Power Corrupts In Animal Farm, By George Orwell

Imagine a world where the people holding power always did what was good for everyone. As history has taught us, this doesn’t always happen. Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is a complex story about the dangers of too much government power, and the ones in power are definitely not doing things for the good of others. When the pigs take control of the farm, they become greedy, dishonest, and deceitful. Orwell lived in Europe during the time of the Russian Revolution, when there were countless dictatorships around the world. He wrote this story to symbolize (and mock) the Russian Revolution; which includes Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, and Vyacheslav Molotov. Orwell uses this story, where the oppressed become the oppressors, to warn the world about the power of the government. He also warns the reader not to let the corrupt control and not stand by and let it happen. He shows that the abuse of absolute power can lead to corruption, violence, and finally, chaos.

The novel, Animal Farm, is a well-known allegory written by George Orwell. As a satire of the Russian Revolution, Orwell portrays the rise of a cruel dictatorship and the mistreatment of the general population under it. Like the Communist government in Russia, the government in Animal Farm employs the use of many manipulative tools, especially propaganda. Propaganda was used by the pigs throughout the book, deceiving many of the animals. As this story shows, propaganda can enable governments to bend people to any purpose. By spreading positive messages about Napoleon, persuading the animals that Snowball is an enemy, and convincing the animals that they can’t survive without the pigs, propaganda

Meet Napoleon, a pig that tries to act as a human in order to pursue his lifelong dream as a farm’s dictator (not really). Welcome to Animal Farm. Napoleon is a pig in a farm called Animal Farm, after the animals decide to rebel against their farm owner Jones, they change the farm’s name from Manor Farm to Animal Farm. This story goes on to Napoleon deciding to use his intelligence as an advantage to lead the other animals. He writes 7 commandments that the animals need to followed. Napoleon’s power could have been checked after he broke these commandments, by deciding to give the pigs all of the milk and apples, by beginning to sleep in the beds of the farmhouse, and by killing two sheep.

Napoleon being another intelligent pig on the farm believed he could become the leader and have all the power on the farm by scaring the animals. He does so by telling the animals they will work more or there will be punishment “Throughout the spring they worked a sixty-hour week, and in August Napoleon announced that there would be work on Sunday afternoons as well. This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half” (Orwell 40). “The animals believe what the leadership tells them—that they are working for their own good now, not for Mr. Jones’s—they are eager to take on the extra labor”

At this there was a terrible baying sound outside and nine enormous dogs came bounding into the barn. They dashed straight for Snowball,” with this ousting of Snowball, Napoleon secured his place as dictator of the animals. After securing his position Napoleon was able to gather a group of pigs together that were meant to help him govern the other animals. The pigs were placed in this position because they were considered to be the most intelligent of all the animals. Further political corruption occurred when Napoleon begins to slowly add changes to the 7 laws or commandments set up by a past leader. Because not all the animals on the farm can read it made it easy for Napoleon to change the rules ever so slightly that the changes were barely noticeable. This parallel in today’s society can be seen when comparing under privileged areas to middle class areas, for example emphasis on education. Those with less education are more easily manipulated than those with higher education. It is

Power Corrupts those who Possess it John Dalberg-Acton once said, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely”, this means that the more power that a person has the more corrupt the person will become. This statement is obviously correct especially if the person with absolute power has tendency towards corruption. The book, “Animal Farm”, by George Orwell, has many examples of how power is gate way to corrupt leaders because they have some tendencies towards corruption. Introduction Power corrupts those that possess it; this is a very important theme in Animal Farm.

