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Why did George Orwell use simple fable-like language in Animal Farm?

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George Orwell, c. 1940 — George Orwell Known best for his powerful anti-utopian novels *Animal Farm* (1945) and *Nineteen Eighty-four* (1949), English author George Orwell came to be regarded as a prophetic voice in 20th-century literature.

George Orwell utilized a simple, fable-like narrative in his 1945 novella Animal Farm primarily to ensure his critique of the Soviet regime was accessible to a wide audience.

Orwell’s primary objective was to expose the reality of the Soviet Union and the betrayal of socialist ideals under Joseph Stalin to readers in Western Europe. By framing the story as a fable—or "fairy story," as indicated by the original subtitle—he created a narrative that could be easily understood by almost anyone and translated into other languages.1

This stylistic choice allowed Orwell to fuse his political purpose with artistic expression, effectively illustrating how totalitarianism functions and how power can corrupt revolutionary movements. Through this allegorical approach, he sought to bypass the complex propaganda that had obscured the truth about the Russian Revolution from many Western observers, ensuring his message remained clear and impactful.231