1945 marked a great turning point in world history.  The end of the Second World War, the detonation of the atomic bomb, the beginning of the Cold War took place during that year.  Also in 1945, George Orwell published Animal Farm, The book drew wide interest due to its scathing commentary on the Russian communist movement at a time when Britain and Russia were still allies.  The body of criticism relating to the novel is among the greatest of twentieth century literature.  Attacking the work from a variety of angles, every detail has been poked and prodded, but the consensus is still out on how best to judge Orwell's book.  By analyzing the usage of simple themes, comparisons to the Russian communist movement, and the usage of animal allegory in George Orwell's Animal Farm, its overall literary value may be evaluated.

    One of the hallmarks of Animal Farm is its thematic simplicity.  Set on a farm in rural Britain, the book chronicles the history of the farm's
animals and their revolution against humans.  From its chaotic beginnings, the revolution is able to defend itself against its enemies and make
technological leaps.  However, a rigid hierarchy is soon forged which so resembles the ante-bellum totalitarian leadership of Farmer Jones that "the creatures outside looked from pig to man... but already it was impossible to say which was which," (Orwell 128).  Orwell's smooth and simple narrative is clear-cut and easy to understand, which adds to the overall appeal of the book.

    However, some critics interpret this very simplicity as a weakness.  They hold that by making such broad generalizations of very complex
situations, the merit of Animal Farm is lessened.  Among those holding this view is Keith Alldritt, who writes, "Orwell‚s Œfairy story‚ is only a clever form for expressing a set of opinions that have been held so long that they no longer admit the complexity of the experience they claim to explain," (Alldritt).  By eliminating certain factors in the Soviet revolution at his own whim, Orwell gets the desired straightforward plot he is desires, but at the same time loses sight with his original goal of satirizing the actual revolution.

    Although it is never explicitly stated in the book, the events that occur in Animal Farm closely follow those of the Russian communist movement.  Many critics can trace every sentence in the book to a date and place in Russia.  Jeffrey Meyers, author of three Orwellian biographies, claims that "...Though critics have often interpreted the book in terms of Soviet history, they have never sufficiently recognized that it is extremely subtle and sophisticated, and brilliantly presents a satiric allegory of Communist Russia in which virtually every detail has political significance," (Meyers).  Meyers claims that down to the last detail, Animal Farm moves measure for measure with the Soviets.

    Just as some critics claim that Animal Farm is solely intended to satirize the Soviet revolution, others argue that the novel is a cautionary
tale against all power-grabbing totalitarians.  Many point to the lack of a parallel character to represent Lenin as a sign that the book perhaps is
meant to cover wider territory than simply the Soviets (Zwerdling).  By applying the book to other such movements in history, some critics argue that Orwell, despite his long-held socialist sympathies, was disillusioned with all revolutions as a source of reform and progress and condemned the lot of them with his animal satire.

    The central technique of Animal Farm is the use of the animal allegory.  By following Orwell along the path of the animals in their search
for utopia, the folly in their ways is clearly illustrated.  Far better than the author could do with humans, the animals allow Orwell to draw upon numerous stock characteristics that readers have come to expect from certain animals.  In using the cart horse Boxer, for example, Orwell uses the popular conception of horses as dedicated and hard-working to extrapolate as characteristics of the workers in Soviet Russia.  The cleverness with which Orwell works leads us to better understand the motives of the characters in the book, as we can anticipate that the pigs will tend to be greedy and make a grab for increased power and prestige.  Some critics draw parallels between more than two dozen characters in the book to distinct entities in Soviet Russia, be they revolutionary figures or dissenting classes.

    Over the years, Orwell‚s allegory device has drawn almost universal praise as a method of satire.  Its ability to transcend the complexities of Russian society to create a simply worded model for the events that took place in Soviet society over the thirty years preceding the book's
publication is widely admired, if not fully agreed with.  "The familiar and affectionate tone of the story and its careful attention to detail allowed the unpopular theme to be pleasantly convincing, and the Soviet myth was exposed in a subtle fashion that could still be readily understood," (Meyers).

    George Orwell's Animal Farm has drawn high levels of criticism for over half a century.  Some of this criticism has been negative, arguing that the novel is too simple, strays too far away from the truth, and is too broad in its interpretations and critiques of the Soviet revolution in Russia. However, many critics have found Animal Farm to be of literary merit.  They argue that its simplicity is a well-wielded device to make his satire easier to understand, that diversions from the truth are minimal, and that its critiques hit the mark.  Ultimately, the novel's source of literary merit will be its staying power and ability to remain relevant despite having already served its original purpose in helping to destroy Soviet communism. The timelessness of Animal Farm will necessarily be measured in the years to come.