In the novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell, many events have happened on the farm as the book surrounds itself on the Russian Revolution. As problems start to arise on the farm due to the idea of equality in Animalism, animals on the farm revolted to get their fair share. Soon they were able to overthrow their human master after a long period of mistreatment. Not long after, the pigs started to lead the animals since they were believed to be more “intelligent” than the rest. However as time goes on, the pigs took advantage of this and became more dominant on the farm, especially with Napoleon, who was one of the pigs. His power on the farm led him into becoming a power-hungry pig, which negatively impacted him. Napoleon’s selfish behavior
“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
Imagine you were an animal who was kind and hard working but was neglected by your owners. How would that make you feel? The animals in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, a satirical novel written about communist Russia, felt sad and neglected because their owners did not treat them with respect. The big pig named Old Major puts the idea in the animals head that they are not being treated poorly and they should do something about it. After Old Major dies, the animals overthrow Farmer Jones. Once the animals are on their own, the pigs take over and become the leaders. They create a new form of government which is called “Animalism” where all the animals are equal. At first the animals are happy but as time progresses the pigs start abusing their power and start acting like humans. The pigs and in particular Napoleon do not care about the well being of the other animals. Then they start stealing all the milk, and rewriting the history to suit themselves. In addition, the pigs order alcohol have parties, and they use the farm for their own selfish reasons and don't care about the other animals. Animal farm represents the sad results of a failed utopia, just as it happened over and over in history. Orwell uses symbolism, Irony, modern fable, and character foil to add richness and depth to the fable.
For example, he prosecuted many innocent animals. During a meeting with the animals, Napoleon violates one of the most important rules on the farm. “Immediately the dogs bounded forward, seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them, squealing with pain and terror, to Napoleon’s feet” (74). The worst sort of a leader is one who will murder one of their own citizens in order to establish fear, which is precisely what Napoleon did. Corruption can cause leaders to commit many dreadful acts, but death is amongst the worst of them all. This is not just an example of corruption, but it is indefinitely a sign of dictatorship. Next, Napoleon sends Boxer to the knackers. Shortly after Boxer sustains an injury, Benjamin, the old donkey that normally refuses to read, discovers where the pigs are sending Boxer. “Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and glue boiler, Willingdon. Dealers in hides and bone meal! Kennels supplied. Do you not understand what this means? They are taking Boxer to the knackers!” (108). Napoleon is the worst example of a leader, because he lies and betrays his own citizens. Boxer was the most loyal, hardworking animal on the farm, but Napoleon’s corruption from power causes him to simply send Boxer to the knacker, without hesitation. Power leads Napoleon to do whatever he , as he was the rule maker and no one was going to stop him from sending Boxer
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.
When people are ruled by an oppressive government, they all resort to a rebellion, unfortunately, at the end they are the ones that become the government they had rebelled against. This cycle of revolution is depicted in Animal Farm, a fairy story by George Orwell. In this novel, animals, specifically pigs, come to realize that they are not treated with the proper care that they deserve. The animals feel the need to rebel, little do they know it will lead to their demise. Orwell discusses the concept of corrupt leaders in power, of individuals grasping power for their own benefit, and of ignorant individuals being manipulated by the powerful.
His main way of getting people to listen to him is by using his dogs to force people to do the required task or else they will get their heads bitten off along with the sheep saying ¨four legs good, two legs better¨ (Orwell, pg. 134) to help reinforce the idea that pigs are superior to the other animals. Another way Napoleon uses fear to gain the control over the animals at the farm is he threatens them with starvation. Both of these methods used by Napoleon were also used by Joseph Stalin to gain control over the masses. If society gives in to these methods then they are just giving more power and control to the higher power. Napoleon also threatens the animals with saying jones is going to come back and that is a reference back to when Stalin told his people that if they didn’t do what he wanted the old way of living was going to come back to them. With that much power and having all those people listen your commands can make you feel like you are unstoppable and greedy.
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Orwell illustrates how power corrupts absolutely and how Napoleon degrades the structure and stability of Animal Farm because of the decisions that he makes. I will also expand on the idea of how Old Major’s ideas for an organized society get completely destroyed by Napoleon’s revolutionary actions. It was ironic and satirical that Napoleon’s own power annihilates Animal Farm.
