论乔治奥威尔《动物庄园》的象征主义

邯郸学院本科毕业论文题目论乔治·奥威尔《动物庄园》的象征主义

On the Symbolism in George Orwell ′s

Animal Farm

Li Yuan

Supervisor: Associate Professor Xue Mei

A Thesis Submitted to School of Foreign Languages

Of Handan College in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirement for the Degree

Of Bachelor of Arts

Handan, China

May, 2012

郑重声明

本人的毕业论文是在指导教师薛梅的指导下独立撰写完成的。如有剽窃、抄袭、造假等违反学术道德、学术规范和侵权的行为，本人愿意承担由此产生的各种后果，直至法律责任，并愿意通过网络接受公众的监督。特此郑重声明。

毕业论文作者：

年月日

Acknowledgements

I am glad to express my gratitude. First of all, I would like to extend my most sincere gratitude to my teacher Xue Mei, for her constant encouragement and guidance. She has walked me through all the stages of the writing of this thesis. In this period she has given me much advices and useful suggestions on my thesis. I thank her for generously sharing her knowledge and time, for being patient with my questions.

The research in this article would not have been possible without her help. I am also thankful to other professors, who have taught me and enlightened me with their instructive lectures.

What’s more, I am also thankful to my classmates, especially my roommates who have offered much help. And they have provided me with reference materials of great value.

Last my thanks would go to my beloved family for their loving considerations and great confidence in me all through these years. I am grateful to my parents for their unfailing understand and considerate care.

Abstract

The famous novel Animal Farm is one of the works written by George Orwell. This novel is his masterpiece and published in England in 1945. Time magazine regards the book as one of the 100 best English-language novels.

The various usage of symbolism in Animal Farm makes the novel as a famous work of the world. This thesis intends to analyze the symbolism in this novel. It is mainly divided into three parts. Chapter One mainly analyzes the author’s use of symbolism in the different characters. The animals of the main characters represent different people according to the story. Chapter Two focuses on the symbolism of the scenes. The farmhouse and the Sugar Candy Mountain have various meanings in different time. Chapter Three discusses the symbolic significances of the slogans and the windmill. Its symbolic meaning changes in different time. And the project of Windmill has a large proportion in this novel.

As an allegorical novel, Animal Farm satires the Russian Revolution. By using symbolism, the author portrays us a utopian state created by some animals. At the end of the thesis, a conclusion can be drawn that the employment of symbolism helps to deepen the theme.

Key words:symbolism characters scenes slogans windmill

摘要

乔治·奥威尔的小说《动物庄园》在1945年于英国出版。作为奥威尔的代表作，这部小说曾被“时代”杂志列为英国一百部最佳小说之一。

丰富象征手法的运用使《动物庄园》这部小说闻名于世界。本文旨在通过对《动物庄园》的文本研究，分析小说中大量使用的象征主义。本文共分为三部分。第一章主要分析作者在不同动物角色中象征的运用。在故事中不同的动物角色都有自己不同的代表意义。第二章主要是对场景的象征进行分析。在不同的时期农舍和糖果山都有不同的象征意义。第三章则主要分析了小说中口号和风车的深层象征意义。小说中口号的不断改变和风车工程都有其具体意义。

作为著名的寓言小说，《动物庄园》用象征的手法讽刺了俄国革命。并给读者展示了一个由动物领导的乌托邦社会。在最后，本文通过深刻的分析和总结可以看出象征手法的运用大大深化了小说的主题。

关键词: 象征；角色；场景；口号；风车

Contents

Acknowledgements (i)

Abstract ............................................................................................................ i i Abstract (Chinese) ........................................................................................ i ii Introduction .. (1)

Chapter One The Symbolism of the Characters (3)

1.1 The Symbolism of the Pigs (4)

1.2 The Symbolism of the Other Animals (5)

Chapter Two The Symbolism of the Scenes (6)

2.1 The Symbolism of the Farmhouse (6)

2.2 The Symbolism of the Other Farms (6)

2.3 The Symbolism of Sugar Candy Mountain (7)

Chapter Three The Symbolism of the Slogans and the Windmill (8)

3.1 The Symbolism of the Slogans (8)

3.2 The Symbolism of the Windmill (9)

Conclusion (11)

Notes (12)

Bibliography (13)

Introduction

George Orwell is a well-known novelist and journalist in the 20th century. He is known to be a political writer too. Animal Farm is one of his famous novels and it is a satire of the Russian revolution. Animal Farm is a story of many animals revolt against their human master then creates a utopian state. However, all of these things have many common points with the Russian history.

