George Orwell and His Writing Techniques - Book Report/Review Example

George Orwell and His Writing Techniques Introduction George Orwell (June 1903-Jan 1950) is known for his literary works, of which Animal Farm features dominantly. As an allegorical book which was published on 17 August 194, England, Animal Farm reflects events that led up to the Russian Revolution of 1917, before suffusing into the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. Going by the contents of the book, it is detectable that Orwell was persuaded that the Soviet Union had turned into an inhumane dictatorship which had become centered on cult personality and emboldened by a reign of terror. Despite the overwhelming degree of lucidity with which the novel conveys the state the Soviet Union was in and the courage Orwell must have mustered to compose this book, yet this book remains equally captivating because of the rich stylistic devices that Orwell puts to use. The manner in which Orwell uses different stylistic devices shall be seen in this discussion which ensues forthwith (Orwell, 1945). One of the literary devices that Orwell heavily invests in to castigate the unfair political developments in the Soviet Union is symbolism. Symbolism is a literary device whereby people, things or concepts are represented by symbols. Since these symbols may take the form of a person, an objects, an action, a concept or an experience, an author may invest on a person, an object, an action, a concept or an experience to represent or refer to a person, an object, an experience or any form of reality. According to Ball and Orwell (1984, 122), Orwell uses symbolism so that characters in Animal Farm represent a real political figure. Specifically, the pig Napoleon represents Joseph Stalin, the pig Snowball parallels Leon Trotsky, the Boxer is a cart-horse with incredible strength, loyalty and dedication. He represents the exploited and hopeless proletariat or the masses. Squealer, the pig who disseminates Napoleon’s propaganda represents politicians who use the media as a tool for perpetuating a corrupt regime’s propaganda to the masses. The foregoing may also be passed on as characterization, given that all characters have their definite and unique trait, part in the plotline and represent an individual, group or situation in real life. There are instances where inanimate entities are also used to symbolize an aspect of reality. Alcohol or beer for instance stands for the old Russia. Orwell makes it clear that Mr. Jones forfeited control of his farm and became cruel to animals immediately he began dabbling in alcohol. Thus, beer or alcohol comes to represent the old Russia as a government drunk with corruption and inequality, while it is this same drunkenness which paves way to an inevitable collapse of a system. This is seen in the manner Mr. Jones forfeits dominance over the animals when he becomes a drunkard sluggard. Likewise, the sugar candy mountain represents the Judeo-Christian concept of heaven. Herein, the Church and its doctrines are criticized as antirevolutionary elements since they urge or persuade the animals (representing the masses) to keep working harder, without questioning the oppression being experienced. According to Bloom (2009, 16), Old Major the prize-wining boar who inspires the Rebellion in the farm through his vision of socialist utopia stands for Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin and serves as the originator of the higher ideals that animals in the farm continue to live by, even after betrayal by their pig leaders (the ruling class). All the animal characters in Animal Farm stand for a person, an idea, an object, an experience or any other form or element of life’s reality. There is also the use of foreshadowing in Orwell’s Animal Farm. Also known as adumbration, foreshadowing refers to a literary device wherein the author intimates certain plot developments that are to unfold later in the story. An express instance wherein there is the use of foreshadowing is the point in which Old Major issues an inspiring oratory concerning his prophetic dream. The dream is about animal uprising. This uprising is to bring to an end, the tyrannical power of human-animals, the animals’ real enemies. In a closely related wavelength, Old Major also warns against the reversal of the gains which will have been obtained from the revolution. Old Major warns his fellow animals against forsaking the duty of his enmity towards man and all of man’s ways. Apart from proscribing friendship with man, Old Major proceeds to warn against the embracing of vices that are attributable to man. Living in a house, sleeping in a bed, wearing clothes, smoking tobacco, drinking alcohol, engaging in trade, touching money and dictating over and killing fellow animals, comprise a litany of these vices. Nevertheless, as the plotline progresses to the point where Napoleon entrenches his tyranny and Snowball is ousted, readers like the rest of the animals are appalled to see the manner in which Napoleon contravenes Old Major’s counsel. It is this taking on of human qualities and mannerisms by Napoleon that kills the rebellion that the animals had stood for. This development lowers animals into a state far worse than they were in under Mr. Jones’ tutelage. The apostasy that Old Major warned against is most expressly exemplified in chapter 10 as the pigs walk on two legs and engage in human mannerism. All these developments foreshadow the dangers that would come to pass as was issued by Old Major warnings. Hall, Peaslee and Mitchell (2011, 23) observe that Orwell also uses tone to put across the message