Discuss, in your own words, the element of Symbolism in 'Animal

Discuss, in your own words, the element of Symbolism in ‘Animal Farm’.

George Orwell used some symbols in this novel ‘Animal Farm’ as the part of his satire. Discuss it in your own words.

The writer made use of Personifications in the form of Symbolism. Discuss it.

How did the windmill become the object of conflict between Napoleon and Snowball? Discuss it.

The writer had made use of some ceremonies as Symbolism. Discuss it.

The symbolic representations were identified with Sugar-candy Mountain by the writer in ‘Animal Farm’. Discuss it.

Ans.

Introduction

After reading the story of this novel ‘Animal Farm‘ written by George Orwell we note that the writer had made use of the element of satire in the form of symbolism. The symbols were not accepted by the public for their true meaning but they became significant by the context in which they were used. The symbols may be called the satiric force of the writer. It is true that his satire was directed against Russia and its communist policies under the pretext of human welfare. ‘Animal Farm’ shows the reality of the writer’s symbolism.

The use of some symbols in ‘Animal Farm’ by the writer as an element of satire

George Orwell had made use of a number of symbols in his novel as the part of his satire as well as to include his ideas to communicate. Some of them were related to the human beings and the evil which they represented to the animals about the house, whips and walking on two legs. At first these symbols were related only to Jones. When the pigs used them towards the end of the novel, they showed how the pigs had become indistinguishable from the animals of their former master.

There were some other symbols which were related completely to the life in the society of Animal Farm like the green flag and the windmill. It is necessary to mention that the windmill was very important in the story of the novel with different meanings. In the beginning it represented the eyes of Snowball showing the success and good life of the animals. Later that windmill became the cause of conflict between Snowball and Napoleon and their respective groups. Later it represented the hard labour which Napoleon used to take from the animals.

Personifications as Symbols

The study of the story of the novel ‘Animal Farm’ shows the picture of the animals as symbols. The farm house, the pigs walking on two legs, the seven commandments changed by Napoleon, fancies and the needs represent the humans. The farm house which was the property of Jones changed into the property of the animals. Later the pigs received power and they misused the farm house with greed and zeal forgetting the animal maxim that “all animals are equal.” In this way, the farm house was transformed from the symbol of equality into the farm house of manipulation. The farm house really was the slaughter house of other animals. In that way ‘Animalism’ fell down showing that “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

The Windmill as a Symbol

The windmill showed the symbol as the ideal of Old Major as used by Snowball but that symbol changed its meaning with the progress of the plot of the novel. It became the subject of conflict between Snowball and Napoleon. Both Snowball and the animals of his group suffered from the terror from Napoleon and the dangerous dogs and others of his group. In this way, the windmill turned into a symbol of exploitation under which the animals had to put very hard labour.

Some ceremonies as Symbol

Some ceremonies or the rituals of parades and singing as symbols after the use of the gun and the flag aimed at erasing the sensibility to equality which the animal rulers (pigs) had made use of. It was the target as the main concern of the pigs as administrators. It showed their hunger for power because socialism was only an apology and nothing more. For example, the ‘Battle of Cowshed’ showed the atmosphere of Animalism which was related with the birth of the Soviet Union after the Tsarist regime. It had been already said that “power leads to absolute power which corrupts absolutely.” Such battle turned the animals into a very low position.

Deviation from Animalism

The Suga candy Mountains, Ribbons, Milk and Alcohol show other symbols alongwith the major symbols which do not show any evidence of relationship in their representations by George Orwell. Other critics relate them to the fact of perfect reality in life as in the Sugar-candy Mountain. The propaganda was looked down upon by critics as the writer’s castigation of Christianity. All these words like Ribbons, Sugar-candy, Milk and Alcohol are the symbols of riches and prosperity which the pigs as administrators were inclined to follow the ideals of the Soviet Union.

Conclusion

The other discussion does not show George Orwell as a pacifist. All the characters like Old Major, Snowball and Napoleon are the part of the violent revolution which had started on account of the widespread discontent of animals which had been working under Animalism, a corollary of Marxism. It could not be related to any exercise of argument with humans. There was enmity between the pigs and other animals. The danger of ‘Animal Farm’ was that the real values of Animalism (Democracy) had lost its effect due to the wrong acts of the pigs as administrators. George Orwell aimed at such real values of democracy in his present novel ‘Animal Farm’ as an allegorical story. It also showed opportunism in place of humanism related to the concern of Soviet Russia.