INTRODUCTION
A utopia is “an imaginary place in which the government, laws, and social conditions are perfect” (Merriam Webster Dictionary). It is human nature to desire and dream of living in a place, where everything is in perfect order with abundant food resources, companions, and equality. Yet, it is also human nature to become self-centered and covetous, which corrupts our minds and leads us to chaos. Therefore, achieving a utopic society in the real world is hardly conceivable. Many well-known literary works illustrate this statement. They cover the theme of utopia by portraying the human traits that contribute to the collapse of the utopic society. In an attempt to investigate those human attitudes that undermine utopias, I have decided to compare the utopic societies in Life of Pi by Yann Martel and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Life of Pi is the survival story of an Indian boy named Pi Patel in a boat with a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, a female orangutan, and a Bengal tiger that weighs more than 200 kilograms. Pi creates his own version of a utopia while the boat is adrift at sea. Animal Farm covers the story of a number of farm animals that rebel against humans and construct their own ideal community. Hence,
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In Animal Farm, Mr. Jones and the other humans represent the powerful high-class or the so-called bourgeoisie while the animals represent the inferior proletarians who work for the bourgeoisie. Similar to the purpose of communist proletarians, Old Major’s goal is to end humans’ supremacy because they take advantage of their workers for high profits without rewarding them accordingly. He is convinced that, “the forcible overthrow of the existing social conditions” (Marx 34) would create the necessary conditions for animals to establish a utopic society and reap the rewards of their
The books Anthem by Ayn Rand and Animal Farm by George Orwell are both written about dystopias, or the most imperfect and dismal society. Both authors write about humans –or animals- failing to create a utopia or perfect society. Though both authors use different points of view, language style, and voice the same theme is expressed: a perfect society where everyone is equal cannot exist.
In George Orwell’s Novel, Animal Farm, Old Major delivers a speech to the animals on the farm. Major preaches on how the humans are weak, selfish, lazy thieves who steal from the farm animals. Lecturing on banning together and rebelling against the humans, Old Major uses pathos, ethos, asyndetons, and imagery to help sparks an uproar amongst the animals. Major uses these strategies to engage and convince them of who the real enemy is.
Utopia is said to be a place where a good society is created, where one can live a good life and where power is not abused. But throughout George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the reader learns that a utopian society is in fact impossible. The reader learns this when Old Major tells of a dream he has where everything is perfect and no humans are involved, however when the revolution occurs and the humans are chased off the farm, the pigs become in charge and start to manipulate their power and the other animals, proving that no matter how hard the animals try, they will never have the good life that they want. Furthermore, in Peter Weir’s the Truman Show, we see that your own utopia can not be shaped by another being, because although being in power, Christof makes everything as perfect as he can for Truman, Christof can never give Truman the good life he actually wants which then leaves Truman finding his life unsatisfactory. The good life is determined by freedom and to be able to go where you want and do what you want to do, thus proving that a utopian society can not actually be made because if everyone could do what they want, there’s no guarantee that people would do the right thing which is why we have people in power.
Jones. The animals conformed by working like slaves for Mr. Jones who doesn’t even provide enough food for their strength. After Old Major motivated the animals to revolt, they wished for change and fair treatments, and the only way for that to happen is to get rid of the humans and rule the farm themselves. Old Major had admitted “The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth” (page 7). What Old Major said had triggered the animals and made them consider the idea of a rebellion. The consequences of their conformity was bad treatment, labor, poverty and injustice. After they overthrew all the humans who ruled the farm, which cause more consequences for their nonconformity, the animals felt free and rich. Although, after they have revolted and kicked the humans out, they proved that conformity was no longer apart of their farm, and showed the upsides of
In Chapter one, Old Major gives a speech about how the animals should rebel against Mr Jones, the human and leader of the farm in order to please all of the animals by having satisfactory amounts of the essentials. This rebellion would lead into Animalism. Animalism represents communism and how all animals should be equal. Old Major symbolizes Lenin. Lenin was a revolutionary thinker who came up with the basic concept of the Russian Revolution.
Karl Marx’s theories, ideas, and his Communist Manifesto can be refelcted in George Orwell’s character, Old Major. Old Major, also known as Willingdon Beauty, is the first major character in Animal Farm and represents Karl Marx. Old Major is the one who starts the revolution among the animals to overthrow Jones and change their ways of living just like Marx is the one who is credited for starting the communist revolution. Old Major starts his conversation by stating that he had a dream and then continues futhur by telling the animal about how cruel an animal life is and that no animal is free and are being
The three themes of utopia, the good life, and power and control are common ideas explored throughout two seemingly different texts, the movie The Truman Show by Peter Weir, and the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell. Whilst the settings and characters are quite different, their views on these three themes are strikingly similar.
