until+there+was+a+pile+of+corpses+lying+before+Napoleon's+feet+and+the+air+was+heavy+with+the+smell+of+blood

This happening of Napoleon killing all the animals who confess their participation in a conspiracy with Snowball relates to the Great Purge. Stalin launched the Great Purge in 1937, which was a campaign of terror where anyone who was a threat to Stalin's power was killed. All the Bolsheviks who helped the Revolution in 1917 were killed. In this passage, Napoleon represents Stalin and the animals who got killed represents the Bolsheviks who was killed in the Great Purge.


 * Artist's Interpretation Contributed by Bobby Choi

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