Who was Stalin?
In the novel Animal Farm, author George Orwell bases the pig Napoleon on autocratic Soviet Dictator Joseph Stalin.
Stalin was born in 1879 in Gori, Georgia to a peasant family. His mother, a devout Russian Orthodox suggested that he go into a seminary to become a priest. Stalin only stayed in the seminary for one year, during which he came into contact with a group that introduced him to socialist texts by figures such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
Although Stalin was never as good an orator as Lenin or as intellectual as Leon Trotsky, his real talent lay in organizing people. Through holding meetings and distributing leaflets, Stalin was able to slowly consolidate his grip over the Russian Communist Party.
Stalin did not play an active part in the 1917 overthrow of the Romanovs as he was in exile. In 1922, Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party. Although this was not an important post at the time, he was given control over Party appointments. After Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin embarked on a rapid and radical reorganization of the Communist Party. He then instigated his own reign of terror, getting rid of rivals such as Trotsky and executing the old Communists (Bolsheviks) after hasty public trials. This campaign, known as the Great Purge, essentially brought the Russian Communist Party under Stalin’s control.
From the 1920s-1930s, Stalin managed to reverse Bolshevik policies. He moved to collectivize the farms, bringing peasant farms under state control. Although the rapid shift in agricultural habits led to widespread famine, this move facillitated a period of industrialization that led to the rapid transformation of the Soviet Union from a backward nation of farmers into an economic powerhouse.
In 1939, Stalin, alarmed by the Nazi Party’s rapid rise and expansion, signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Germany. The signing of the pact between such totalitarian regimes came to a surprise to France and Britain. Publicly, this pact stated that the Soviet Union and Germany would not attack each other and that any disputes would be handled in a diplomatic fashion (Rosenberg, n.d) The pact was supposed to last for 10 years; it lasted for less than 2.
When German forces launched a surprise offensive in June 1941, Stalin was completely unprepared for the attack, despite being warned of the incoming invasion by his spies on the eastern front. Although the Soviet Army was initially overwhelmed by the attacks, due to the severe depletion of commanders and forces by the Great Purge, they were able to turn the Germans away from Stalingrad and by 1944, the Russians were liberating other countries in Europe.
Stalin’s suspicion of the West had started shortly after the inception of the Soviet Union (biography.com, n.d) and heightened further after the United States and Britain refused to open up a second front against Germany. This resulted in millions of Russian casualties as German forces advanced further into the Soviet Union
Stalin was born in 1879 in Gori, Georgia to a peasant family. His mother, a devout Russian Orthodox suggested that he go into a seminary to become a priest. Stalin only stayed in the seminary for one year, during which he came into contact with a group that introduced him to socialist texts by figures such as Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin.
Although Stalin was never as good an orator as Lenin or as intellectual as Leon Trotsky, his real talent lay in organizing people. Through holding meetings and distributing leaflets, Stalin was able to slowly consolidate his grip over the Russian Communist Party.
Stalin did not play an active part in the 1917 overthrow of the Romanovs as he was in exile. In 1922, Stalin was appointed General Secretary of the Communist Party. Although this was not an important post at the time, he was given control over Party appointments. After Lenin’s death in 1924, Stalin embarked on a rapid and radical reorganization of the Communist Party. He then instigated his own reign of terror, getting rid of rivals such as Trotsky and executing the old Communists (Bolsheviks) after hasty public trials. This campaign, known as the Great Purge, essentially brought the Russian Communist Party under Stalin’s control.
From the 1920s-1930s, Stalin managed to reverse Bolshevik policies. He moved to collectivize the farms, bringing peasant farms under state control. Although the rapid shift in agricultural habits led to widespread famine, this move facillitated a period of industrialization that led to the rapid transformation of the Soviet Union from a backward nation of farmers into an economic powerhouse.
In 1939, Stalin, alarmed by the Nazi Party’s rapid rise and expansion, signed a Non-Aggression Pact with Germany. The signing of the pact between such totalitarian regimes came to a surprise to France and Britain. Publicly, this pact stated that the Soviet Union and Germany would not attack each other and that any disputes would be handled in a diplomatic fashion (Rosenberg, n.d) The pact was supposed to last for 10 years; it lasted for less than 2.
When German forces launched a surprise offensive in June 1941, Stalin was completely unprepared for the attack, despite being warned of the incoming invasion by his spies on the eastern front. Although the Soviet Army was initially overwhelmed by the attacks, due to the severe depletion of commanders and forces by the Great Purge, they were able to turn the Germans away from Stalingrad and by 1944, the Russians were liberating other countries in Europe.
Stalin’s suspicion of the West had started shortly after the inception of the Soviet Union (biography.com, n.d) and heightened further after the United States and Britain refused to open up a second front against Germany. This resulted in millions of Russian casualties as German forces advanced further into the Soviet Union
Napoleon as Stalin: Why did Orwell choose to portray the character in this way?
Name
Throughout the book, Napoleon morphs from a pig that is 'not much of a talker' to one of the most aggressive faces of Animal Farm. Napoleon the pig is obviously named after Napoleon Bonaparte (also known as Napoleon I).
