attitude prominent in the pigs, also pertaining to Stalin’s cult of personality. To make matters worse for the animals, “all the rations were reduced” except for those of the pigs and the dogs, because “a too rigid equality in rations...would [contradict] with the principles of Animalism” (115). Animalism preaches the equality of all the animals, whereas Squealer, under Napoleon’s orders, tells the animals that a similarity in all the animals’ rations would contradict such ideals. Napoleon once again displays the selfishness of the pigs, which in turn parodies Stalin’s drastic reduction of homes, farmland, and food for the farmers and workers. Irony in Animal Farm emphasizes the criticism of Russia and reveals the corruption present in the