Unit 2: Research Essay

Essay Outline

Name: Chananan Sanamchai (Praew)

Text: Animal Farm
Approach: Historical Context

Thesis: In Animal Farm, George Orwell represent the important people that involved in the Russian Revolution through
the main characters such as Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon.

Context/Summary: George Orwell, or Eric Arthur Blair, his real name, was a British novelist and socialist. One of the
reason that he wrote Animal Farm was because he felt bad for people in the lower class and those who are poor. This
novel is one way of him showing that the power of people who were being oppressed can change the society. Also, this
novel is like a reflection about the Soviet Union after the Russian Revolution. The timeline and characters in Animal
Farm are similar to the timeline and people who play important role in the Russian Revolution. The story in Animal
Farm begins with old Major convincing other animals that they should rebel against human because human is the
reason why they are living in a miserable life. The animal starts the rebellion, creates their own rules, and live on their
own. They are off to a good start but Napoleon, one of the pig, start to take control of everything and act like a human.
Later in the novel, all of the pigs are not different from human at all and other animal do not know the difference
between the pigs and human.

Observation 1: In Animal Farm, Old Major, who is respected by other animal in the farm, is a reflection of Karl Marx
who convinced people in working class to overthrow the upper class and create equality in their society.

Context/Background: Karl Marx was a German philosopher and revolutionary socialist who published “The
Communist Manifesto,” a political pamphlet, which presents about the class struggle and the problems of
capitalism. “The Communist Manifesto” is what Communism based on. Old Major is the one who tells other
animals about his thought towards human and the idea of equality among the animals.

Evidence: “Is it not crystal clear, comrades, that all the evils of this life of our spring from the tyranny human
beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own” (9).
“All animals are equal” (11).
“"The Communist Manifesto," published in 1848 by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, was among the most
influential writings in world history” (Markey, n.d.).
“Marx's writings had a profound impact on Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, who would in turn promote
communist ideas in Russia through publication of a Marxist periodical called "Iskra" -- "The
Spark."” (Markey, n.d.).

Connection to thesis: In the first chapter of the book, Old Major said that all animal should be equal and that
their life are miserable because of humans, which is similar to what Marx discussed in the pamphlet about how
the upper class and capitalism are the problem in their society.
 Transition: George Orwell not only represents Karl Marx with Old Major by how they stimulate others to
revolt, but he also represent Leon Trotsky through Snowball.

Observation 2: Orwell represents Leon Trotsky, who was a leader of the Russian Revolution, through Snowball’s role
during the rebellion and his plan for the farm.

Context/Background: Leon Trotsky was a Marxist revolutionary and a leader of the Russian Revolution.
Trotsky wanted that the revolution will spread to the rest of the world but he was exiled from the Soviet Union
by Stalin. In Animal Farm, Snowball leads other animals during the rebellion and he also has a plan about
using the windmill to get electricity and modernize the farm.

Evidence: “Snowball, who had studied an old book of Julius Caesar’s campaigns which he had found in the
farmhouse, was in charge of the defensive operations” (40).
“After surveying around, Snowball declared that this was just the place for a windmill, which could be made to
operate a dynamo and supply the farm with electrical power” (48).
“In the struggle for power following Vladimir Ilich Lenin’s death, however, Joseph Stalin emerged as victor,
while Trotsky was removed from all positions of power and later exiled (1929)” (Daniels, 2017).

Connection to thesis: At the beginning of the story, Snowball is the one who leads the rebellion against Jones
and his men which is the same as Trotsky, as a leader of the Russian Revolution. Both of them also have a plan
that will improve their country and farm but they were being exiled.

Transition: As Orwell uses Snowball to represent Trotsky, he also represents the person who was on the
opposite side of Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, with Napoleon.

Observation 3: Napoleon, the Berkshire boar who act like an opposition of Snowball, is a representative for Joseph
Stalin, the dictator leader of the Soviet Union.

Context/Background: Stalin was the dictator leader of the Soviet Union from 1929-1953. Under his control,
the society in the Soviet Union became change from peasant society to industrial. Napoleon is a “fierce-
looking” boar who did nit actually follow the words of Old Major but instead take all the advantage and
becomes a dictator. He actually acts more and more like human later in the novel.

Evidence: “They dashed straight for Snowball, who only sprang from his place just in time to escape their
snipping jaws” (53).
“Then he put on an extra spurt and, with a few inches to spare, slipped through a hole in the hedge and was
seen no more” (53).
“He ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped, and decreed that any animal giving so much as a grain of corn to a
hen should be punished by death. The dog saw to it that these orders were carried out. […] Nine hens had died
in the meantime” (76-77).
 Connection to thesis: Orwell presented Napoleon’s characteristic in the very similar to Stalin’s characteristic.
Napoleon is a character that is based on Stalin. Both of them are almost identical because they both are dictator
with someone opposing them that they get rid off later. Napoleon also has the nine dogs that he uses them to
get rid of his enemies or those who would not follow his order which is the same as Stalin and his NKVD or
KGB.

Transitions:

Conclusion: As Orwell had empathy for the lower class, he portrayed those who were involve in the Russian
Revolution through the main characters in Animal Farm. Throughout Animal Farm, the story is parallel to the Russian
Revolution and each character in the story represent people that were involve. Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon are
the main characters that can be clearly seen that they represent Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin,
respectively.