There are full of symbolism in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. George Orwell employs the symbolism in the characters of the novel, the scenes of the novel, the slogans and the windmill. George Orwell uses the symbolism to reveal the theme. At the same time, he tries to use this skill to attract people to read this novel.

Animal Farm is one of the greatest novels in British literature. The author who writes in many ways to reflect the animal word is similar with the Russian history. Many researchers are fascinated by its permanent artistic charms and literary

values, and they have analyzed this novel from different points, so some initial resources in my literature review I want to use include the following aspects.

A Comparative Study of Satire in Their Novels written by Bhat Yashoda, is published in 1991. It tells that George Orwell is a celebrated novelist and thinker in Britain in the 20th century. In the novels of Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-four George Orwell has many different opinions with Stalin. Because he laughed at the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, his socialist identity is suspected. However, George Orwell insists on his innocence. We can know some of his viewpoints in these novels. The capitalism and the revolution of proletariat are going against the society.

Another book named Tragic Realism and Modern Society, is written by John Orr and published in 1989. It points out that the Animal Farm is a political and allegorical novel. In this novel, there are full of totalitarianism. From the political point of view, totalitarianism has six

characteristics. This view is put forward by Friedrich and Brzezinski. Through analyze the novel, we can find these six characters in Napoleon. The rule of Napoleon is proving the certainty of totalitarianism in Animal Farm.

What is more, John R. Hammond’s A George Orwell Companion A Guide to the Novels, is published in 1982. It says that, George Orwell’s Animal Farm is the world’s most famous political allegory literary novel. As some critics say, this novel describes a country under various horrors. In this farm, hard life is not the most terrifying thing. Totalitarian rule is the most terrible thing. And in the Animal Farm George Orwell creates an Orwellian society and Orwellian language. “Orwellian” is applied to all kinds of totalitarian rule.

‘‘A Review on Animal Farm’’ written by Bao Dongmei, is published in Journal of Guizhou University of Technology (Social Science Edition), in 2008. It notes that the political fairy story Animal Farm is one of the representative works of George

Orwell, the famous British novelist. On the face of it , the novel just is a children’s story. If the deep meaning can be ignored, the novel has a common meaning of criticism. It is the social reality of criticism. The animals throw out the human master but themselves become dictatorship rulers.

“The Political Word in Fiction—An Interpretation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm’’written by Pan Yihe, is published in Journal of Ningbo University (Liberal Arts Edition), in 2008. It portrays that George Orwell’s Animal Farm is not the most famous novel at early stage. His novel content attack political society seriously. Through the description of a utopian social created by some animals, he expresses his views of social and political. He wants to find out the method of free society and break the political cycle. He hopes readers to find out the social justice method together.

In addition, ‘‘Totalitarianism in Animal Farm’’written by Xu Jian, is published in Journal of Liaoning Technical University (Social Science

Edition), in 2011.At first, the animals are hoping for a new world. But at last, they give up their right gradually. Centralization is like this form. In Animal Farm, George Orwell expresses his intense anger. Animals are the same with human people. Human in this society have lost their discourse right. A free society is replaced by totalitarianism. In order to find happiness and freedom, people should seek equality bravely.

Zhou Jie’s ‘‘George Orwell and His Animal Farm’’in Journal of Fuyang Teachers College, is published in 2000. It tells that George Orwell has been looking forward to the liberation of the oppressed people, especially proletarians. In Animal Farm, he exposes the dark side of the Soviet society led by Stalin. The real life is not so far from the satire. It shows that Stalin’s centralized rule. He not only criticized the realistic society, but also warned the future life. However, Orwell ignores the positive aspects of totalitarian in some special period.

Liu Yi’s ‘‘From Heaven to Hell:

Deconstruction of Utopia by Dystopian Fiction’’ is a master thesis from Shanghai International Studies University. It says that by analyzing two classical works named Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-four, we try to explore the situation of mankind today. “Utopia” is a word representing all ideal societies. All of the utopian literatures could give the readers a picture of beautiful world. And it can beautify the social situation. On the contrary, dystopian literatures satirize the reality by exaggerating the dark side of society.

