Orwell’s ‘Animal farm’ is an allegory for the Russian revolution specifically and for a variety of themes, related to power, oppression and politics more generally. Analyse how the narrative of Animal farm allegorically depicts George Orwell’s views on at least three different themes. This essay will unpack key themes power; violence and tyranny, a great power imbalance shown throughout the novel, oppression; How Napoleon used manipulation to get the results he wanted, and politics; Napoleons control over the intellectually inferior.
Throughout the novel ‘Animal farm’ George Orwell perfectly displays during Napoleon’s rein how much control he has over the intellectually inferior, evidence of this happening is shown through the rewriting of the commandments, Napoleon and his pigs are
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Symbolic of this is the manipulation used by Squealer and his delivery of the threat of Jones’ return “Surely you do not want Jones to come back” Squealer and Napoleon used this fear to manipulate the animals to get what they wanted. All the animals agreed on the several commandments on the barn wall when they were first written, through the slow changing of these Napoleon was able to exercise his authority and make his bad behaviour acceptable. “No animal shall drink alcohol in excess” Napoleon used this commandment change to his advantage and make his constant alcohol drinking acceptable. Squealers speeches are consistently used as a manipulation tool, when Boxer died Squealer made a stirring speech and promptly reminded all the animals of Boxers two favourite maxims “I will work harder” and “Comrade Napoleon is always right” Squealer uses these statements as motivation for the animals to want to work harder on the rebuilding of the windmill and other jobs around the farm to honor their fallen friend unknown to them that they are cunningly being enslaved by Squealer and
Whenever the animals seem confused about a situation, Squealer always manages to convince the animals that they are wrong and that “Napoleon is always right”. An example of this is when Squealer is alters the Seven Commandments to account for the pigs’ humanisation, which represents the Soviet government’s modification of the communist theory to make it more a reformation of capitalism than a
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is, first and foremost, a political satire warning against the pursuit of utopian desires through unjust and oppressive means. Operating under the pretense of an animal fable, Orwell disparages the use of political power to poach personal freedom. He effectively alerts his readers to the dangerous price that can accompany the so-called “pursuit of progress”. And he illuminates how governments acting under the guise of increasing independence often do just the opposite: increase oppression and sacrifice sovereignty. While the cautionary theme Orwell provides proves widely applicable, in reality his novel focuses on one tale of totalitarian abuse: Soviet Russia. The parallels between the society Orwell presents in his Animal Farm and the Soviet Union – from the Russian revolution to Stalin’s supremacy – are seemingly endless. Manor Farm represents Tsarist Russia, Animalism compares to Stalinism, and Animal Farm, with the pig Napoleon at its helm, clearly symbolizes Communist Russia and Joseph Stalin. But Orwell does more than simply align fiction with fact. He fundamentally attacks Soviet Russia at its core. And in so doing he reveals how the Communist Party simply replaced a bad system with a worse one, overthrowing an imperial autocracy for a totalitarian dictatorship. This essay will demonstrate that Orwell’s Animal Farm is
Abuse of power is demonstrated in many areas of Orwell’s novel and it clearly indicates that Orwell is not a Marxist. This is shown through manipulating all the animals, altering the commandments, and it is distinctly visible when almost all the animals fear the pigs. As days go on, there is always something different about the farm yet no one ever says a word, “Curiously enough, Clover had not remembered that the fourth commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so,” Orwell, pg.79. Some animals recognize the changes and adjustments but because of the deficiency in education they all have, it becomes difficult for anyone to say anything. Clover, the motherly mare, notices that the pigs are sleeping upon beds which according to her were breaking one of the commandments. Although she knows this is a violation of the rules, she stays quiet and silently questions all the actions the pigs continue to take. This is an internal conflict that Clover is experiencing who mentally observes all the manipulating and controlling the pigs do with all the farm animals. She realizes this is all wrong but does not want to get involved. The pigs, specifically Napoleon, change the commandments knowing that not all the animals get fully educated enough to comprehend what each means and in result he, therefore, gets to manipulate the animals into doing anything he wants. The pigs see that all the animals will accept any changes made without arguing because in
In the allegorical novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, the farm animals at Manor Farm revolted against their totalitarian human owners for complete authority over the farm. Once achieving victory, a pig named Napoleon rises to power. Napoleon uses his dictator like characteristics to rule over the newly named Animal Farm and inculcate fear into the other animals as well as force them into submission. Propaganda is used numerous times and in numerous methods throughout Animal Farm, including to force other animals to toil strenuously and surmise that Napoleon is a fair and candid leader. Napoleon’s oppressive commandments on the farm cause the other animals to have no choice but to obey his laws and do whatever he asks of them, no matter the
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is reflective of Russia during Joseph Stalin’s tyrannical ruling. The story’s antagonist Napoleon leads the Rebellion with Snowball. Once Napoleon overthrows Snowball, he deceives and manipulates the other animals with promise of a life free of restraint and human influence. After gaining their trust, Napoleon capitalizes on the animals’ vulnerabilities and uses his power to better the circumstances of the pigs rather than all animals. Although he initially presents himself as a democratic head, his leadership tactics are that of a dictator. Through examining the syntax and diction characteristic of Orwell’s writing, one can gain a better understanding of the novel’s sociopolitical theme.
