Animal Farm, known at the beginning and the end of the novel as the Manor Farm, symbolizes Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. But more generally, Animal Farm stands for any human society, be it capitalist, socialist, fascist, or communist.

As an allegorical novel, Animal Farm is rife with symbolism. Just as the animals represent individuals or groups from Russian history, the farm itself represents Russia, and the surrounding farms represent the European powers that witnessed the Russian Revolution.

The experiences of Manor/Animal Farm symbolize how greatly devastating such political catastrophes can be on the common people, the working-class. This is perhaps the strongest element of Animal Farm— its portrayal of daily life during political revolution. The farm has an internal structure that speaks to this.