What is Socialism?
New Oxford American Dictionary:
Socialism:
noun
A political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. (British & World English, (n.d.)
Socialism:
noun
A political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. (British & World English, (n.d.)
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Socialism in Animal Farm
Animal Farm is not about animal revolution?
Animal Farm is a novel based on the society of animals living in Animal Farm. Although the title of the book suggests the book is about animals, however there is much more in depth analysis of the human nature and behavior. The animals are used to symbolise how people operate, how propaganda is used by leaders like Stalin, and the effect of leadership on the people. Orwell believes that even though socialism is an ideal, but it could never be adopted successfully due to sins of human nature. For example Napoleon, who seems to be a good leader at first, but eventually overcome by greed and becomes power-hungry. Orwell shows us how when an animal becomes overpower, others have no power, and men impose on animals in much the same ay as the rich impose on the poor. However Orwell does not oppose against Socialism, but rather against Stalin's understanding of the Socialist ideas.
Corruption of Socialist Ideas
In Animal Farm, both communism and socialism play important roles, all the events happens in the book represent actual events that happened to Russia, a communist country. Even though communism and socialism have similar beliefs but they have their differences. There has never been a communist society where everyone is treated as equal as the high class society.
There has been a time that all animals were treated equal, but that was only before the revolution however it gives way to the consolidation of power among the pigs. Napoleon and the other pigs establish themselves as the high class in the new society. He says that all animals will work together, but in fact him and the other pigs are just ordering them around. The other animals work relentlessly and with little food. Soon, the pigs Snowball and Napoleon are emerging in the rivalry, just like Leon Trotsky and Stalin struggles for preeminence. Socialism is expelled from the revolutionary state by the violent usurper of power in both historical and fictional case. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." (p.95) This is a very straight forward way of saying that all animals are back to the past and would have another revolution. In the book, it clearly states that a communist society is unsuccessful because the leaders take advantage of the power.
Animal Farm is a novel based on the society of animals living in Animal Farm. Although the title of the book suggests the book is about animals, however there is much more in depth analysis of the human nature and behavior. The animals are used to symbolise how people operate, how propaganda is used by leaders like Stalin, and the effect of leadership on the people. Orwell believes that even though socialism is an ideal, but it could never be adopted successfully due to sins of human nature. For example Napoleon, who seems to be a good leader at first, but eventually overcome by greed and becomes power-hungry. Orwell shows us how when an animal becomes overpower, others have no power, and men impose on animals in much the same ay as the rich impose on the poor. However Orwell does not oppose against Socialism, but rather against Stalin's understanding of the Socialist ideas.
Corruption of Socialist Ideas
In Animal Farm, both communism and socialism play important roles, all the events happens in the book represent actual events that happened to Russia, a communist country. Even though communism and socialism have similar beliefs but they have their differences. There has never been a communist society where everyone is treated as equal as the high class society.
There has been a time that all animals were treated equal, but that was only before the revolution however it gives way to the consolidation of power among the pigs. Napoleon and the other pigs establish themselves as the high class in the new society. He says that all animals will work together, but in fact him and the other pigs are just ordering them around. The other animals work relentlessly and with little food. Soon, the pigs Snowball and Napoleon are emerging in the rivalry, just like Leon Trotsky and Stalin struggles for preeminence. Socialism is expelled from the revolutionary state by the violent usurper of power in both historical and fictional case. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which." (p.95) This is a very straight forward way of saying that all animals are back to the past and would have another revolution. In the book, it clearly states that a communist society is unsuccessful because the leaders take advantage of the power.
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Orwell's thoughts
Although Orwell believes in socialist ideals, however he feels that the Soviet Union had used these ideals in a perverse form. In his preface to the Ukrainian edition of Animal Farm, "I became pro-Socialist more out of disgust with the way the poorer section of the industrial workers were oppressed and neglected than out of any theoretical admiration for a planned society." After the fight against fascism in the Spanish Civil War, Orwell starts to explore political questions in his writings, for example in one of his essay, Why I Write, "Every line of serious work I have written since 1936 has been written, directly or indirectly, against totalitarianism and for democratic socialism." (Orwell, G. (2005)(also found in George Orwell's Life) When he notices the Russian Revolution of 1917 is a step towards socialism which millions of poor are oppressed by the Russians, he decides to write Animal Farm. Orwell believes Stalin's remorseless rise to power not only is barbaric, but is a betrayal of the socialist principles. He feels that the Societ Union was not progressing towards socialism but totalitarianism, "I was struck by clear signs of its transformation into a hierarchical society, in which the rulers have no more reason to give up their power than any ruling class." Orwell began thinking about how he could best communicate his opinions on socialism and Stalin. In Animal Farm, he creates powerful ironies which he describes the corruption of Animalism ideals by those in power.