“Remember that all things are lawful to me” (Tranquillus). These words by Gaius Caesar Germanicus, more commonly known as Caligula, epitomize the corruption caused by absolute power. Under his rule, the Roman treasury was emptied, people suffered from seemingly random acts of brutality, and Rome was ruled by an emperor who thought of himself as a god. Similarly, in the novel Animal Farm, the Manor Farm is taken over by its four-legged inhabitants. Their equal government is soon taken over by a power-hungry leader, a young boar named Napoleon. George Orwell’s fictional dictator Napoleon in the allegorical novel Animal Farm and the lavish life of the Roman Emperor Caligula both prove that power always causes corruption.
‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory of the Russian Revolution, where animals in the book represent certain revolutionaries and depict them through their similar actions and roles in the story. The pigs are able to gain power with their intelligence, but eventually oppress their fellow animals, and lead the revolution in the wrong direction. In George Orwell’s novel ‘Animal Farm’, the impacts of education and literacy are prevalent to the success of the revolution because the more knowledgeable animals are able to win the support and trust of their peers, as shown by Squealer’s rhetorical language, Snowball’s beneficial and brilliant ideas, and Napoleon’s assumed knowledge. Squealer continuously lies to his peers about how they have an abundance
“Four legs good, two legs bad” (Orwell 34) the sheep kept shouting whenever someone tried to question Napoleon. Before any animal could say their point on what they thought, the animals other than Napoleon were rudely interrupted. Through these outbursts and other schemes Orwell introduces the idea that power can corrupt those with too much control and he shows it through Napoleon. During Animal Farm Napoleon and his side kicks, the other pigs are changing the commandments and doing whatever they please. Napoleon, and the pigs never follow the rules instead they change them up. The dogs are the secret police that Napoleon has formed to protect him. All of the animals are afraid of Napoleon because of his dogs that he has trained to obey only
George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm is a great example of allegory and political satire. The novel was written to criticize totalitarian regimes and particularly Stalin's corrupt rule in Russia. In the first chapter Orwell gives his reasons for writing the story and what he hopes it will accomplish. It also gives reference to the farm and how it relates to the conflicts of the Russian revolution. The characters, settings, and the plot were written to describe the social upheaval during that period of time and also to prove that the good nature of true communism can be turned into something atrocious by an idea as simple as greed. This essay will cover the comparisons between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution. It will also explain why
From that point on Napoleons thirst for power grows more and more. Every animal helps build the windmill besides the pigs. When a storm occurs and the windmill falls, Napoleon blames Snowball and demands animals rebuild. While rebuilding the pigs give the animals less food and let themselves grow fatter. Napoleons evil side erupted when the farms prize horse Boxer gets hurt while building the windmill. Napoleon summons a horse slaughterer to take Boxer away. Squealer, Napoleons spokesman who twists information, tells the animals that Napoleon has brought a vetenarian to take Boxer and that he died in the hospital. Squalor even told the animals that he was with Boxer in his last moments and that he proclaimed his loyalty to his “comrade” Napoleon. Unfortunately, the animals believed the fat pig Squealer and continued working. Day by day, the pigs break commandments and then revise them to make themselves look semi innocent. The pigs begin prosecuting and then killing innocent animals in front of all the animals which breaks commandment six “No animal shale kill any other animal”. Squealer changes the commandment to “No animal shale kill any other animal without cause.”
Would you want to live in a world liberated from the chains of evil? Since the beginning
George Orwell’s book, Animal Farm, shows society is glued together by alliances against enemies. The potential is boundless when people join arms to fight an opposing force. If one’s individual presence leaves a long shadow, the other’s allegiance will only compliment and strengthen its formidable approach. An ancient threat is of no use to those in power.
Power is desired in society today. How to get power is the real question. Everyone seeks power in some way, shape, or form. In the book Animal Farm power is everything. George Orwell is comparing a common farm to society today.
In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, he teaches readers that humans can become inevitably corrupt when given unlimited power. The satire and allegory of The Russian Revolution, helps readers understand the harsh events that were happening during this period in history. Power has the ability to change the mentality and attitude of humans and in this case animals. When power fills one it can affect their ideas of right and wrong and their morals. In the beginning of the novel Mr. Jones the owner of Manor Farm was accused by the animals of treating them poorly.
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.