ANIMAL FARM Similarities between

By : Sofia 9F

‘Animal Farm’, published in 1945 by George Orwell, is a political allegory that attacks the Russian Revolution and all quests for power, using satire to convey the capacity for ordinary individuals to believe in a revolution that has been betrayed. It is largely agreed that the characters of Major, Napoleon and Snowball respectively represent Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky. Greek Mythology, on the other hand, is vastly different in its origins, having been written for the scope of theorising the creation of the world in a time of limited scientific knowledge by various poets, including Hesoid, Ovid, Homer and Virgil.

Despite this, Greek Mythology shares common themes with ‘Animal Farm’, specifically with regards to what human nature should be defined as, with the Greek Gods being the representation of what humans would turn into if they were immortal and did not have to face the morality of their actions. In ‘Animal Farm’, Orwell explores this abuse of power using the context of animals revolting in the face of oppression to establish their own egalitarian farm, which spans into corruption as the leaders appoint themselves more power. Though it should be noted that the reasons for ‘Animal Farm’ being written are disparate to the creation of Greek Mythology, it is significant that both are shadowed with the same cynicism regarding corruption within human beings, since the resemblance of the themes would suggest that Greek Mythology also served the Ancient Greeks, creators of democracy, as a means to further analyse the results of interactions between people.

‘Animal Farm’ evidently attacks the notion of communism, which is the idea of sharing and redistributing wealth so that all people in society have an equal amount of property, yet this concept, as well as the theme of meeting the needs of the overall population instead of those of the individual, are also present in Greek Mythology, within various different myths. Consequentially, though the premises for ‘Animal Farm’ and Greek Mythology are extremely different, through characterisation and the plots of each, some of the themes that are presented in each include the dangers of extremism and of replacing it, as well as the dangers of not questioning authority and the harsh punishments that can occur as a consequence of disagreeing with authority. Through their different plots and writing styles, both ‘Animal Farm’ and various Greek Myths adequately force people to reflect upon their nature and what their purpose in life may be, elucidating the impression that both novel and belief system are intrinsically connected in their inherent themes.

In both Greek Mythology and ‘Animal Farm’, it is clear that the gods and the pigs are similar in terms of their desire for power, because they both started with a rather equal system, with the desire simply to start afresh, but they then ended placing themselves in dominion based on the way in which each was able to hold their power. To elaborate, after Mr Jones was chased away in ‘Animal Farm’, the pigs started by saying that all animals were equal, but the novel ended with the maxim ‘all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’.

Similarly, in the creation myth, Zeus was immediately appointed as the King of the Gods after he freed his siblings from Kronos’ stomach and fought with them for freedom, despite the fact that Rhea deserves more credit for him succeeding in saving the gods. In fact, appointing Zeus as the King of the Gods came as a deficit to the rest of the gods due to Zeus’ inefficacy as a leader, as can be proven by multiple attempts to overthrow him and the fact that his sole role in Greek Mythology is to elicit Hera’s rage in each instance where he cheated on her. As a result of this, Zeus can be compared to Napoleon, since the latter solely gained power through orchestrating the removal of Snowball and through the fear that he evoked and instilled in the animals.

Moreover, in both Greek Mythology and ‘Animal Farm’ there is an idea of eradicating the past to construct a better future In ‘Animal Farm’, this utopia was based on the notion of all animals working to their capacity and receiving their due share of profits, with their flag proving important as a symbol of nationalism and pride. In fact, this sense of pride and hope is what led the animals to work so hard, despite the fact that they never reaped the benefits that they were promised from working for themselves. In Greek Mythology, on the other hand, the Olympian gods were not forced into any labour, but they exerted their influence over mortals to the point of Prometheus being harshly punished when he offered the gift of fire to mankind, since Zeus wanted the gods to be able to keep their superiority over mortals. In the same way that Greek Mythology discriminates between gods and mortals,

Animal Farm’ differenciates between the smarter animals, namely the pigs and the dogs, and the animals who were considered as less intelligent and were merely exploited as cheap labour Despite Major stating that ‘in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him’, the leadership of Napoleon resulted in the conditions of the animals becoming even worse than they were under Mr Jones, thus portraying that an inherent danger of replacing an extremist and totalitarian party is that the subsequent leaders might easily follow in their footsteps, despite their efforts. For this totalitarianism to reach such an extreme, it is made evident in both Greek Mythology and ‘Animal Farm’ that a certain isolation is necessary, so that outside states cannot introduce new notions and ideas to influence the citizens, which was performed in both through creating the illusion that everything on Olympus and Animal Farm was working perfectly.

