Compare And Contrast 1984 And Animal Farm

Superior Essays
Most books usually convey a message to their audience. For example, many dystopian novels convey how not to govern, how not to behave as a society. Some of the novels are based on real events, real societies and governments that existed when the book was written, like communist regimes for instance. Two of the most famous dystopian novels are Animal Farm and 1984. Surely, these two books have a lot in common like how both books were set in England, written by George Orwell, and based on the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. Despite their similarities, both books have many differences as well. Animal Farm and 1984 differ in characters, plot, and society in the book.
Animal Farm and 1984 differ in their characters. In Animal Farm many of the characters represent real life people. Four of the main characters
…show more content…
In Animal Farm, inspired by Old Major and his ideas of Animalism, the animals on Manor Farm overthrow Mr. Jones and establish Animal Farm. At first, Animal Farm is a utopia for animals, as each animal supports one another, their work is for themselves and not for humans, and all animals are equal. Later on, however, the pigs take advantage of their power and the other animals and the animals in Animal Farm suffer more than they had under Mr. Jones. The most important aspect of Animal Farm is that it is a satirical allegory of the Soviet Union from the February Revolution to the Tehran Conference. The expulsion of Mr. Jones represents the February Revolution, the Battle of the Cowshed represents the Russian Civil War, the expulsion of Snowball represents the exile of Trotsky and the rise of Stalin, the building of the windmill and the industrialization of the farm represent Stalin’s Five-year plans, the Battle of the Windmill represents the Eastern Front of World War II, and the feast with the pigs and the humans at the end of the novel represents the Tehran Conference (“Animal Farm Symbolism, Imagery,

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    Animal Farm Symbolism

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In Thomas C. Foster’s best-selling book, How to Read Literature like a Professor, readers learn about symbols used to tell a deeper story and enrich a theme. Foster employs his lengthy experience as a teacher and avid reader to enlighten readers about how to recognize and decode cryptic, “between-the-lines” writing. Likewise, he also identifies several key phrases and messages to search for within text. These flags may be related to setting, plot, or characters, but can be analogous to moods, biblical tales, and mythological entities. For example, Foster discusses how most works have political undertones, represented through different symbols and objects.…

    • 693 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The revolution in Animal Farm was led by Snowball, Leon Trotsky, and Napoleon, Joseph Stalin. After the revolution the pigs assumed power and to legitimize themselves they made the Battle of Bullshead a holiday and would have the animals sing “Beasts of England.” The Russian comparison was making the October Revolution a holiday and had the song “Anthem for the Soviet Republic.” In both holidays the animals or people were encouraged to participate. Snowball was scapegoated, blamed for the farm’s problems and chased off the farm by Napoleon’s dogs.…

    • 784 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Dystopian Generations of Orwell’s 1984 and Dashner’s The Maze Runner Dystopian novels have defined culture for generations by warning of a doomed future. Dystopian literature portrays a world in which control is maintained on the corporate, governmental, technological, and a form of ideology. Two novels from separate generations, George Orwell’s 1984 and James Dashner’s The Maze Runner share warnings of an unsettling future by presenting similar characteristics of society, societal control, and the role of the protagonist. Terri Chung’s “Dystopian Literature Primer” defines the characteristics of a dystopian novel with a society that has a control of propaganda; restrictions on information, thought and freedom; a worshipped figurehead;…

    • 1730 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Connector and researcher I connected Animal Farm to the Holocaust. I think that they are similar in many ways. The first connection was between the Jewish people and Mr. Jones. In order to make the perfect world (or farm) they thought they had to get rid of these people. When it turned out that they were wrong and they were not bad people at all.…

    • 1006 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Three younger pigs become in charge: Napoleon, Squealer, and Snowball. These three pigs formulate Old Major’s vision into a principle called Animalism. In the Russian Revolution once the main leader died three more men stepped up to follow through with the dream of communism which is in comparison with “Animalism” in the book. As Mr.Jones, also looked at as Czar Nicholas II, came to retrieve the farm he was ran off and overthrown by the animals. After this happened Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer set their plans up not knowing that each one had a different mindset of how to run the farm.…

