Absolute Power Corrupts in "Animal Farm" by George Orwell Essays

When one acquires a position of extreme power, it is only a matter of time before it is maliciously abused for personal benefit. As socialized power, the power used to benefit others, transitions to personalized power, the principle of morality is lost as the leader becomes unable to discern from right and wrong.

Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing, showcased in Animal Farm as Utopian ideals but with failed practices.

George Orwell in his novel Animal Farm explores the reality through the abuse of power using the character Napoleon. In order to gain absolute power, Napoleon eliminates any opposition, uses propaganda, and chances the commandments.

Shortly after the Revolution, Snowball comes up with the plan to construct a windmill to make the lives of the inhabitants of Animal Farm easier. Napoleon hides in the shadows per se until the puppies that he has taken and trained are old enough to act as a police force. Once they are old enough, Napoleon has the dogs drive Snowball off the farm. He then takes credit for the idea of the windmill and proceeds to claim that he, not Snowball, won the award at the Battle of Cowshed. Napoleon then informs the animals that Snowball was an enemy and was a threat to Animal Farm. The animals are swayed by his propaganda and are fearful of his police dogs; this is what keeps him in power.

Napoleon made excellent use of his second-in-command Squealer’s abilities at speaking eloquently and convincingly to make propaganda. Squealer would make the other animals think that they were better off

When thinking about pigs, you generally associate them with being dirty, repulsive and gluttonous. Well, that's Napoleon. In the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell Napoleon is a pig on Manor Farm who slowly exerts power over others and begins his reign as a dictator. Napoleon takes over and renames the farm Animal Farm while being completely deceptive and unfair. Napoleon is a prime example of how absolute power corrupts absolutely because he is unjust and doesn't care for the wellbeing of any of the other animals on the farm but himself.

Often times in a communist society, a leader’s use of language can lead to abuse of power. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the farm leaders, the pigs, use unknown language, invoke scare tactics, and create specific laws, thereby enabling them to control other animals, to suit their greedy desires, and to perform actions outside their realm of power. Because of the pigs’ use of broad language, implementation of scare tactics, and creation and manipulation of laws, they are able to get away with avoiding laws and convincing other animals into believing untrue stories and lies that are beneficial to the pigs.

Power is one of the most desired things in the world, and is often hard to attain, but once it is gained it can often corrupt a person. Corruption due to power is shown in many instances in the book, Animal Farm. In the book, there is an opening for someone to take control of the power, and the animals that do are the pigs. The pigs gain the power for many reasons. When power is gained there are many things people can do with it, either bad or good. The pigs’ actions in animal farm show the different ways that power can be used by those in charge.

Napoleon has wanted power over the farm for awhile and will do anything to keep it. He takes Jessie and Bluebells newborn puppies and trains them for the main aspect of his fear campaign. He teaches them to do what is right for the farm and to only think about the Animal Farm’s future. He uses the puppies to eliminate his nemesis. Snowball comes up with the idea for a windmill on the farm, Napoleon opposes it and uses his trained dogs to chase Snowball off the farm. With Snowball gone, Napoleon declares himself the ruler of the farm. “They dashed straight for Snowball… he slipped through the fence and was seen no more. (Orwell, pg. 53 chap. 5).”

People play an enormous component in our lives and the choices we make. In George Orwell's “ Animal Farm” there are several people that show leadership and guidance. The Leaders of Animal Farm start off with good intentions, but as the story goes on it becomes obvious the leaders have grown power-hungry and have become the 'superior' animals, showing that equality does not exist. This source of power has been used by leaders at the expense of their followers for their own personal gain, like Napoleon, whose first sign of corruption occurred early in the book when he seemed to be the main leader of them all.

If Jones were to come back to the farm and take over once again, the

     The use of fear is another tactic practiced by Napoleon and his followers. When Napoleon orders that the milk and apples be used only for pigs, the first excuse is that the pigs need it to fulfill their duties as leaders, and added to the end is "Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back! …Surely… there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back?" (42). Again when Snowball is driven out, Napoleon uses public executions to show the other animals what will happen if they make contact with Snowball (82).

Squealer and Napoleon manipulated all the animals, throughout the novel, that's all they did. Squealer made all the animals think that snowball abandoned them, when Napoleon actually drove him away so he could become leader. Squealer mentions that snowball was "no better than a criminal" and convinces them that the conditions are better now than before. The pigs changed the rules from "no animal shall kill another animal" to "no animal shall kill another animal without cause" showing that the pigs have completely manipulated all the animals on the farm to think that the new rules are fair.

In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm the reader is taken to Mr. Jones Manor Farm where the animals begin a rebellion. Among the rebellion two pigs, Snowball and Napoleon, declare themselves as the new leader. Over the course of the story Napoleon manipulates animals into making him the sole leader. With all the power given to only him, he begins controlling every accept of the animals lives and forces them to follow his rules. Eventually they are back where they were in the beginning with Mr. Jones cruel punishment, now coming from the pigs. Animal Farm demonstrates that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely all through the novel by the pigs changing each of the commandments made by the animals in the begining of the

Although, the intent of the revolution in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, penned in 1945, was to make all animals equal, a class system emerges. At first, the creatures recognized they all had strengths and weaknesses, but the pigs soon emerged as the leader. The society, initially, developed Seven Commandments...soon all were deleted and replaced with one: “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 134). Under the safeguard of the dogs, Napoleon and the other pigs strengthen their relentless authority and begin executing any society member they consider useless or a threat to their power. This symbolized a representation of socialism moving towards communism, which was Russia’s government at the time the book was written. Under this rule, the vulnerable and oppressed were subjected to corrupt and brutal authority.