The Most Powerful Character In George Orwell's 'Animal Farm'

In Animal Farm, George Orwell proves the quote “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This quote is saying that power can corrupt anyone, and with all the power complete corruption can occur. Farmer Jones had the power, it began to control him but then he lost it to the animals. He didn’t have control long enough for it to corrupt him.

George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ is the story of the animals on ‘Manor Farm’ uprising and taking over to create an equal society within the farm. Napoleon, the self appointed leader of the farm uses manipulation and relies on the naivety of the other animals, in order to take full control of the farm. ‘Animal Farm’ is an allegory of the Russian Revolution which George Orwell displays through his novel ‘Animal Farm’. Throughout the novel George Orwell demonstrates the themes hypocrisy, dominance and manipulation.

When one acquires a position of extreme power, it is only a matter of time before it is maliciously abused for personal benefit. As socialized power, the power used to benefit others, transitions to personalized power, the principle of morality is lost as the leader becomes unable to discern from right and wrong.

George Orwell’s novella “Animal Farm” is an allegory of the Russian Revolution retold by the rebellion of beasts over mankind. Through the actions and influences of the pigs in the story, Orwell highlights and mocks various human weaknesses, showing that although humans are thought to be the superior race, they are still flawed. Orwell ridicules man’s hunger for power and the benefits that come with authority. Furthermore, he brings to light the effects of alcoholism, and man’s detrimental and uncontrollable ability to cause physical harm.

George Orwell in his novel Animal Farm explores the reality through the abuse of power using the character Napoleon. In order to gain absolute power, Napoleon eliminates any opposition, uses propaganda, and chances the commandments.

A fairy tale is a short story that would not be likely to occur in real life. They consist of characters and events that are magical or have an unrealistic special quality. There will be adverse situation or character, often referred to as a villain, along with a hero and supporting characters. The combination of these types of characters will cause the events in the story to involve the hero trying to overcome evil. At the end of these stories, there is typically a happy ending along with a moral that can be learned. The allegorical novella by George Orwell was originally titled Animal Farm: A Fairy Story in 1945 but in 1946, the subtitle was removed by American publishers. Now it is time to determine whether this story is or is not a fairy tale.

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.

1. Who was the most compelling character? Why? What conflicts did this character face? How did the author develop this character? Include one or two supporting quotations with page number or e-book location cited in parentheses after the quotation.

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.

The quote implies that animals are better creatures than humans. After being assaulted by humans, the animals don’t want any characteristics of humans to be inputted in them. They say, “Four legs good, two legs bad,” to make humans a disgrace to animals. This rule is a part of the seven commandments of animalism. It is said to remind the animals of never stand on two feet because then you are developing human characteristics. Birds in this case are different, because the animals count wings as another pair of legs. The phrase was originally a longer statement. It took up two of the seven commandments. By simplifying the statements, it was easier for the other animals to understand. The knowledge of reading is used as propaganda by classifying the difference between the pigs who could read, and the other animals who couldn’t read.

2. Which character was the most interesting to you? What was the character’s overall objective or goal? How did the character go about achieving this goal?

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.

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.

In George Orwell’s allegorical fable, Animal Farm, the statement, once power is given to an individual or group, individual thought ceases to exist, is portrayed. Beginning when Napoleon took over as the leader of the farm, all tasks were completed under his command, whether the animals approved or not, they remained obedient. The animals no longer share their opinions; rather they do not have any welcomed personal thought. Consequently, the animals have become strictly dependent on Napoleon’s word, as they have become accustom to his dictation and performing simultaneous actions. The instant crowning occurs, is the same moment that the individual thought of the greater population ceases to exist, exhibited through three classes by Boxer,