George Orwell's Animal Farm is a tale about a group of animals whose idealistic dream of an animal paradise of progress is completely overturned when their government turns totalitarianistic and pits animal against animal. The story can be seen as a political tract and can be paralled to that of Communism and the Russian revolution. Many of the animals symbolize different people and ideals. It is also a satire on human folly that mocks the impossible and idealistic dreams of men. It is also one of the most complex fables out there and warns us of the danger of limiting freedoms. .
In his self-proclaimed "fairy-story," Orwell uses his allegorical farm to symbolize the communist system. Old Major proposes a solution to the animals' desperate plight under Jones" control when he inspires a rebellion of sorts among the animals. But old Major's philosophy is only an ideal. After his death, Napoleon takes over and drastically alters this grand idea of socialism. Though the original intention of overthrowing Mr. Jones (who represents the Czars), is not inherently evil in itself, Napoleon's adoption of nearly all of Mr. Jones" principles and harsh mistreatment of the animals proves to the reader that indeed communism is not equality, but just another form of inequality. The pigs and dogs take most of the power for themselves, thinking that they are the best administrators of government. Eventually the power corrupts them, and they turn on their fellow animals, eliminating competitors through propaganda and bloodshed. This is of course a reference to Stalin, who murdered many of his own people in order to maintain his dictatorship of Russia. .
There are countless numbers of symbols relating to politics in the novel. Some of them being major symbols and others being minor. The major symbols bring the book's symbolic tale together. Old Major represents Karl Marx, the father of "animalism". Napoleon represents Stalin, a ruthless leader who used propaganda (Squealer) and violence (the Dogs) to get his way.