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a French military and political leader. Although he was initially a liberator, he eventually staged a coup d'état and established himself as First Consul. After a series of of royalist and Jacobin plots, he crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804.
Much like Napoleon Bonaparte and Stalin, Napoleon the pig used any possible methods to consolidate his power. Stalin's consolidation of power can be compared to Napoleon Bonaparte's coronation as Emperor. Although both men appeared as good leaders, they eventually became corrupted by their greed for power.
Napoleon's character and actions
Initially, Napoleon does not play a large role in the revolution. Instead, he is introduced along with Snowball, who is touted as being a 'more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive' (Chapter 2). This parallels with Stalin's involvement in the 1917 overthrow of the Romanovs; although he does not do much at the start, he rapidly rises through the ranks and manages to eventually expel Snowball (Trotsky).
One of Napoleon's first significant actions is to train 'nine sturdy puppies' (Chapter 3) that eventually grow into 'huge dogs' that are as 'fierce-looking as wolves' (Chapter 5). The dogs initially live in 'such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence' (Chapter 3) but the animals soon notice 'that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones', showing Napoleon's cunning and lust for power. Napoleon's trained dogs parallel Stalin's KGB (Soviet Secret Police) and his chasing off of Snowball can be contrasted to Stalin's elimination of Trotsky.
Was Orwell successful?
Through the usage of irony and foreshadowing, Orwell is able to create a truly chilling and evil character in Napoleon. Through indirect characterization and the description of the ignorance of the masses, Orwell manages to paint a terrifying picture of a society where the public is so easily manipulated to follow the direction of one individual. As he tells Animal Farm from a detached third-person perspective, Orwell never directly passes judgement on Napoleon, but he makes it extremely clear to the reader as to his views.
Throughout the book, Napoleon morphs from a pig that is 'not much of a talker' to one of the most aggressive faces of Animal Farm. Napoleon the pig is obviously named after Napoleon Bonaparte (also known as Napoleon I).
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) was a French military and political leader. Although he was initially a liberator, he eventually staged a coup d'état and established himself as First Consul. After a series of of royalist and Jacobin plots, he crowned himself Emperor of France in 1804.
Much like Napoleon Bonaparte and Stalin, Napoleon the pig used any possible methods to consolidate his power. Stalin's consolidation of power can be compared to Napoleon Bonaparte's coronation as Emperor. Although both men appeared as good leaders, they eventually became corrupted by their greed for power.
Napoleon's character and actions
Initially, Napoleon does not play a large role in the revolution. Instead, he is introduced along with Snowball, who is touted as being a 'more vivacious pig than Napoleon, quicker in speech and more inventive' (Chapter 2). This parallels with Stalin's involvement in the 1917 overthrow of the Romanovs; although he does not do much at the start, he rapidly rises through the ranks and manages to eventually expel Snowball (Trotsky).
One of Napoleon's first significant actions is to train 'nine sturdy puppies' (Chapter 3) that eventually grow into 'huge dogs' that are as 'fierce-looking as wolves' (Chapter 5). The dogs initially live in 'such seclusion that the rest of the farm soon forgot their existence' (Chapter 3) but the animals soon notice 'that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones', showing Napoleon's cunning and lust for power. Napoleon's trained dogs parallel Stalin's KGB (Soviet Secret Police) and his chasing off of Snowball can be contrasted to Stalin's elimination of Trotsky.
Was Orwell successful?
Through the usage of irony and foreshadowing, Orwell is able to create a truly chilling and evil character in Napoleon. Through indirect characterization and the description of the ignorance of the masses, Orwell manages to paint a terrifying picture of a society where the public is so easily manipulated to follow the direction of one individual. As he tells Animal Farm from a detached third-person perspective, Orwell never directly passes judgement on Napoleon, but he makes it extremely clear to the reader as to his views.
‘...a few selected animals, mostly sheep, were instructed to remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased.’ -Napoleon’s Initiative and Stalin’s Five-Year Plans
In Chapter 7, the food shortage on Animal Farm continues. In addition to cutting rations and imposing working conditions on the other animals, the pigs have started to liaise with a human solicitor, Mr Whymper to further conduct trade on behalf of the farm. While the other animals are startled by this development, Squealer reminds the puzzled animals that the founding principles of Animal Farm never included any restriction against trade with other humans and implies that if the animals think otherwise, their misconstrued perceptions are due to the lies spread by Snowball. While the animals are working even harder, Napoleon’s own hypocrisy is becoming increasingly apparent as he allows the pigs even greater liberties and indulgences.
In spite of (or because of) Napoleon’s Initiative, food shortages become even more drastic and Napoleon’s remedy to such a problem is to instruct the sheep to ‘remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased’ and to fill up the ‘almost empty bins in the store-shed’ with sand and to cover it up with grain and meal. As a result of these measures, Whymper ‘was deceived and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm’. Orwell never directly tacks a label onto Whymper; however, it gradually becomes clearer over the course of the novel that Whymper represents the Westerners that catered to Soviet interests. Whymper’s biased reports to the human world reflects on the perpetuation of the Soviet myth (i.e wealth and plenty) by these Westerners.
