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Animal Farm could fit into the genre of a fairy story, fable, allegory or satire.

On the surface the novel is very simple, a narrative with a lesson that is suitable for children. When seeing the narrative as a metaphor or allegory it becomes more complex, the reader needs prior knowledge to appreciate the novel on this level.

Genre

• Fairy story - the idea of talking animals and the simple written style are elements that fit this form.
• Allegory - the farm and the animals are an extended metaphor. The farm represents Russia and its experience of revolution in the 1900s. Mr Jones and the animals represent the Russian leaders and people of the time.
• Fable - a fable is a story that teaches a lesson or moral. Orwell uses the actions of the animals to teach the reader lessons about equality, power, corruption and freedom.
• Satire - Orwell satirises the political leaders of Russia in the 1900s.

The narrator

The novel has a third person omniscient narrator, we see and know everything that happens and hear the characters' thoughts. This gives the reader an overview which allows us to come to our own conclusions about events on the farm.

How to analyse form