Social Criticism in Literature, As Found in George Orwel

Social Criticism in Literature, As Found in George Orwell's Animal Farm and Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities."

                    Many authors receive their inspiration for writing their literature from outside sources. The idea for a story could come

                    from family, personal experiences, history, or even their own creativity. For authors that choose to write a book based on

                    historical events, the inspiration might come from their particular viewpoint on the event that they want to dramatize.

                    George Orwell and Charles Dickens wrote Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities, respectively, to express their

                    disillusionment with society and human nature. Animal Farm, written in 1944, is a book that tells the animal fable of a farm

                    in which the farm animals revolt against their human masters. It is an example of social criticism in literature in which

                    Orwell satirized the events in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution. He anthropomorphises the animals, and alludes each

                    one to a counterpart in Russian history. A Tale of Two Cities also typifies this kind of literature. Besides the central theme

                    of love, is another prevalent theme, that of a revolution gone bad. He shows us that, unfortunately, human nature causes

                    us to be vengeful and, for some of us, overly ambitious. Both these books are similar in that both describe how, even with

                    the best of intentions, our ambitions get the best of us. Both authors also demonstrate that violence and the Machiavellian

                    attitude of "the ends justifying the means" are deplorable. George Orwell wrote Animal Farm, ". . . to discredit the Soviet

                    system by showing its inhumanity and its back-sliding from ideals [he] valued . . ."(Gardner, 106) Orwell noted that "

                    there exists in England almost no literature of disillusionment with the Soviet Union.' Instead, that country is viewed either

                    with ignorant disapproval' or with uncritical admiration.'"(Gardner, 96) The basic synopsis is this: Old Major, an old boar

                    in Manor Farm, tells the other animals of his dream of "animalism": " . . . Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our

                    labour would be our own. Almost overnight we would become rich and free.'" (Orwell, 10) The other animals take this

                    utopian idea to heart, and one day actually do revolt and drive the humans out. Two pigs emerge as leaders: Napoleon

                    and Snowball. They constantly argued, but one day, due to a difference over plans to build a windmill, Napoleon exiled

                    Snowball. Almost immediately, Napoleon established a totalitarian government. Soon, the pigs began to get special

                    favours, until finally, they were indistinguishable from humans to the other animals. Immediately the reader can begin to

                    draw parallels between the book's characters and the government in 1917-44 Russia. For example, Old Major, who

                    invented the idea of "animalism," is seen as representing Karl Marx, the creator of communism. Snowball represents

                    Trotsky, a Russian leader after the revolution. He was driven out by Napoleon, who represents Stalin, the most powerful

                    figure in the country. Napoleon then proceeded to remove the freedoms of the animals, and established a dictatorship,

                    under the public veil of "animalism." Pigs represent the ruling class because of their stereotype: dirty animals with insatiable

                    appetites. Boxer, the overworked, incredibly strong, dumb horse represents the common worker in Russia. The two

                    surrounding farms represent two of the countries on the global stage with Russia at the time, Germany and England.

                    Orwell begins his book by criticizing the capitalists and ruling elite, who are represented in Animal Farm by Mr. Jones, the

                    farmer. He is shown as a negligent drunk, who constantly starved his animals. "His character is already established as

                    self-indulgent and uncaring." (King, 8) Orwell shows us how, "if only animals became aware of their strength, we should

                    have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the

                    proletariat."(Gardner, 97) What was established in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution was not true communism

                    ("animalism"), which Orwell approved of, where the people owned all the factories and land. Rather, "state communism"

                    was established, where a central government owned them. Orwell thought that such a political system, "state

                    communism," was open to exploitation by its leaders. Napoleon, after gaining complete control, did anything he wished -

                    reserved the best for the pigs, and treated the animals cruelly. The animals could not do anything, unless they again

                    realized their strength in numbers against their own kind. Unfortunately, they were too stupid to realize this and accepted

                    the "status quo." It began when the milk and apples were appropriated to the pigs, and continued to when the pigs could

                    drink and sleep on beds, until finally the pigs were the "human masters" to the rest of the animals. Orwell criticized

                    Germany, representing it as Pinchfield Farm, which betrayed Animal Farm by paying for lumber with counterfeit money.