In ‘Animal Farm’, this occurred in the instance in which the bins were filled with grain, to give the impression of an abundance of food when Mr Whymper came. In Greek Mythology, there are numerous instances in which this notion was implemented, including in the myths of Larunda and Echo, with both nymphs being punished because the gods wanted their own privacy respected and did not want anybody to be able to repeat the tale of what they had done, to increase their own dignity

Despite the fact that it is presented in vastly different ways, the theme of extremism and its dangers is one that is central to both ‘Animal Farm’ and Greek Mythology, with the pigs and the gods, respectively, creating a division to supress those that were considered less worthy and grant more rights upon themselves.

As well as exploring the danger of totalitarianism and extremism, both Orwell and the epic poets of Greek Myths explore the peril within not questioning authority, as well as the harsh punishments that are met out to those who do. In 'Animal Farm’, these risks are elucidated most firmly in the instance in which Napoleon killed the animals who confessed to crimes, in Chapter 7. Particularly considering the unsubstanciated basis of these accusations, this scene mirrors the Moscow Trials and the Great Purge, between 1936 and 1938, which were a series of show trials ordered and planned by Stalin to torture and kill his political opponents. This similarity is important to the reader because, in proving how closely linked the novel is to historical occurrences, Orwell emphasises the necessity of questioning authority when the shifts within power are of a concerning nature. Other examples of this theme within the book include Clover’s subtle tone of resignation when Muriel read the ammended laws to her, considering that Clover ended up believing that her memory was simply mistaken, rather than confronting the pigs about the suspected variations within the seven maxims. This theme is presented in a substantially sexist light in Greek Mythology, with women such as Ariadne and Medea both trusting the traditionally heroic men who entered their stories, only to be then used and suffer as a consequence. Considering the typical subservience that was expected of many women in Greco-Roman civilisations, Ariadne was incapable of verifying that Theseus would in fact keep his promise and not abandon her, and Medea is often antagonised due to her dedication to Jason, for whom she rejected the comfort of Corinth and unsuspectingly led her brother to his death, due to it not being customary to question his authority Still linked to sexist notions present within Greek Mythology, Lavinia is one of the sole women to survive until the end of ‘The Aeneid’, written by Virgil; despite being Aeneas’ last wife, she solely appeared on four different occasions, throughout the twelve books, indicating that her silence was such an important expectation for ideal Roman wives that it led to her survival, encouraging absolute subservience and deterring people, particularly women, from questioning authoritative figures. Furthermore, the associated link to harsh punishments is present within the myth of Pyrrha and Deucalion, the only two mortals that were spared when Zeus decided that the earth should be flooded to kill all humans, whom he considered to be deceitful and greedy. Since Zeus’ own tyranny was not being challenged, his response was massively disproportionate, though not a singular occasion for a god, as can be demonstrated by the wrath that Apollo showed Midas, in giving him the ears of a donkey after he supposedly misjudged a music competition between Pan and Apollo. Though not identical in context, this example bears a slight resemblance to the way in which Napoleon changed his opinion regarding the windmill, upon his own needs first being met, considering that he did not oppose the idea once Snowball was chased away. Particularly considering the drastic ending of ‘Animal Farm’, it is evident that the theme of questioning authority and abuse of power, by way of punishment, is a prominent issue that has spanned millenia, being equally relevant within ancient communities as it was during Orwell’s time.

Amidst the similarities that can be found between the themes of ‘Animal Farm’ and Greek Mythology, one of the key differences lies in the writing techniques and styles that are employed by the authors, with the depth of characters, their emotions and their backstories proving crucial in forming the efficacy of the bond that is created between the reader and the author. Though it must be considered that Greek Mythology consists of a series of myths that were compiled and told by various classical poets, sometimes with contrasting endings, the portrayal of the gods faces few changes, with them always being conveyed as human beings who were instilled with the belief of being invulnerable. Considering their eternal nature, the gods are the depiction of what many Ancient Greeks believed would become of them if they became immortal, with them therefore being the exploration of unruly emotions and the pursual of passions. In some ways, ‘Animal Farm’ approaches the description of some characters from such a general perspective, as is the case of the sheep, whose sole purpose was to continously repeat what they were taugh in such a way that change was normalised and enforced. Despite this, in both the novel and the belief system, there are particular characters that are developed in more depth. Within Greek Mythology, characters written by Virgil and Homer are the most developed, with the scenes taking place in the Underworld being emotive and appealing to the empathy of anyone who would have read or heard the stories.

Furthermore, the gods are also the representation of individual values and flaws, taken to the point of an eternal lifespan, as is the case with Ares. Being the god of war, Ares is both brutal and unnecessarily violent, yet he is also credited as being one of the few gods who respected women, thus bringing his character a certain sense of balance, due to his mixed ideals Orwell implements similar stimulating techniques, providing numerous examples of characters that were developed deeply to be complementary to their political counter-part from the Russian Revolution. For example, Boxer, representing the Russian labourers and workers, is a crucial character due to his devotion and hard-work in the face of the challenges brought by socialism. His death is significant as it symbolises that the ultimate problem is with authority, since he died as a result of exertion and the totalitarian state, despite being an exemplary citizen. His death also mirrors the moment in which the reader would become fully aware of the death of the idealism that led to the establishment of Animal Farm, serving as a final warning against authoritarian figures such as Napoleon, representing Stalin. Orwell described the pig in numerous ways that made him similar to Stalin, considering his ideologies and some of the extreme consequences of his policies, including mass executions and mass famine. However, a further layer of the depth of his character regards his relationship with Snowball, representing Trotsky, considering the numerous disagreements between the two men and the forced removal of the latter. Similarly to their political counter-parts, Napoleon believed that the Five Year Plan would enabled socialism in the Soviet Union, whereas Snowball believed in the notion of a ‘permanent revolution’, which would consist of inciting neighbouring farms to also revolt against their owners. Overall, though some of the characters in Greek Mythology are naturally attributed with much depth, customary to question his authority Still linked to sexist notions present within Greek Mythology, Lavinia is one of the sole women to survive until the end of ‘The Aeneid’, written by Virgil; despite being Aeneas’ last wife, she solely appeared on four different occasions, throughout the twelve books, indicating that her silence was such an important expectation for ideal Roman wives that it led to her survival, encouraging absolute subservience and deterring people, particularly women, from questioning authoritative figures. Furthermore, the associated link to harsh punishments is present within the myth of Pyrrha and Deucalion, the only two mortals that were spared when Zeus decided that the earth should be flooded to kill all humans, whom he considered to be deceitful and greedy. Since Zeus’ own tyranny was not being challenged, his response was massively disproportionate, though not a singular occasion for a god, as can be demonstrated by the wrath that Apollo showed Midas, in giving him the ears of a donkey after he supposedly misjudged a music competition between Pan and Apollo. Though not identical in context, this example bears a slight resemblance to the way in which Napoleon changed his opinion regarding the windmill, upon his own needs first being met, considering that he did not oppose the idea once Snowball was chased away. Particularly considering the drastic ending of ‘Animal Farm’, it is evident that the theme of questioning authority and abuse of power, by way of punishment, is a prominent issue that has spanned millenia, being equally relevant within ancient communities as it was during Orwell’s time.

Amidst the similarities that can be found between the themes of ‘Animal Farm’ and Greek Mythology, one of the key differences lies in the writing techniques and styles that are employed by the authors, with the depth of characters, their emotions and their backstories proving crucial in forming the efficacy of the bond that is created between the reader and the author. Though it must be considered that Greek Mythology consists of a series of myths that were compiled and told by various classical poets, sometimes with contrasting endings, the portrayal of the gods faces few changes, with them always being conveyed as human beings who were instilled with the belief of being invulnerable. Considering their eternal nature, the gods are the depiction of what many Ancient Greeks believed would become of them if they became immortal, with them therefore being the exploration of unruly emotions and the pursual of passions. In some ways, ‘Animal Farm’ approaches the description of some characters from such a general perspective, as is the case of the sheep, whose sole purpose was to continously repeat what they were taugh in such a way that change was normalised and enforced. Despite this, in both the novel and the belief system, there are particular characters that are developed in more depth. Within Greek Mythology, characters written by Virgil and Homer are the most developed, with the scenes taking place in the Underworld being emotive and appealing to the empathy of anyone who would have read or heard the stories.

