Orwell’s Animal Farm and Golding’s Lord of the Flies: A Comparative Study

Abstract

The main aim of this article is to compare two emblematic works of 20th century British literature: George Orwell's Animal Farm and William Golding's Lord of the Flies. This comparative study adopts a New Critical analytical approach, focusing exclusively on the textual aspects of the novels independently of any external context or ideology. We examine in depth the plots, characters and settings of both works. The study is structured around three main themes. First, it examines the societies represented in the two novels. Secondly, it explores the power dynamics within these societies. Finally, it highlights the ultimate collapse of the societal ideals depicted in the two works. At the end of this analysis, several conclusions emerge: both works explore the creation of new societies emerging from those that have shown their limitations. The animals' ideal of society in Animal Farm and the children's societal project in Lord of the Flies fail because of similar power dynamics. Orwell's animals and Golding's children end up becoming the exact opposite of their initial aspirations. The animals in Animal Farm gradually adopt human behaviour, while the children in Lord of the Flies regress towards more animal behaviour. So, paradoxically and ironically, Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies share the same fundamental concern: the fragility of human society and the fine line between humanity and animality. By exploring in detail the themes and connections between the two novels, this analysis aims to provide an in-depth understanding of how literature reflects and critiques the complexities of human social dynamics and the fragility of the societal structures.