Interpretation

The most important thing to understand when analysing Animal Farm by George Orwell is that the entire novel is intended as an allegory of the Russian Revolution, the formation of the Soviet Union, and Josef Stalin’s rise to power. Almost all characters and events have direct parallels in Russian history. 

However, the story also explores more general themes, as it wants to make a point about violent revolutions and their aftermath. There is also a related sub-theme focused on the power of state propaganda, as we frequently zoom in on Squealer’s efforts to distort or hide the truth about events.

Because of these more general themes, the story’s message is not limited to criticism of Josef Stalin and Soviet Russia, but is also criticism directed at revolutions in general. The novel warns that people can easily end up in a post-rebellion situation that is just as bad as before - or perhaps even worse - especially if they are also vulnerable to state propaganda. 

You can find much more advice about interpretation in the following sections.