    • 2099 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Both envision dystopian worlds. Both take place in the future. Both revolve around an ordinary man in his thirties with a common name who has a crucial role within his oppressive government and realizes the flaws of his society. Both men desperately seek knowledge and truth. Both men want to enlighten the ignorant members of his society.…

    • 883 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Fahrenheit 451 and 1984 After reading the dystopian novels of 1984 by George Orwell and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, one can see numerous similarities and differences between the two novels. In 1984 the protagonist, Winston, has a strong desire to withdraw himself and challenge the dystopian society, but is lost without a helping hand. In Fahrenheit 451, the main protagonist, Guy Montag (referred to as Montag), has the same urges as Winston, but is substantially more proactive about it. This raises the important question of, how are 1984 and Fahrenheit, so similar, but so different?…

    • 849 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When the rebellion ends the animals start to work for their own benefit and not a leader. Animal Farm connects to the Russian Revolution by how Karl Marx beliefs in Communism. This book also connects because of all the characters. Examples of this include Mr. Jones or Czar Nicholas II, Old Major…

    • 1549 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In ways Animal farm and Chicken Run are different but are alike at the same time because both stories have the same plot which is being neglected by owners. One farm stays and realizes the mistakes they have made. And the other goes over a fence to live a better life with their families. They both meet their goals but is one farm actually happy about the decision they choose?…

    • 428 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Aside from the obvious species differences in the characters of Animal Farm and 1984 (animals and humans), the characters of both books offer an interesting comparison. Napoleon, great leader of the animal rebellion, mirrors many of the authority figures in 1984, such as Big Brother, leader of the Party, or O’Brien, member of the privileged Inner Party. O’Brien in particular offers a good contrast to Napoleon. Both the pig and the man share the dubious characteristic of hiding behind an identity that promotes hope among the masses. O’Brien pretends to be a member of a secret resistance society, the Brotherhood, and easily fools Winston and Julia into trusting him, ultimately sealing their doom. Napoleon is less subtle, but all of rights…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In the story, the leaders of their communist like society, abuse their authority and in their end the pigs fall from power and ends with a devastating effect. This aspect of the story symbolizes human violence in the today’s culture. In the book the different animal species get separated into social groups according to their intelligence and education. For example in the book the leader of the rebellion are the pigs while the chickens get treated like slaves to the rest. One lesson that is taught in Animal Farm that how the Pigs abused their power to be controlling over the other animals.…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Two of the major events that occur in the story are the fall of the human rule and the farm turning into a dictatorship. In Animal Farm, by George Orwell, there are two characters named Snowball and Napoleon that symbolize Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin. Napoleon and Stalin were both dictators that controlled…

    • 992 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    While both novels are similar in many ways they do have differences. 1984 was a more superior novel than Animal Farm. Big Brother as a leader took everything from his citizens. He never gave them a chance to explain themselves and in the end left everyone of them as nothing. Napoleon as a leader thought he was more superior than others.…

    • 1262 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Animal Farm and 1984 Boar, Horse, Donkey, Winston Smith, Julia and O’ Brien, are you hooked? Want to read the rest of the essay? Animal Farm and 1984 are two of the best novels of George Orwell. In both Animal Farm and 1984, the authority is not to be questioned; those who dare to are punished and considered as traitors. In this comparison essay both Animal Farm and 1984 have corruption of power and political as its background.…

    • 826 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Biographical Lens George Orwell is the author of Animal Farm and he wrote it based off of what was going on in his life at that time. George Orwell was only his pen name because the publisher wanted to conceal his true identity. His real name was Eric Arthur Blair. He wrote Animal Farm in 1944 but it was only published in 1945 because nobody would publish it for its insult to Stalin. In the 1930's Orwell fought for the communists in the Spanish Civil War against their fascist leader.…

    • 504 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics