Animal Farm: Allusions 4 key examples

Although Old Major’s not suggesting the animals overthrow a Tsar or take over Russia, the term "comrades" and the emphasis on solidarity in an inevitable "Rebellion" for "justice" here strongly allude to Marxist ideology. The use of "comrades" here is particularly significant. It’s a term that has become socially inseparable from Marxist and socialist movements from the 20th century. It was used as a greeting and as a catchall honorific to honor the bonds between people united in a common cause. It was also intended to imply the destruction of oppressive hierarchies: even the leader of a party would be referred to as “Comrade Lenin” or “Comrade Napoleon” by everyone else. Marx viewed the proletariat (the urban and rural working poor) as comrades in the struggle against the bourgeoisie. In the same way, Old Major sees the animals as comrades united against humanity.

Furthermore, Old Major's emphasis on the inevitability of the rebellion and the eventual triumph of justice reflects Marx's ideals of class consciousness and the inevitability of change. This is a little too complex to explain here, but in the most basic terms, Marx argues that capitalist societies will proceed through phases driven by class conflict, ultimately culminating in classlessness. Old Major’s certainty about the rebellion and his call for the animals to "pass on this message" are also more than stirring words. They are themselves an allusion, as they echo Marx’s views on the role of the working class to keep the struggle against oppressors going until victory is achieved.

The colors and symbols on this new flag are a direct analogy to the creation of the Soviet flag after the Russian revolution. After the overthrow of the Czar and the Russian monarchy, the Communist party eventually replaced the Russian flag with one of their own. In 1923, the Soviet Union adopted a plain red flag with a crossed golden hammer and sickle in the center and a golden star just above the sickle’s point. The red background symbolizes the blood of the workers who fought for the Communist movement, and for solidarity between workers. The crossed hammer and sickle represent unity between the industrial working class of Russia and the rural peasants who worked the land. The red star above the crossed tools represents the guiding influence of the Communist party itself. 

The Animalist flag of this book contains similar elements. Instead of a hammer and sickle, the animals show their unity through a crossed "hoof and horn,” which Snowball also says points to a future where humans are overthrown. The green background of the flag represents the green fields of England, which the animals are staking their claim over. This would have been a very recognizable parallel to Orwell’s contemporary audience and is one of the book’s most transparent representations of Soviet history and imagery.

Just like what happened in the Soviet Union with Leon Trotsky (the historical figure whom Stalin treated as a scapegoat), painting Snowball as a villain is an effective part of Squealer’s pro-Napoleon propaganda machine. Squealer’s manipulation of Snowball’s narrative is an allusion to the way Stalin and his cohort used propaganda to rewrite history. By discrediting Snowball and elevating traits like "loyalty and obedience" over "bravery," Squealer aims to reshape the animals' perceptions of current events. In doing so, he is also ensuring they remain aligned with Napoleon’s authority. Just as Stalin systematically demonized Trotsky to solidify his own power and justify Trotsky’s expulsion, Squealer demonizes Snowball and trivializes his importance to the revolution.

Napoleon, in this scene, is directly violating the very rules he and his companions used to build Animal Farm. By walking upright and carrying a whip (a symbol of human dominance over animals), Napoleon symbolically becomes indistinguishable from a human farmer. He’s carrying a weapon of control, something that has no purpose but to establish a hierarchy between himself and his fellow animals. This transformation satirizes the hypocrisy of political leaders like Joseph Stalin, who decried luxurious “bourgeois” practices but actually lived in luxury. Depicting Napoleon like this mocks the notion that power can be wielded without corrupting those who hold it. For all his elevated ideals, Napoleon has gone from wresting the whip away from the humans to holding it himself. He’s highlighting how easily revolutionary leaders can transform into the figures of authority they once despised. 

Napoleon’s name itself is an allusion to the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon was a famous French ruler and military leader, known as much for his many military accomplishments as for his short temper and catastrophic fall from grace. Through naming the chief pig “Napoleon,” Orwell is invoking the image of a leader who rose to power championing revolutionary ideals, only to become a dictatorial figure.