Symbolism in Animal Farm Essay Example

The use of symbolism in literature, allows readers to reflect the deeper meaning of novels and produces a substantial impact. Animal Farm, by George Orwell regards the rebellion of the animals in search of a free and equal society. Ultimately, the rebellion is betrayed, under the dictatorship of the pigs, and the farm ends up in a state of inferiority just as before. Symbolism is portrayed through the windmill, as it demonstrates the prosperity and progress of the community, the better life to come, and the ultimate destruction and manipulation of the animals. 

The proposal of the windmill exemplifies the opulence and progress of the rebellion by the animals. Snowball advocates for the windmill to ensure growth as it, “[C]ould be made to operate a dynamo and supply the farm with electrical power [to] light the stalls and warm them in winter … Snowball conjured up pictures of fantastic machines which would do their work for them while they grazed at their ease in the fields or improved their minds with reading and conversation” (Orwell 48). The windmill technological advances provide comfort and benefit for all the animals, supporting their yearning for freedom. Essentially, with machines completing the laborious work, it allows the focus to be on intellectual study, minimizing the gaps between superiority of social classes. The agreement of innovation on the farm was approved and, “...the building of the windmill, with various other improvements, was expected to take two years” (Orwell 57). The common goal of freedom and equality significantly unites the animals on the farm as they each sacrifice their bodies. Similar to the seven commandments the animals live by, the windmill provides a sense of discipline in order to reach ultimate justification collectively. Predominantly, the windmill exemplifies the advancements of living from Mr. Jones, their former owner, to the current figureheads.

 The advancement of the windmill represents the progress of the rebellion and the better life to come. With the advancements of the technology it became clear that "[S]o much labour would be saved that the animals would only need to work three days a week" (Orwell 65). With labour being minimized to three days admiration is increased as their bodies will get breaks compared to when Mr. Jones was dictator. The animals' unification grows stronger as they are under the impression that life will become facile and all labor completed is for their own pure benefit. To ensure a more leisure future, “All that year the animals ; they worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work grudged no effort or sacrifice…”(Orwell 73). Before the day of being their own dictators, all the animals’ labor work was purely for the profit of the humans, as now it is for their own benefit. The use of propaganda plays a large role in the aspirations of the animals’ ideals of personal gain, as Napoleon convinces them in unseemingly ways. As for this innovation of the windmill, it overall created a false sense of hope within the society. 

The destruction of the windmill exemplifies the betrayal of the pigs to their fellow comrades and failed rebellion. The animals’ farm was under attack by their adversary, “[W]hen they got up again, a huge cloud of black smoke was hanging where the windmill had been. Slowly the breeze drifted it away. The windmill had ceased to exist!” (Orwell 103). The humans succeed at destroying the innovation of the farm, once again claiming the superiority against the animals. Through the destruction the animals’ vulnerability is exposed as well as the upbringing of the old biased ways. The pigs on the farm took advantage of the animal’s laborious work and, “the windmill, however, had not after all been used for generating electrical power. It was used for milling corn, and brought in a handsome money profit” (Orwell 129). It becomes apparent to the animals that there is no personal advantage to the windmill as the technology is being used for profit and production, not for themselves. Napoleon's lies are visually depicted by the windmill, as the animals have become eager participants in Napoleon's trickery, trusting his promises of better times despite the fact that since the farm's takeover, conditions have only become worse. The manipulation of the animals represents the human nature and greed when power comes into control.

The utilization of symbolism portrayed through the windmill typifies the purpose and overall effect of the rebellion. The windmill portrayed the growth, the prosperity of life, and the destruction of the animals throughout the novel. Through the dictatorship of Snowball the windmill represents progress and through the absolutist, Napoleon, it represented corruption. As a community the windmill exemplifies the justified life to come. Ultimately, just as the windmill was used against the animals and unsuccessful, the rebellion also failed, all due to the corrupt powers.