What makes the perfect Utopia? What is needed for a good life? These questions are so important when it comes to human’s view on power and control and how it should be used. In both stories, ‘Animal Farm’ (written by George Orwell) and ‘The Truman Show’ (directed by Peter Weir), the author and director explore these themes. Power and control, the good life, utopia. These three themes are key to living the full life. To have a utopia you must have a good life and to have a good life you must have your own power and your own control.
George Orwell shows similar views on what a Utopia looks like but in contrast, Animal Farm starts off with awful conditions that are enforced by Farmer Jones which then change when the animals overthrow him. The text shows a utopia functioning perfectly early on in the novel, with everyone working together to collect an abundance of food. George Orwell also helps us see how perfect the animals society is by make it contrast against the living conditions from earlier. The animals put together simple laws to keep them in check and overall, they lead a perfect life together. And just like in The Truman Show, the perfect society falls apart just as fast as it was put together. But what goes wrong in both texts? Could these texts be telling us that a utopia simply isn 't possible to create? No they aren 't. Both Utopias
It still holds the semblance of equality of animals, but here the meaning of the word equal has alters actually. Although the first clause implies that all animals are equal to one another, it does not state this claim overtly. Thus, it is possible to misread the word “equal” as a relative term rather than an absolute one, meaning that there can be different degrees of “equal”-ness. The revision of the original phrase also points to the specific form of corruption on Animal Farm. The initial, unmodified phrase makes reference to all animals, its message extending to the entire world of animals without distinction. Similarly, Old Major expresses ideals that posit the dignity of all, the comradeship of all, the inclusion of all in voting and decision-making, so that no one group or individual will oppress another. The revised phrase, however, mentions an “all,” but only in order to differentiate a “some” from that “all,” to specify the uniqueness, the elite nature, and the chosen status of that “some.” The pigs clearly envision themselves as this privileged “some”; under their totalitarian regime, the working animals exist only to serve the larger glory of the leadership, to provide the rulers with food and comfort, and to support their luxurious and exclusive
Animal Farm is established with moral intentions. The neglected animals of the farm rise up to overthrow Jones, and imagine a society of fairness based on the experiences of old major, in which all animals will have justice and won’t be demoralized by the people anymore. Old Major quickly establishes that “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend” (Orwell 11). He also reminds them that the ways of man are completely immoral, and they must not ever implement any of their habits. Giving the animals a shared enemy is an effective way to control the population. That is the first sign of a totalitarian state emerging in Animal Farm. Instead of the entire farm determining rules together, two pigs frame the rules of Animalism for the supposed utopian-like Animal Farm. They read:
"Remember also that in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him,” is something that Old Major says after he tells the other animals of the dream he had the night before. This event causes a chain reaction in the book Animal Farm. Old Major shares some excellent ideas but he passes away before he can see them carried out, and when they are, they do not go the way he had planned them in the first place. He is in a way, like Karl Marx, the founder of Communism, the two both have ideas for a new world but as time goes on and new people come into power the basic principles of Communism and Animalism are soon forgotten.
In Animal Farm by George Orwell, Mr. Jones, the owner of Manor Farm is quite bad at running the farm. So Old Major, a wise old pig encourages the other animals to rebel. He tells them that once they rebel, everyone should be equal.
“History consists of a series of swindles, in which he masses are first lured into revolt by the promise of utopia, and then, when they have done their job, enslaved over again by new masters” (Brander). Animal Farm, a farm with animals that are treated cruelly and dream for a better life in which animals are all equal and independent of depraved humans, is an allegory of the development of communism, even totalitarianism. After successfully driving away Mr. Jones, the cruel, tyrannous, drunken owner of the farm, the animals, with the pigs acting as leaders for their superior intelligence, believe they are going to be rewarded with the certainty of living in an
In his novel, Life of Pi, Yan Martell uses similar techniques to George Orwell’s Animal Farm in order to explore human nature. Primarily, both authors use anthropomorphism to demonstrate to readers key features of characters’ behaviour. By utilising the stereotypes associated with certain animals, each author allows readers to explore the essential nature of people and of different classes. This anthropomorphism also enables for better understanding of traumatic events. Additionally, through comparisons between humans and animals each author draws different conclusions as to the true nature of humans. Symbolism is then used to explore human hope, with the structure of