The novel Animal Farm written by George Orwell, is about a group of farm animals who are inspired by the wise boar, Old Major, to see the discomfort in their lives changed for the better. The animals are made aware of their minuscule rations, lack of freedom and their enslavement. They choose to take action and rebel against Mr Jones. At first, the rebellion is successful but soon becomes corrupt and some animals become ‘more equal’ than others. This is shown when an animal hierarchy is formed and certain animals become more powerful than others. Corruption breaks out when Napoleon reduces rations except for himself and his fellow pigs. Napoleon soon makes himself superior to the others in a number of ways.
The pigs show they have complete control over everything and everyone. Many animals are killed and crushed because of wrong doing or being in the way, which is seen as ok due to Napoleons amount of power and how he can go across doing things. The commandments that the pigs had originally wrote down always seems to be changing to then suit the pigs in the way they acted and how they went about, which all the animals had noticed but never spoke aloud about it, or anything at all, because of what they knew Napoleon was capable of doing and how much of the farm he had already corrupted for his
Power is something that many people are greedy for, and according to George Orwell, some people are more power hungry than others. In the novel, Animal Farm, the author, George Orwell, shows how a person which is greedy for power will use others to get as much power as they can. The few people who have the quality of egocentricity and greediness for power is exactly what prevents a communist community. One will use duped, innocent, and quiet people to get themselves to become more powerful which is shown through the character named Napoleon. Certain people would go to any extent for dictatorship which includes using others. The animals Boxer, Benjamin, and the sheep are three animals that Napoleon uses and contribute to Napoleon’s dictatorship
In the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell one of the main characters Napoleon liks to get what he wants. Napoleon is a pig who represents Joseph Stalin, who was the dictator of Russia. He likes to lie to the other animals, and is only concerned with himself. Napoleon manipulates the other animals to get what he wants.In the contents of this book Napoleon shows himself to act in a very devilish, tricky, and dictatorial manner.
Napoleon and his group of pigs begin to take complete control of the Animal Farm. They were the ones to make all the rules, and left all the other animals with very little power. When Napoleon were given all the power, they began to change the rules they had earlier laid out, without the animals’ opinions. “ ‘Muriel, she said, ‘read me the Fourth Commandment. Does it not say something about never sleeping in a bed?’... ‘It says, ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.’ ” The regulations that were earlier proposed slowly started changing but only for the pigs’ benefit. Napoleon and his pigs begin sending orders, giving the farm animals more and more work. Napoleon and the pigs did nothing except sit and watch, and of course, benefit from all the hard work the other animals did. “The pigs did not actually work but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge, it was natural that they should
Napoleon wanted all the power, and because of the amount of power he had, he became corrupt. ‘Throughout the spring and summer, they worked a 60 hour week’. The pigs then said if you don’t work on Sundays, you would have your rations reduced by half. Making the animals do all the work and the pigs just morphing into humans. The pigs said. Animals are equal’ but they broke the rules to suit themselves and they then took up the residence in the house on the farm. ‘The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally’, were Napoleons words to try and convince the animals that the pigs were doing what they did in the best interests of the farm. Animal Farm portrays the process of Napoleons power and corruption being absolute. Power corrupted the pigs. With all of the commandments, napoleon still raises the dogs to monsters to do as he commands even though ‘no one believes more firmly then comrade napoleon that all animals are equal’. George Orwell shows how power turns to corruption, as the leaders want more power. The novel shows the themes power and corruption during the time napoleon runs the
Although Mr. Jones was a neglectful farmer, leaving the farm in a terrible state, his ill intentions were clear to the animals. Napoleon, in contrast, represented the exploitation of animal rights and equality. Without an inch of sympathy, he savagely sent Boxer, a loyal and hardworking horse to his death. Lying to everyone that he is sent to be healed even when the van clearly reads ‘Horse slaughter and glue boiler’. To cover up his dirty deeds, he uses the excuse of it being a “misunderstanding” and that the surgeon that purchased hasn’t changed the name yet. Thereby, it can be argued that Napoleon’s dictatorship if of a ruthless manner, to that of Mr Jones.