If Orwell had Chickens
With this in mind, I wanted to explore the representation of animals, in particular the Hens, in George Orwell’s novella Animal Farm (1945).As explored within this e-book, the hierarchal structure created by mankind for the natural world places the human at the top.
Extract from 'Chickens, video games and human-animal relations' by Natalie Cheung
Napoleon, the novella’s main antagonist in pig form, demands that the Hens surrender their eggs. The chickens smash their own eggs to protest Napoleon’s actions but are eventually forced into submission, with nine hens dying during the ordeal. The Hens represent the ease at which a group can be controlled through fear and intimidation. Furthermore they are seen as the weakest and the least intelligent of all the animals, allowing the pigs to dominate them.
To extend, the dichotomy between human and animal is subverted to establish a hierarchy between animal and animal. As an allegorical tale, Napoleon symbolises Joseph Stalin and the Hens represent the peasant farmers who fought against Stalin. The scope of Orwell’s novel is troubling and uncomfortable as it shines a light on the innate ability of humans to create conflict.