Towards the beginning of the book, the animals make a list of rules which they call the Seven Commandments. Throughout the story, Napoleon adds on to the commandments, such as changing the last rule from “All animals are equal” to saying, “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” The animals accept the changes and just think that they remembered the commandments wrong..blaming it all on their ‘faulty memory’. This happens again and again, and Napoleon continues to take advantage of his power. He realizes that he is much more smart and clever than any of the other animals on the farm, and changes things to be in his favor. He cuts down on the serving sizes of each animal’s food portions and makes them work even more than they worked with their previous human leader. The animals so obliviously followed Napoleon even though what he was doing was incorrect, but because they had trust and respect for him, they never thought that he was in the

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (John Dalberg Action 1st Baron Action). The more power and person strives to have the more corrupt things they must do to obtain and keep it. The pieces of literature written by British authors Animal Farm, George Orwell, Lord of the Flies, William Golding, and Hamlet by William Shakespeare all portray this idea in different ways.

Corruption of power happens often, from political standpoint to a simple business. In the story, the animals were gathered together by Old Major to rebel against humanity, who had abused their powers over animals. Old Major help implant the idea of rebellion that will happen soon. The animals are given the realization that they were not being treated equally as the humans and the pigs, the smartest animals, start planning a rebellion against humanity. In Animal Farm, George Orwell asserts the idea that absolute power results in corruption. Napoleon and the other pigs, interested in remain superior, persuade the other animals by using intimidation and emotional appeal in order to keep control of the gullible animals.

As a political writer and socialist of the time, Orwell turns the tragedy of the Russian people, whose dreams of a communist utopia were crushed by the Stalin regime, into a message to society. These people of the Russian Revolution were treated just as poorly, if not worse, than before the revolution because of political innocence and an authoritarian government. With his novel, Animal Farm, serving as allegory for the Russian revolution, Orwell warns that any society that gives the leader absolute power is fated to become corrupt and oppressive because of the inevitability of a leader manipulating his power for personal gain. Even revolutions that have the best intentions will ultimately fail if the leaders are not held accountable.

Often, as seen throughout history, leaders become corrupt through their power. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Mr. Jones’ Manor Farm is overthrown by a revolution carried out by his animals. The animals, led by the pigs, then proceed to run the farm and create a social code to govern themselves. The pigs come to power through their intelligence and they gain control over the newly established Animal Farm. However, their power leads to corruption as they force the other animals work the farm and do hard labor while they sit around. In addition, The pigs also change the social codes, that were established right after the revolution, by altering them to deceive the other animals into thinking that their corrupt actions were justified. Throughout

Animal Farm by George Orwell has addressed the theme that power corrupts those who possess it, especially Napoleon. Corruption of power is well defined in Lord Acton’s statement, ‘power trends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. Throughout the Novel Napoleon has absolute power, he uses manipulation over the other animals and demonstrates that Communism can contribute to corruption of power. Since the beginning Napoleon has had absolute power over Animal Farm. He used his knowledge and education to take over the farm.

The first reason power leads to corruption is because with power comes broken rules. The pigs use their power to override the rules in Animal Farm. They show the reader this when George Orwell says, “It was a few days later than this that the pigs came upon a case of whiskey”(106-107). This means that the Pigs are breaking a rule that no other animal is allowed to break. The reason no other animal says anything is because the pigs possess power and they can not do anything about it.

In the novel Animal farm by George Orwell, a small farm called Manor farm is overruled by a group of animals. At first, everyone is equal and all the animals follow the rules. But soon, the intelligent pigs take advantage of the animals that are not very smart and lie about the pigs needing more things, like comfortable beds so they can get a good night sleep and lead them, and tasty food so they could get the nutrients they need to rule the farm. One specific pig rose above all. His name was Napoleon. And with the help of his vicious dogs, he could kill off all of his enemies and animals who didn't agree with him. Everyone was blinded by his power, and didn't notice him “bending the rules”. For example, at first the rules said that no animal

In George Orwell’s allegorical novel Animal Farm, animals are used to represent The Russian Revolution. Some animals have more power than others, but overall the majority of them believe they are equal. One of the main characters, Napoleon, became a dictator, and has not been a faithful ruler. Throughout this story Napoleon has been very ignorant and only thought of what would make him have more power. With Napoleon being the ruler he has become a violent, manipulative, and corrupt pig.