An allegory is a story in which "the characters and events stand for something else." (See the reference link provided). We see this clearly in Animal Farm: on the one hand, it is a novella (a short novel) about life on a farm, told from the perspective of farmyard animals. Looking deeper, however, Animal Farm depicts some of the major political events of the Soviet Union during the early-twentieth century. Moreover, its characters are based on the some of the key players from this period: Napoleon, for example, is clearly based on the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin.
By writing Animal Farm as an allegory, Orwell is able to express his thoughts on the Russian Revolution and the dangers of Soviet-style Communism, more generally. Looking at the events in the novella, it is clear Orwell disliked Communism and believed Stalin used it to subjugate and oppress the working class. We see this through the fate of Boxer, the hardworking horse who is betrayed by Napoleon when he is sold to a glue manufacturer instead of being allowed to retire.
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