The Importance Of Power In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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.

Throughout history, leaders have proven that power has the ability to corrupt their actions. This is shown through many different leaders: Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, and Saddam Hussein. Occasionally, an unsuitable leader comes to power and uses their control to engage in the wrong behavior for their own benefit. An indistinguishable situation is present in the novel Animal Farm, By James Orwell. This novel tells the story of the animals who live on Manor Farm and rebel against their corrupt leader, Mr. Jones. After a successful rebellion, the pigs take on their role as leaders, but soon take advantage of their power and use it in villainous ways. The only logical reason for this occurrence is the effect that power has on leaders, like the

Power and corruption are and are not the same word. Although they intertwine with each other, they have different meanings and usages; but in the hands of those who do no not know how to use them, they can be the same and usually devastating. When the book was written in the 40’s, the Soviet Union was gaining power and spreading in Europe. Joseph Stalin was the feared leader of the Soviet Union, and there are many similarities between him and the power-hungry pig, Napoleon. In his book, Animal Farm, George Orwell uses complex characters, such as Napoleon and Squealer, to depict what was happening in Russia at the time and how fragile power can cause corruption in little time.

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

“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 Famous novel Animal Farm, views the life of the animals throughout the rebellion, which through the journey of Animal Farm, we are faced with the many themes that are forced upon and ones that influence very largely on some of the animals. We find Manipulation and Deceit is a very often seen one, as well as the Corruption from Strong power and Leadership that is poured out over time. The controlling over the Intellectually Inferior was one that stood above most as well due to habits that the more superior animals had adapted over time as influence from those human.

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.

During the year of 1945, when George Orwell published his novel Animal Farm, the world was in the midst of witnessing shocking events: the suicide of Hitler, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and the surrender of Germany to end the second World War. Coming out of one of the most horrific ages of our time, the common people were shocked at the human potential for destruction; Occurrences such as the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, the widespread bloodshed of World War II, and the atomic bombings revealed a degree of damage thought to be unimaginable to humanity. This shock to humanity fueled a heated debate between the opposing political structures of capitalism and communism. Orwell examines the human greed for power that ultimately defeats the potential

Language is a powerful tool, some abuse it to obtain power and some use it to inspire movements and bring change. I believe that language is more powerful if you use it to control a population via lying, manipulation, and fear. There have been many instances of individuals and groups using fear and language for control.

“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.

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.

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

Having so much power is not always a good thing. In George Orwell's classic novel Animal Farm, this is proved to an extent where the characters are mainly animals, not people. In this novel, the animals speak to each other as humans would talk to each other, making the novel very intriguing to read. The point I am trying to make here as it is proven time and time again in history, as well as in this book, is that absolute power corrupts; and it corrupts absolutely. I personally have chosen the topic that power corrupts, if given to much power it corrupts you by making you greedy, violent and egocentric.

“People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people.” V, from the 2005 film V for Vendetta, preached the truth about ultimate power. Similarly, George Orwell, in his novel Animal Farm, unraveled the reality of the Russian Soviet Union, and its slow but steady spiral into an oppressive dictatorship, using an ordinary country farm and a group of typical farm animals. These animals successfully overthrew the humans that tyrannized them but could not stop the eventual corruption of power within their new government. The readers come to know that this corruption of authority was inevitable, however, due to the overpowering human attributes Orwell buried deep within his character’s cores. Their very souls

“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.