Furthermore, the gods are also the representation of individual values and flaws, taken to the point of an eternal lifespan, as is the case with Ares. Being the god of war, Ares is both brutal and unnecessarily violent, yet he is also credited as being one of the few gods who respected women, thus bringing his character a certain sense of balance, due to his mixed ideals Orwell implements similar stimulating techniques, providing numerous examples of characters that were developed deeply to be complementary to their political counter-part from the Russian Revolution. For example, Boxer, representing the Russian labourers and workers, is a crucial character due to his devotion and hard-work in the face of the challenges brought by socialism. His death is significant as it symbolises that the ultimate problem is with authority, since he died as a result of exertion and the totalitarian state, despite being an exemplary citizen. His death also mirrors the moment in which the reader would become fully aware of the death of the idealism that led to the establishment of Animal Farm, serving as a final warning against authoritarian figures such as Napoleon, representing Stalin. Orwell described the pig in numerous ways that made him similar to Stalin, considering his ideologies and some of the extreme consequences of his policies, including mass executions and mass famine. However, a further layer of the depth of his character regards his relationship with Snowball, representing Trotsky, considering the numerous disagreements between the two men and the forced removal of the latter. Similarly to their political counter-parts, Napoleon believed that the Five Year Plan would enabled socialism in the Soviet Union, whereas Snowball believed in the notion of a ‘permanent revolution’, which would consist of inciting neighbouring farms to also revolt against their owners. Overall, though some of the characters in Greek Mythology are naturally attributed with much depth,

Orwell’s characcters are developed in a way that is more apparent and requires less analysis, due to the clear differences delineated within each character. Considering once again the scopes for writing each one, ‘Animal Farm’ is an intricate story that maps the progression of the Russian Revolution in a remotely simplified manner, thus the characterisation of the animals is necessary to explain what happened, as well as to cement the perils of totalitarianism and not questioning authority. Meanwhile, the characters within Greek Mythology can be dissected to discover their singular motivations, but the intention is for the characters to be similar due to them all being represented in an exaggerated light, with the gods being stretched into the context of immortality.

Bearing in mind the significant differences in the premises presented for both ‘Animal Farm’ and Greek Mythology, it is evident that the themes of danger within totalitarianism and not questioning authority are vastly relevant to both. Nonetheless, comparing the motives for writing ‘Animal Farm’ to those of the creation of Greek Mythology, each was written to appeal to different audiences, with the former intended to make a political point, whereas the latter would have been viewed as entertainment and would have explained the way in which Greco-Roman citizens interpreted the world. These differences in origin being considered, it is evident that Orwell’s novel serves as a much more direct warning against the risk of extremism, through his satire, whereas it can be noticed that the deities in Greek Mythology were actually worshipped and revered for centuries. However, the key similarity, regarding to the plots that are present, is the way in which characters with access to power often end up obsessed by it, starting their stories as victims, before holding power over others and turning them into their personal prey Interestingly, though both ‘Animal Farm’ and Greek Mythology criticise some of the key failures of society, neither addresses potential solutions for its flaws, indicating the sheer conviction of human nature equating to something unsurmountable that can cause immeasurable pain. Within Orwell’s more political agenda, the reflection regarding communism and socialism is that they are a utiopia spawned from pain and injustice, whose values cannot be kept due to the appeal of leadership, despite intentions for rebellion having been initially pure. Greek Mythology also reflects on this notion of leaders becoming corrupt, considering the replacement of the Titans by the gods, yet it is a more subtle interpretation, considering the sacred attachment that many had to the Greek Gods. Due to the themes shared between Greek Mythology and ‘Animal Farm’, the definitions for human nature, far from being set, are left to the interpretation that people are attracted by power, yet the obvious satire and exaggeration in each leaves the sincerity and relevance of this statement to be questioned, particularly with regards to the differences between individuals.