Even
though 's classic novella is often categorized as an , there are certainly
elements of the story that fall under the category of .
A historical allegory
is when a particular work has two "meanings": the first is the literal text, and the
second meaning pertains to political and historical events that the text makes reference to,
even though these events (usually) aren't explicitly mentioned in the text. Therefore,
Animal Farm allegorically represents the events that transpired before the
Russian Revolution of 1917 and the early years of the Soviet Union under Stalin's
reign.
A satirical work, on the other hand, ridicules, criticizes, or exposes
certain aspects of society using humor, , exaggeration, or ridicule; in the case of this novel,
the satirical focus would be political corruption.
There are numerous
satirical elements throughout Animal Farm used to criticize, expose, and
ridicule Stalin and his corrupt authoritarian regime. The fact that the ruling characters are
pigs satirically represents the "repulsive" nature of human tyrants. Even the names of
the characters and their personalities are considered elements of satire.and 's manipulative
propaganda techniques are also satirical of the Soviet Union's corrupt politics. Orwell also
uses the novel to satirize the tenets of communism by demonstrating how Napoleon ironically
manipulates socialist principles in order to oppress and control the other animals.
Orwell cleverly includes elements of satire that work harmoniously with his allegorical
tale of the Russian Revolution and the early years of the Soviet Union as a warning to readers:
he illustrates the dangers of consolidating political authority and the corrupting nature of
power.
