Many writers acquire their ideas for writing stories from various places. A story’s concept might come from family, personal experiences, history, or even the author’s imagination. The inspiration for a book based on historical events could come from the authors’ own perspective on the event they intended to portray in Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities by George Orwell and Charles Dickens, respectively.
Animal Farm is a story that speaks to the human condition of being controlled and having power taken away. A Tale of Two Cities, on the other hand, is a story about how society can turn a blind eye to those who are suffering. Even though both books have different messages, they are able to use social criticism to point out some of the same problems in society.
One problem that Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities identify is the abuse of power. In Animal Farm, Napoleon and the other pigs take advantage of the fact that the animals do not know how to read or write. They use this to their advantage by changing the rules whenever it suits them and making sure that the animals cannot question them.
The pigs also make sure that the animals are always working and that they do not have enough food to eat. In A Tale of Two Cities, the aristocracy takes advantage of the fact that the peasants are uneducated and poor. They use this to their advantage by making sure that the peasants work long hours for little pay. The aristocracy also does not care about the plight of the peasants and often turns a blind eye to their suffering.
Another problem that Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities identify is the need for people to be able to question authority. In Animal Farm, Napoleon does not allow any of the animals to question his authority or challenge him in any way. This leads to the animals being controlled and oppressed. In A Tale of Two Cities, the aristocracy does not allow the peasants to question their authority or challenge them in any way. This leads to the peasants being controlled and oppressed.
Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities both identify the need for social change. Animal Farm shows that when a group of people is oppressed, they will eventually overthrow their oppressors. A Tale of Two Cities shows that when a group of people is suffering, they will eventually rise up and overthrow their oppressors. In both books, the authors use social criticism to point out the need for change in society.
Both books are comparable in that both discuss how, even with the purest of intentions, our goals may deceive us. Both authors also show that violence and the Machiavellian mentality of “the ends justifying the means” are reprehensible. In Animal Farm, George Orwell aimed to discredit the Soviet system by demonstrating its inhumanity and backsliding from ideals he valued… (Gardner, 106). Orwell stated that he wrote Animal Farm “to demonstrate the detestability of such regimes as those established by Hitler in Germany or Stalin in Russia.)
Animal Farm’ is an successful attempt to create such a work.” (Orwell, Animal Farm, Preface) Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution. Napoleon, the leader of Animal Farm after the rebellion, represents Joseph Stalin. The pigs start out by being the most dedicated and committed revolutionaries, but as time goes on they become more and more like their former human oppressors.
By the end of the book, the pigs are living in luxury while the other animals toil away. The book ends with the ominous statement that “the creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which” (Orwell, Animal Farm, Ch. 10).
This is Orwell’s way of saying that the difference between the two groups is not as great as one might think. Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities also has a strong message about how good intentions can go awry. The character Sydney Carton represents the best and worst of humanity. He is dissipated and unproductive, but he is also capable of great acts of love and sacrifice.
At the end of the book, when he takes Darnay’s place at the guillotine, his selfless act represents hope for the future. These books show that social criticism can be found in different forms of literature, and that even stories that are not expressly about politics can have important messages for us. Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities are two examples of books that contain social criticism.
They demonstrate that even with the best of intentions, our ambitions may get the best of us. They also show that violence and the Machiavellian attitude of “the ends justifying the means” are deplorable. These books offer important lessons for us, and they are essential reading for anyone interested in social criticism.
Instead, the country is seen either with ignorant disdain or uncritical adoration. (Gardner, 96) The basic rundown is as follows: in Manor Farm, Old Major tells the other animals of his dream of animalism: “Only get rid of Man,’ says he, ‘and the product of our labour would be ours.’ We would become rich and free almost instantly. ‘’ (Orwell, 10) The other animals embrace this utopian notion and one day actually rebel and drive humans out. Napoleon and Snowball are recognized as two pigs who emerge as leaders.
Napoleon then took the farm over and instituted a totalitarian regime, complete with propaganda, terror, and thought control. Animal Farm is Orwell’s searing political satire of the Soviet Union under Stalin, and it continues to be one of the most widely read and influential books in the world.
A Tale of Two Cities is set against the backdrop of the French Revolution. It tells the story of two men, Charles Darnay and Sydney Carton, who look alike but are very different in character. Darnay is a nobleman who has renounced his title and wealth, while Carton is a lawyer who is cynical and unhappy with his life. Both men fall in love with Lucie Manette, but it is Carton who sacrifices his own happiness for hers. In the end, he dies in her place, leaving her with a new lease on life.
While Animal Farm is a satire of Soviet Russia, A Tale of Two Cities is a passionate love story set against the backdrop of one of the most tumultuous periods in history. Although they are very different books, both Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities offer insights into the human condition and the dangers of absolute power.