                    In real life, this represents the Soviet-Germany non-aggression pact during World War II which Germany eventually

                    broke. Eventually, towards the end of the story, the term, "absolute power corrupts absolutely," is proven, as the pigs,

                    who retained all the privileges for themselves, have evolved into a different caste from the other animals. Orwell's

                    implication is that "real" communism cannot exist in the countries which claim to be communist. The ruling class -

                    politicians - own everything and ironically are therefore in total control.

                    A Tale of Two Cities is a love story which chronicles the lives of Charles Darnay, a Frenchman who renounced his link

                    with the aristocracy, and Sydney Carton, a wastrel who lived in England. Both these characters fall in love with Lucie

                    Manette, the daughter of Dr. Alexandre Manette, unjustly imprisoned in France for 17 years. Though Lucie marries

                    Darnay, Carton still loves her and in the end, gives his life to save Darnay for her. Dickens, who was fascinated with

                    French history, especially the French Revolution, begins by criticizing the aristocrats' treatment of the poor people of

                    France. In the seventh chapter of book two, the Monsieur the Marquis had accidentally driven his carriage over a young

                    child, killing him. Instead of worrying about the child's welfare, the Monsieur's reaction was to worry about his horses:

                    "One or the other of you is for ever in the way. How do I know what injury you have done to my horses."(Dickens, 111)

                    He deemed their lives inferior and insignificant, as illustrated when he threw a gold coin to the child's devastated father as

                    compensation. The Monsieur the Marquis revealed his true sentiments to his nephew: "Repression is the only lasting

                    philosophy. . . fear and slavery, my friend, will keep the dogs obedient to the whip. . ."(Dickens, 123) Dickens makes it

                    abundantly obvious that the aristocrats are to meet doom, with symbolic references to fate and death. For instance, as the

                    Monsieur the Marquis rides through the country, a glowing red sunset appeared over him, signifying his bloody death. In

                    the words of the author, ". . . the sun and the Marquis going down together. . ."(Dickens, 114) Madame Defarge's

                    knitting is also a symbol of impending doom, as she records the names of all those who are to die when the revolution

                    takes place.

                    Dickens also expresses his disillusionment with some of the outcomes of the French Revolution. He believed that the

                    people did not just liberate themselves, but also took vengeance towards the aristocracy. This is confirmed in the

                    conversation between the revolutionaries: " Well, well, but one must stop somewhere. After all, the question is still

                    where?' At extermination,' said madame."(Dickens, 341) Madame Defarge embodies this attitude, as she wants to have

                    Charles Darnay killed, not because he has done something wrong, but because he is related to the Evr‚monde family,

                    which killed her relative. Though "Dickens seems almost to regard violence as the one way to bring about social

                    change,"(Lucas,288) he then began to denounce the actions taken by some of the revolutionaries. The citizens let their

                    righteous cause turn into vengefulness. Even servants and maids to the aristocrats were beheaded, although they had not

                    really done anything wrong. Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities were written to express their authors' disenchantment

                    with the state of evolution of human nature. They seem to be saying, that even when we begin with honourable intentions,

                    there will be some of us who will let their base instincts take control. Orwell, in Animal Farm portrays this nature by

                    parodying events in real history. Given the right conditions, those events could happen anywhere - a leader becoming

                    overly ambitious, to the point of harming his people for morepower. In A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens examines the inner

                    soul, and shares with us how people are driven to the valley of human emotions, where desperation and anger reign, and

                    what could happen afterwards if we let these emotions build up inside. Every human being is capable of becoming a

                    ruthless, opportunistic being like Napoleon or Madame Defarge, if placed in the right place, at the right time.

                    Works Cited

                    Coles Editorial Board. Coles Notes: Animal Farm. Toronto: Coles Publishing Company, 1996. Dickens, Charles. A Tale

                    of Two Cities. London: Orion Publishing Group, 1994. Gardner, Averil. George Orwell. Boston: Twayne Publishers,

                    1987. Kaplan, Fred. Dickens: A Bibliography. New York: William Morrow & Company, Ltd., 1988. King, Martin.

                    Students' Guide to Animal Farm. Scotland: Tynron Press, 1989. Lucas, John. The Melancholy Man: A Study of Dickens'

                    Novels. London: N.P., N.D. Orwell, George. Animal Farm. London: Penguin Books, 1985. Shelden, Michael. Orwell:

                    The Authorised Biography. London: Mandarin Paperbacks, 1992. Written in Toronto, 1996.