THEMES

Major Theme

The major theme of the novel is the sad triumph of evil over good. The animals try to create a utopia, a paradise where society brings out and develops the best in a being. Unfortunately, the animals that gain control of Animal Farm begin to act in a manner similar to the humans that they had kicked off the farm. At the end of the novel, the pigs cannot be distinguished from the humans.

Minor Theme

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is another theme of Animal Farm. When the animals seize control of the farm, the leaders are corrupted by their power. Allegorically, Orwell is exposing the perversion of Marxist Socialism by Communism. In the novel, he is emphasizing the suppression, oppression, and frustration of the good, well meaning, and benevolent animals, just as Communism suppresses man.

MOOD

The mood varies from the comic to the tragic, with the overall mood being one of tension. The whole story is filled with irony and bitter sarcasm.

Table of Contents | Printable Version | Barron's Booknotes