Questions on this topic? Just ask!

Symbolism in Animal Farm

Summary:   Orwell uses the symbols of the farmhouse, the windmill and the seven commandments to exhibit the pigs' extreme power over the other animals on the farm and the ability to manipulate others.

What would a story be like if it did not contain symbolism? Would it be considered a novel, or just a story? In the novel, Animal Farm, different items and places are used as symbols to symbolize meanings that can be related to people in today's society. The symbols that are chosen show the main details and provide the best examples of key points in the novel. In the following paragraphs, Orwell uses the farmhouse, the windmill, and the seven commandments to symbolize the manipulation of the pigs and the diversity of authority between the animals.

In Animal Farm, the farmhouse is an historical place where people or animals of higher authority live. Orwell uses the farmhouse to show the difference of authority between the pigs and the working animals. From the beginning of the novel to the end, the farmhouse is occupied by the people or animals that run the farm. After the rebellion, the pigs gradually become the leaders of the farm and relocate themselves in the farmhouse. "It was about this time that the pigs suddenly moved into the farmhouse and took up residence there." (Orwell, 45) This shows how higher authority is living in the farmhouse and how the pigs slowly take control over the farm. Not only is the farmhouse used for the pigs' residence, but it is also a place of social gathering with humans. "There, round the long table, sat half a dozen farmers and half a dozen of the more eminent pigs, Napoleon himself occupying the seat of honor at the head of the table." (Orwell, 91) The farmhouse is the location where the pigs break all the commandments and alter them to suit themselves. They do this by drinking whiskey, trading with humans, wearing Mr. Jones's clothes and sleeping in beds with sheets.

It did not seem strange when Napoleon was seen strolling in the farmhouse garden with a pipe in his mouth-no, not even when the pigs took Mr. Jones's clothes out of the wardrobes and put them on, Napoleon himself appearing in a black coat.... while his favorite sow appeared in the watered silk dress which Mrs. Jones has been used to wear on Sundays. (Orwell, 90)

The farmhouse is a very important place that symbolizes the difference between the pigs and the animals and it also relates to the other symbols Orwell uses, such as the windmill and the seven commandments.

In Animal Farm, the windmill is a symbol showing the tremendous power of the pigs and their amazing ability to manipulate the other animals. The windmill is first brought to everyone's attention by Snowball who researches on how to build one and draws out the plans. While this occurs, Napoleon slowly takes full control over the farm by dispersing Snowball. He does this by convincing all the animals that the windmill is a poor idea and eventually, Napoleon's dogs scare Snowball away. After Snowball vanishes, Napoleon confesses that the windmill is his idea and Snowball is a corrupt animal that should be disposed. "Napoleon had never been opposed to the windmill on the contrary, it was he who had advocated it in the beginning," said Squealer. (Orwell, 39) This quote shows how Squealer uses his ability to manipulate the other animals to think highly of Napoleon, while despising Snowball. The windmill portrays the pigs' manipulation skills during the construction of the windmill. The pigs do not help the other animals at all and the animals work very long hours; receiving very little food while the pigs eat all of it. After the destruction of the windmill, the pigs convince the other animals that it is in fact Snowball who destroys it. The pigs try to make Snowball look guilty and they want the working animals to dislike Snowball at all costs. "Snowball was in a league with Jones from the start! He was Jones's secret agent all the time," said Squealer. (Orwell, 53) The windmill is a powerful object that is a symbol of manipulation to show the pigs' control over the other animals.

The seven commandments are extremely symbolic due to the fact that they illustrate both the manipulation in Animal Farm and the separations between pigs and the working animals. At the beginning of the novel, the pigs combine their ideas to form a list of seven laws that all the animals would live by. "The seven commandments would be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which the animals must live by forever," said Snowball. (Orwell, 15) As the story progresses, the pigs, in particular, Napoleon, distort the commandments to suit himself along with the other pigs. An incident of this occurring is when Napoleon changes the commandment about drinking.

Muriel, reading over the seven commandments to herself, notices that there was yet another of them which the animals had remembered wrong...'No animal shall drink alcohol, to excess!' (Orwell, 73)

Muriel states that she must does not remember the commandments correctly because of how Squealer manipulates all the animals to think that it will benefit them and the farm as a whole. Squealer informs them that he has evidence and the animals must not be smart enough to remember correctly. The animals do not question this fact because they know that the pigs are more intelligent. The last commandment that stands on the wall explains greatly how pigs contain a higher authority than the rest of the animals. "For once Benjamin consented to break his rule, and he read out what was written on the wall-All animals are equal. Some are more equal than others." (Orwell, 90) The pigs show their great power of manipulation and their difference with the working animals by involving themselves in the destruction of the commandments from the time of seven, to one.

In the above paragraphs, Orwell uses the symbols of the farmhouse, the windmill and the seven commandments to exhibit the pigs' exceeding power over the other animals on the farm and their outstanding ability of manipulation. Animal Farm is a novel of many symbols, but the ones chosen provide more detail about the main aspects of the story. Symbolism is a major theme in this novel as in all novels. Without symbolism, a story would simply be a story, not a novel.