Animal Farm
by George Orwell

Animal Farm: Allegory 1 key example

Definition of Allegory

An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The Tortoise and The Hare" is... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and events. The story of "The... read full definition
An allegory is a work that conveys a hidden meaning—usually moral, spiritual, or political—through the use of symbolic characters and... read full definition
Allegory
Explanation and Analysis—Animal Farm:

Using the umbrella allegory of a farmyard coup, George Orwell lampoons and critiques the events leading up to and following the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of Soviet Communist power. This story specifically targets the rise of Stalinism in the Soviet Union and explores how corruption and manipulation by the powerful can destroy even the purest of ideals. Although he’s writing about farm animals overthrowing their human oppressors and establishing their own form of government, Orwell’s also drawing direct parallels to the overthrow of Tsar Nicholas II and the establishment of a communist state in early-20th-century Europe.