SATIRE AND SOCIETY: A MARXIST CRITICISM ON GEORGE ORWELL’S “ANIMAL FARM”

Abstract

Through his allegorical novel ”Animal Farm”, George Orwell delivers a sharp critique of the distortion of socialist ideology under totalitarian regimes, particularly during the era of Stalinism. This study aims to analyze how Orwell employs satire as a tool to expose social inequality, the manipulation of power, and the betrayal of Marxist principles. Using a Marxist literary criticism approach and a descriptive-qualitative analysis method, the author examines the representation of social classes, the roles of symbolic characters, and the narrative that reflects the struggle between the proletariat and the ruling class. The analysis reveals that Animal Farm effectively unveils the process by which a revolution intended to create equality ends up giving rise to a new form of oppression. Orwell’s satire not only critiques the political realities of the past but also serves as a reflection on the potential abuse of power in modern society.