Abstract

Animal Farm is one of the most influential works in the literary world. It is an allegorical novel written by George Orwell published in England on 17 August 1945. The story describes the brewing, rise and ultimate transformation of an "Animalist" revolution. Orwell reveals its theme of anti-totalitarianism in an obvious way.

The research of the thesis is mainly based on the Animal Farm and its expression of anti-totalitarianism. In the first part, the author makes a brief introduction and literary review of both George Orwell and Animal Farm. The “Utopia” theory is then analyzed in the following part. The author discovers Orwell’s attitude toward the “Utopia” question, and clarifies the dangers of indulging in the myth of Utopia. The author then discusses the definition of totalitarianism and makes a conclusion that the story is inconsistent with the requirements of the totalitarianism. Furthermore, the literary skills are analyzed to enhance the theme of anti- totalitarianism, mainly focusing on the use of symbolism and the use of irony and exaggeration. Then in the last part, the author reviews the points of view mentioned in the essay and explores the question of the recurrence of totalitarianism in history.

摘        要

《动物庄园》是文学史上非常有影响力的一部著作，它是乔治•奥威尔于1945年创作的一部政治讽喻小说，该故事描述了一场“动物主义”革命的酝酿、兴起和最终蜕变。奥威尔用一种显明的方式表达了反极权的主题。
本篇论文以《动物庄园》为主要研究对象，以小说中反映的极权主义为研究开展方向。在第一部分，作者对小说的故事梗概及前人的研究结果做了大致的介绍。笔者继而讨论了《动物庄园》中构建的“乌托邦”的意象，发掘出奥威尔认为“乌托邦”实质上是一种极权主义，并揭示了沉迷于“乌托邦”神话的危险性。在下一部分，作者分析了极权主义的相关问题，结合小说内容阐释了极权主义的定义及构成要件。笔者继续将文学技法纳入考虑范畴，试图发掘象征和夸张手法的运用如何强化反极权这一主题。最后，作者在总结的基础上进一步讨论了人类缘何脱离不了极权主义的怪圈这一命题。

关键词：动物庄园，极权主义，乌托邦