Orwell uses allegory to help express his concerns regarding his twentieth century context in a way that is clearly understood by his audience. Using a variety of allegorical devices in his satire, Animal Farm, Orwell creates an insightful allegory that explores the consequences of communism through the Russian Revolution. It is an extended metaphor which symbolizes notions that can be religious, political, moral or historical. The purpose of an allegory is to inform an audience about something whilst at the same time critiquing its contents. In this case, by using such a text type to embody his views on the Russian Revolution, George Orwell satirizes and represents individuals and events in history in his dystopian novel Animal Farm. The use of allegory can be viewed as a simpler and easier approach to clearly conveying the author's intended messages. .
Historical events can be put into another context in an allegory, making the event much more appealing. Old Major's speech alludes to Karl Marx's surplus theory of communism. His speech was about his dream of an animal paradise where the farm animals are free from the tyrannical rule of Farmer Jones, who has no regard for the well-being of his livestock. Karl Marx introduced the theory of communism which inspired the Russians to overthrow Czar Nicholas, a leader who watched his country indulge in poverty. The song, "Beasts of England" is literally an anthem about the utopian dream of the farm animals being free from Jones, but in an allegorical sense, it represents the "Communist Internationale". This is also an example of the benefits of allegorically representing an event; a more entertaining and understandable approach. Both speeches revolved around the same idea of "rebellion," however, hypothetically speaking, it would be much more interesting to listen to Old Major's speech as it was more clear, engaging and fitted in with the storyline nicely; as opposed to what would've been a long but sparking speech from Karl Marx.
