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The Role Of Hierarchy In Animal Farm, By George Orwell

Decent Essays

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 text signifies a strong sense of animal hierarchy, forming right from chapter one when Old Major gives his speech about the future rebellion. The actions of the animals rapidly show a strong structured hierarchy beginning to form as the book progresses on. In chapter one, the social hierarchy is already formed, ‘ First came the pigs, who settled down immediately in front of the platform. The hens perched themselves on the window stills, the pigeons fluttered up to the rafters, the sheep and cows lay down behind the pigs and began to chew the cud. Then came Boxer and Clover.’ The same hierarchy is seen when the animals march around the farm in recognition of there triumphs and failures. The pigs lead the military formation with the horses, cows, sheep and poultry

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