Critical Lens: New Historicist

            History shapes literature, and literature can shape history. Through New Historicism, literary critics analyze the effect of the author’s own history, the culture and politics of the time, and the critic’s own view of history on the author’s literary works. George Orwell’s writings focus on socialism stem from his life experiences, and his books’ reception by the public was influenced by the politics and historical events of the 1940s.  

Orwell’s support of socialism and opposition to totalitarianism can be directly correlated to his life experiences. George Orwell created his own personal political ideology, which he expressed through his writings. He first came into contact with socialism as a reporter during the Spanish civil war. He quickly became a believer in socialism, and chose to join a Trotskyite militia. There, he was almost killed. After recovering, Orwell became involved in the “May Days.” This consisted of communists attempting to eliminate the influence of Trotskyite supporters. This was the basis for his support of socialism and dislike of communism. His belief in socialism can also be linked to his roots. His family was poor, and was not able to send him to a university. His strong support of socialism led him to believe that communists betrayed the socialist revolution. He articulates those beliefs in both 1984 and Animal Farm. He also used 1984 as a warning against the terrors of a communist and totalitarian society. Orwell’s political beliefs, cultivated over his lifetime, led him to write 1984 and Animal Farm (“Orwell, George”).

            Although Orwell clearly defines the “correct” interpretation of 1984, this controversial book was has been interpreted many different ways by critics of the time. He stated that 1984 was a warning against totalitarianism, not socialism: “Oceania was not what would but what could happen if intellectuals of all colors continued to be contaminated by a totalitarian outlook” (“Critical Reception”). From its inception, 1984 has been used as a political weapon, as ammunition against the Soviet communists and socialism itself.  That is not the purpose of the book according to Orwell. It is a warning of what could happen if a government takes complete power. Orwell warns the people of new governments to be on watch for corruption within them. 1984 was viewed three ways by most critics of the time. By some, it was viewed as a satire that comically exposes the terrors of totalitarianism. This gives the reader hope that ordinary people, like the proles, can overcome totalitarianism, which supports Orwell’s belief in socialism. Other critics saw it as a betrayal of the communist and socialist movement, and a surrender to “what could” happen. Finally, some critics interpreted 1984 to fit their situations, like the Americans who interpreted it as a attack on Stalinism. Today, Orwell’s novel still sparks debate and different viewpoints (“Critical Reception”).

            Animal Farm was written to unveil the Soviet Union’s false socialism, and create support for the Western European socialist movement. Orwell directly alludes to the Soviet Union and its leadership. For example, Napoleon represents Stalin and Snowball symbolizes Trotsky. Also, the farm animals embody the common people of the Soviet Union and symbolize their lack of political efficacy. One literary critic, Danto, describes the relationships between the fairytale and reality: “Soviet dictators are to human beings as human beings are to animals” (Danto). Danto interprets Animal Farm as a warning to watch out for corruption, so the cycle of revolutions leading to dictatorships ends. At the time of Animal Farm’s initial publication, it was unpopular due to its attack of the Soviet Union because the Soviet Union was an ally of England against Germany.  Outside events would later bring Animal Farm into the spotlight. Anti-Soviet feelings during the Cold War initially propelled the book’s popularity, but the novel became a classic due to its themes, which included the corruption of language and deterioration of social values.

As a modern reader, I view Orwell’s writings with prior knowledge of World War II, the Cold War, and Stalinism. As an American, communism seems like a backward system compared to the United State’s democratic and constitutional republic. I interpreted both 1984 and Animal Farm as warnings against totalitarian governments and corruption within them. They also illustrated how the common people can be manipulated by the government. Although Orwell had his own views of his writings, critics from the 1940s to the present have created their own interpretations of 1984 and Animal Farm through the filter of their personal knowledge and experiences.