The floundering of Napoleon’s policies parallels with failure of Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans. The Five Year Plans were a radical attempt to propel the Soviet Union into the industrial age. In total, there were thirteen Five-Year-Plans; some of which were carried out successfully and others which failed and were abandoned. Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans brought all industry under state control (Historylearningsite.co.uk, n.d) and emphasized industries such as coal, iron and oil. While the plans did modernize Russia, it was at an appalling human cost and resulted in widespread famine and the deterioration of living standards for the average Russian. Stalin’s policy forbidding negative press resulted in a projection of strength widely accepted by the international community and the full consequences of the failure of certain Five-Year-Plans were hidden for decades.
In spite of (or because of) Napoleon’s Initiative, food shortages become even more drastic and Napoleon’s remedy to such a problem is to instruct the sheep to ‘remark casually in his hearing that rations had been increased’ and to fill up the ‘almost empty bins in the store-shed’ with sand and to cover it up with grain and meal. As a result of these measures, Whymper ‘was deceived and continued to report to the outside world that there was no food shortage on Animal Farm’. Orwell never directly tacks a label onto Whymper; however, it gradually becomes clearer over the course of the novel that Whymper represents the Westerners that catered to Soviet interests. Whymper’s biased reports to the human world reflects on the perpetuation of the Soviet myth (i.e wealth and plenty) by these Westerners.
The floundering of Napoleon’s policies parallels with failure of Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans. The Five Year Plans were a radical attempt to propel the Soviet Union into the industrial age. In total, there were thirteen Five-Year-Plans; some of which were carried out successfully and others which failed and were abandoned. Stalin’s Five-Year-Plans brought all industry under state control (Historylearningsite.co.uk, n.d) and emphasized industries such as coal, iron and oil. While the plans did modernize Russia, it was at an appalling human cost and resulted in widespread famine and the deterioration of living standards for the average Russian. Stalin’s policy forbidding negative press resulted in a projection of strength widely accepted by the international community and the full consequences of the failure of certain Five-Year-Plans were hidden for decades.
"... Sugarcandy Mountain, that happy country where we poor animals shall rest for ever from our labours!"- Moses’ sudden reappearance and the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in Stalinist Russia
Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people-Karl Marx
Prior to Boxer’s death in Chapter 9, Napoleon allows Moses, a raven that ‘did no work’ (p. 78) back on the farm after ‘an absence of several years’ (p. 78). Napoleon’s relationship with Moses can be compared to Stalin’s, and to a lesser extent, the Soviet Union’s relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. At the outset of Animal Farm, the pigs actively discourage the animals from listening to Moses’ messages about Sugarcandy Mountain as they believe that his preaching detracts from the objectives of the revolution. The example of Moses’ parallels Stalin’s views towards religion, as through his dictatorship of the Soviet Union, he tried to replace organized religion with state-sponsored atheism. The sudden reappearance of Moses on the farm can be compared to the Soviets’ exploitation of religion for the regime’s own purposes. The reversal of Napoleon’s policy highlights Stalin’s blatant hypocrisy and cunning-by using religion as a tool to silence the masses, Stalin and Napoleon are able to placate the working class by oppressing and undermining their will to revolt.
Prior to Boxer’s death in Chapter 9, Napoleon allows Moses, a raven that ‘did no work’ (p. 78) back on the farm after ‘an absence of several years’ (p. 78). Napoleon’s relationship with Moses can be compared to Stalin’s, and to a lesser extent, the Soviet Union’s relationship with the Russian Orthodox Church. At the outset of Animal Farm, the pigs actively discourage the animals from listening to Moses’ messages about Sugarcandy Mountain as they believe that his preaching detracts from the objectives of the revolution. The example of Moses’ parallels Stalin’s views towards religion, as through his dictatorship of the Soviet Union, he tried to replace organized religion with state-sponsored atheism. The sudden reappearance of Moses on the farm can be compared to the Soviets’ exploitation of religion for the regime’s own purposes. The reversal of Napoleon’s policy highlights Stalin’s blatant hypocrisy and cunning-by using religion as a tool to silence the masses, Stalin and Napoleon are able to placate the working class by oppressing and undermining their will to revolt.
“Boxer has fallen!”-Boxer's death and the betrayal of the proletariat
In chapter 9, the betrayal of the other animals by the pigs becomes even more apparent as Boxer, the hardworking horse is sent off to the knacker’s and turned into glue. Through this example, Orwell draws parallels with the eventual decline in living standards for the working class. Although the ruling class (the pigs) grew ever more wealthier, the ordinary man (the animals) experienced a decline in quality of life and living standards. The hypocrisy of the pigs becomes even more apparent as they sell off Boxer for profit, as evidenced by his fateful journey to the slaughterers’. By indirectly murdering Boxer for profit, the pigs demonstrate the vices that the Rebellion first fights against-the profit of one by the work of the other. Through this example, Orwell draws comparisons with the pigs’ actions and Mr Jones’ behavior-the selling out of the working class for the benefit of the ruling elite. Although the betrayal of Boxer does not link specifically to one definite event, the eventual deterioration of living standards for the working class reflects on the gradual decrease in quality of life for the common man in the Soviet Union.