of the Animal Farm across. Particularly, the tone of Animal Farm is one that is cynical of political movements that purport to promote egalitarianism yet they perpetuate injustices and serious class distinctions and stratifications. By reading the contents of this novel, one clearly sees that Orwell was himself an ardent socialist who vehemently opposed corrupt socialism and political regimes which seemed to champion for equality at face value, while in real sense, oppressed the powerless population and entrenched yawning class differences. It is against this backdrop that Orwell issues warning in the introductory part of the novel, by providing a cautionary text on the consequences that are likely to unravel, if oppressive regimes take over the reins of power. Another stylistic device that Orwell uses is narrative. In presenting the developments that unfold in the farm, one can not only sense the use of third-person narrative, but the fact that the third person narrator is one of the plotline is one of the lower animals as well. Korf (2008, 75) maintains that Animal Farm is also punctuated with the use of irony as a literary device in which there is a disparity between the literal and implied meanings. One of the starkest instances of irony is seen in the fact that the animals overthrow the tyranny of Mr. Jones, only for it to be replaced by a more relentless tyranny. Again, after dethroning the tyranny of man, it is ironical that the animals in the farm are later oppressed under the tyranny of their fellow animals. This gets to the point that as the book neared its end, other animals could not even distinguish pig from man and vise versa. The author uses also themes to propound the message of the Animal Farm. There is the theme of power, leadership and corruption. Herein, it is seen that power inevitably corrupts. This is because when Napoleon and his fellow pigs ascend to power, they claim that their goal is to preside over the farm, and render it a farm of equal animals. However, Napoleon and his protégés gradually arrogate themselves more power and privileges and sideline other animals. Another theme is control over intellectual inferiority. Napoleon and other pigs assume power after the revolution (or Rebellion), on the account that they are the most intelligent in the farm. However, as the plotline unfolds, it is clear that their supposed intelligence does not match their good intentions. Instead, this cabal relies on other animals’ ignorance in the farm and the inability of the animals to see the extent to which their animalism was being overthrown. To this end, by not questioning the excesses of the pigs, other animals in the farm become complicit to the injustice being meted out by Napoleon and his ilk (Friedman, 2008, 56). Closely related to this is the theme of lies and deceit. In Animal Farm, deception is used by Napoleon and his foot soldiers to assume powered and consolidate it. Napoleon and his fellow pigs deceive their counterparts concerning the past, by falsely convincing them that some events occurred or never occurred. Truth is distorted about the present, in the bid to make the present seem more glamorous than it is. It is for this same reason that the alleged superior intelligence is used to deceive in lieu of leading justly and ably. There is also the use of violence which Orwell portrays in Animal Farm as a tool for political oppression. Violence and the threat of violence are used to eliminate and depose political dissidents such as Boxer and Snowball. Any animal who questions Napoleon’s leadership is portrayed as an enemy and then threatened with violence. Folly and foolishness are also portrayed as themes in Animal Farm. They are portrayed as vices that help Napoleon (representing the bourgeoisie) to subject the other animals (representing the masses) in the farm to a life of hardship. Because of these two vices, the rest of the animals in the farm are oblivious of the fact that their lives are under constant oppression. Instead of clamoring for things of greater substance, the animals in the farm follow after vanity and frivolity. For instance, because of her love for finer things in life, sugar and ribbons, Mollie, cannot conform to a life of hardship that ensues after the animals’ Rebellion. Conclusion It is therefore true that apart from the values that Orwell in the novel dispenses, the use of diverse literary devices also strengthens the uniqueness of the book and showcases Orwell’s command in literary composition. Symbolism, characterization, foreshadowing, irony, tone, narrative and the themes are some of the devices that Orwell extensively uses. This nevertheless is not to mean that these are the only literary tools he uses to convey his message. On the contrary, Orwell also employs the use of anthropomorphism (when he gives animals in the farm, human qualities), imagery, allegory and allusion, among other devices. The use of these stylistic devices makes the novel not only an interesting read, but also helps the author convey the concepts therein in a more elaborate, personal and demystified manner. References Ball, D. & Orwell, G. 1984. George Orwell’s Animal Farm. London: Longman Bloom, H. 2009. George Orwell’s Animal Farm. New York: Harold Bloom. Friedman, I. 2008. Animal Farm Revisited: A Tribute to George Orwell. Johannesburg: Botha Hill. Hall, P., Peaslee, R. & Mitchell, A. 2011. The Play of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. New York/ London: Heinemann. Korf, C. 2008. George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Berlin: Auflage. Orwell, G. 1945. Animal Farm. London: Secker and Warbug. Read More