Jiang Xin’s ‘‘Dystopia in the Animal Farm’’ is published in Overseas English, in 2011.Animal Farm written by George Orwell, who is well-known as a political fable. He shows a social form with an easy story. His humorous writing style as well as strengthen the political significance. This novel is a dystopian literature. The utopian state created by some animals is could not last long. Because of the cruel reality, it is not possible to achieve true equality. Utopia society is an ideal of mankind.

‘‘Black Humor in George Orwell’s Animal

Farm’’written by Zhao Yuhong, is published in Journal of Jilin Institute of Architecture, in 2010. It says that Orwell uses black humor skills to describe the entire story. In this novel, he describes a simple animal farm by black humor. However, in the farm’s back is complicated political. Through the humorous language the readers could understand the novel early.

Animal Farm is one of the best works of George Orwell, and it gives a comprehensive understanding about the totalitarianism to the readers. So far, many scholars have made a lot of researches from different aspects, such as its signification, the theme about the story, and the black humor in this novel. Because George Orwell employs the symbolism in various ways in this novel, there should be a further study on its symbolism.

In the novel, George Orwell employs the symbolism in the characters of the novel, the scenes of the story and many slogans in this story to express the theme. The thesis includes three parts,

giving a comprehensive discussion on the symbolism in the above aspects. Through these new ways of studying, the thesis will make the readers recognize George Orwell’s wonderful writing skills and meaningful novels as well as a better understanding of the theme of the Animal Farm. He uses a new animal farm to symbolize a much more serious problem. Totalitarianism cannot promote economic development. Animal Farm states a clear theme that is satire the ugly tyranny and seeks the truth equality.

Chapter One The Symbolism of the Characters

In Animal Farm, different characters are used as symbols to symbolize meanings that can be related to people in Russian history. There are many kinds of animals represent different meanings. However, the pigs play a big part in the novel. At the same time, there have many other animals too, such as horses, birds, and donkey and so on. This chapter

will focus on analyzing the symbolism of the two main characters: the different pigs and the other animals.

1.1 The Symbolism of the Pigs

The Old Major is the old boar on the Manor Farm, and it is named Middle White Boar. One night he calls the animals on the farm for a meeting. In this meeting he shares a dream to other animals. He says that “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing,”1 and points out that it is time to overthrow their human leader. After the Old Major dies, Snowball and Napoleon, two pigs lead the other animal revolt and drive the human master from the farm. Then they change the name of the farm, this new farm is called “Animal Farm”.

The Old Major puts forward an advice of change the living condition for animals. In animal farm, he is the father of “Animalism”. In this novel he represents Karl Marx and symbolizes the Vladimir Lenin too. Vladimir

Lenin is the original communist leader as the Old Major in animal farm.

Snowball and Napoleon are two young pigs. After the Old Major dies, two young pigs begin to struggle. Both of them want to be the leader of the farm. Snowball is mainly based on Leon Trotsky. In this novel, he leads the successful first harvest. Because the successful harvest he gets many animals and win their trust, but he does not became the leader of the farm in the final. Snowball also has some common points with Vladimir Lenin. He really works for the farm and helps the other animals. At the same time he formulates a long-term plan to develop productivity and builds a utopian state. Compared with napoleon, Snowball is more intelligent and less sly. But Napoleon slander Snowball is a saboteur and the rumor is rapidly dispersed. Finally, Napoleon’s dogs chase Snowball from the farm.

Napoleon’s role is gradually clear and we can see that he is parable for Stalin. He is the main

evildoer in this farm. When the Old Major dies, Napoleon feels it is time to establish his power. Then he begins to training nine attack dogs to confirm his power. All of the forces under his control and he is the real leader. He forces other animals by his attack dogs. Just as Stalin, he uses military force to strengthen his rule. In Russia, Stalin is a dictator too. With the development of the farm, Napoleon seems to be a good leader at the previous stage. He encourages social forces in build windmill and he is in charge of agriculture. However,after driving Snowball off the farm, Napoleon threats to the other animals to work hard. With the story developing, he gradually changes the rulers for his benefit. He has many special powers and living in luxury gradually. At the end of the novel, Napoleon own all of the powers and he begins leave the original equality of animalism behind.

Squealer is a pig too. But he is one of Napoleon’s tools. He is responsible for the propaganda work of the entire farm. He could turn black into white and