Social Criticism in Literature

     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.

 --

 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.