Animal Farm Ignorance Is Bliss

One of the themes of the novel ‘Animal Farm’ is that people’s ignorance can contribute to their political and social oppression. How does the animal’s behaviour in this novel support this theme?

“He ordered the hens’ rations to be stopped and decreed that any animal giving so much grain of corn to a hen should be punished by death” (Orwell 87). This quote demonstrates that Napoleon treats the hens with cruelty because his commands are not being followed which was to surrender their eggs to him so he can trade with his neighbors. He not only treats the hens with cruelty but is also cruel to the other animals who feed the hens. On the contrary, Snowball treats the animals with respect and care because he is pursuing the Seven Commandments made by Old Major. He is doing what is best for all animals and is treating them equally. “He formed the Egg Production Committee for the hens, the Clean Tails League for the cows, the Wild Comrades’ Re-education Committee (the object of this was to tame the rats and rabbits), the Whiter Wool Movement for the sheep, and various others, beside instituting classes in reading and writing” (Orwell 49). This quote illustrates that Snowball is doing what is best for all animals by giving them a little hope for the future. He not only does it for one animal but for all the animals in the farm. Though they have differences in treating the animals they also have one comparison. They both want to be in charge of the other animals. When Old Major left the two of them in charge they wanted to control the animals by their own ideas by planning of what happens

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.

‘Animal Farm’ is a novel based on the Russian Revolution, about a group of animals wanting to rebel against man. Snowball a smart, fair and strong leader gets ruled over by Napoleon, an unfair and selfish leader. This was the first error in the rebellion. Snowball would have defiantly made a better leader than Napoleon. The reasons for this are that he educated the animals, had future economic plans and knew how to keep a fair and smart community.

Snowball’s strengths: Snowball’s strengths include his intelligence and his want for social improvement for the animals of Animal Farm. Snowball’s intelligence has had a very positive effect on Animal Farm. For example, It was Snowball who had the original idea of building a windmill so everyone could work less and live more comfortably and luxuriously on the farm. He also understood that the sheep could not read the Seven Commandments so he shortened them into the phrase “Four legs good, two legs bad” so they could comprehend the commandments much more easily. During the Battle of the Cowshed Snowball used his intelligence and strategic plans made by Julius Caesar to defend Animal Farm. Snowballs intelligence could help Animal Farm find a solution to any problem that the farm may face. Along with his intelligent nature, Snowball also has a desire for the social improvement of all animals. Snowball created animal committees in an attempt to improve the manner and quality of the animals lives. He created the Egg Production Committee, the Clean Tails League, the Wild Comrades Re-education committee, The Whiter Wool movement and implemented literacy classes. Although most of these committees had not seen very much success, Snowball had still managed to teach most of the animals the basics of reading and writing. This care for social improvement could benefits Animal Farm future.

The saying "ignorance is bliss" is not always very accurate. The book Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegory for a real historical event – the Russian Revolution. It demonstrates how people's ignorance can be the cause of their social and political oppression and how the knowledge of others' ignorance can lead to power, which ultimately corrupts those who possess it. These themes are portrayed through the characters and in real life.

The movie Fahrenheit 451 provides a highly circumstantial evidence, for the phrase 'Ignorance is bliss.' The famous quote from the film Fahrenheit 451; 'If you do not wish a house to set up, hide the nails and woods,' meaning no one can build a house without nails and woods. How does this quote justify Ignorance is bliss? The quote states that if societies do not require people to have the intelligence, then all the wisdom-bearing materials

Ignorance is defined as, "Lacking knowledge or awareness in genera; uneducated or unsophisticated." In the novel Animal Farm, George Orwell addresses the topic of ignorance. Orwell illustrates that the social and political oppression of the animals is due to their inability to read, which causes them to believe everything they are told. First of all, the animals' ignorance prevents them from realizing the pigs are taking advantage of them. The pigs constantly manipulate the laws to fit their needs. The narrator says, "...it was certainly true that nothing of the kind existed in writing, the animals were satisfied that they had been mistaken." Because the animals lack the ability to read, they are not able to realize that the rule has been manipulated.

Does everyone really know the world around them or is it all ignorance? “Ignore is bliss” is a common theme provoked in all three sources. In other words this means, is there a situation where knowing less is better? To be ignorant by definition means ‘lacking knowledge or awareness in general’, and bliss means to reach a state of perfect happiness. So therefore, Ignorance is bliss means being unaware creates happiness. This is demonstrated in all three sources. Therefore, the statement “Ignorance is bliss” is proven true from the works of “Flowers for Algernon” by Daniel Keyes, Homr, and The Allegory of the Cave, a dialogue from Plato.

In the novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell portrays Snowball as a more imaginative and inventive character. Napoleon was a poor leader and he didn't treat the animals on the farm fairly. Before Napoleon chased Snowball off the farm, Snowball co-operates with Napoleon and Squealer to organize Old Majors ideas into the principles of Animalism, and to reduce these to the Seven Commandments. It is Snowball who organizes the various Animal Committees and the classes in reading and writing, therefore showing interest in the other animals. Snowball also anticipates the first attack on Animal Farm and, having studied up on strategy. Snowball would have been a better leader than Napoleon and would have improved the lives of the animals on Animal Farm.

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).”

George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a perfect example of how ignorance and lack of education can be used for control. Control which can lead to political and social oppression. The experiences of the various characters present how the pigs use this idea to oppress the animals of Animal Farm.

After the dirty deed of murder was done Napoleon accused Snowball of being a traitor working with Mr. Jones trying to have him Mr. Jones reacquire the farm. The great ideas of Snowball were taken by Napoleon and claimed to have made his own like the Snowballs design of the windmill. The work on the farm increased and since it is a democracy where everyone agrees to make decisions, Napoleon tells the people he will do what is best for them. It starts to create a divide among the working animals and the pigs who were the brains of the operation.

A cow, a sheep, a chicken, Muriel, Boxer, and Napoleon are on the bottom left corner. They represent Animal Farms’ society and ideals. The animal’s expressions are clueless, excluding Napoleon, who has a heroically outraged expression. Napoleon is shown as being very concerned, but he is actually behind the rest of the animals. This reflects his behavior in Animal Farm. However, Napoleon is placed above the other farm animals. This is how Napoleon wishes to be seen. This shows Napoleon as a caring leader of the animals. Snowball is shown as a large threat, standing on two feet and being unequal to the other animals because of his height. His trotters are reaching out, as if to steal from the animals. Squealer would use these lies and images as fear propaganda to convince the animals of Snowball being a

He claims that in demand to support and defend Animal Farm and toughen the certainty of Old Major’s dream of a life without humans, mixt up rebellions in other farms throughout England. Napoleon always disagrees with Snowball’s ideas because he doesn’t want him to lead Animal Farm.