How is Animal Farm allegorical?
The novella is an allegory in that it uses non-human figures to express human conditions, problems, and conflicts. In much the same way that Paul Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” was an allegory of the Christian faith and the conflicts and struggles the Believer faces, Orwell created this allegory to speak to the dangers of totalitarianism and the inherent and oppressive evil of such governmental systems. The characters, but their actions are all too human—particularly those of the more ruthless ones. These animal characters are drawn to portray all the worst vices of degenerate human nature—greed, lust for power, pride, gluttony, mercilessness, treachery, and hypocrisy. Animal Farm serves well as a warning for those human beings who refuse to think for themselves and and allow others to make their choices for them.
