Recently, I read Animal Farm by George Orwell. Orwell is a well-known American author who includes many themes, morals, and symbolism throughout his novels to portray a message. This book is well-known because it illustrates the struggles during Soviet Russia as seen through the animals on the farm. Throughout the book, Orwell uses a variety of different themes; one important theme that I noted was abuse of power. Because of the abuse of power on the farm, Napoleon is able to control and manipulate the other animals, which creates an environment of mistrust that eventually leads to the downfall of the farm. At the start of the novel, the reader learns that the animals abide by a moral code known as The Seven Commandments. These commandments, …show more content…
The purpose of this idea was to make sure the animals have their own identity and would never be similar in any way to humans. Napoleon discreetly disobeys this rule. An example of this is when the sheep come out bleating a surprising message. Orwell writes: “He carried a whip in his trotter. There was a deadly silence. Amazed, terrified, huddling together, the animals watched the long line of pigs march slowly round the yard. It was as though the world had turned upside-down.” (Orwell 133) This is just one example of Napoleon abusing his power. He is forcing the animals to walk around on two legs. This is an act that they swore never to do. The unstated rule, never act similar to a human, was a central starting point of the farm. By disobeying this rule, Napoleon is separating himself from the other animals, creating a “me” and “them” environment. Napoleon takes advantage of the animals’ ignorance and blind faith in him in order to do this. As one learns in the book, this eventually leads to severed trust between the animals and the eventual fall of the …show more content…
Napoleon has made himself the dictator of the farm, he even has his own security dogs. It became evident that Napoleon was the leader of the animals as soon as he slaughtered the animals at the yard of the farm house, the reason being: communication with Snowball. The killing of animals shows another abuse of power by Napoleon and directly violates Commandment #6 which states that “no animal shall kill any other animal.” (Orwell 25) Napoleon violated this rule to instill fear and maintain power over the other animals. This signaled to the other animals that they should not cross Napoleon or disobey
Because of this many of the animals that understood that Napoleon was a cruel and evil dictator. However they could not express their opinions because of fear for their lives. Napoleon’s forceful methods left animals with only one option, which was to submit to his
These three reasons are why animals were too scared to overthrow him and to be free from his rule. One example of how Napoleon stays in charge is Animalism. Animalism was meant to be set in place keeping any animal from having more power than the others. Napoleon uses this to his advantage by having a basic first set of commandments which is “reduced to… ‘Four legs good, two legs bad.’
In George Orwell's Animal Farm, Napoleon, a pig leader that represents Stalin from the Russian Revolution plays a big role in the book as the pig leaders are a superior group among the population of Animal Farm. In the story Napoleon is representing Stalin in Animal Farm as the main leader after Mr.Jones is ran out of the farm and Old Major died, resembling how Stalin took over rising to power in Russia. Napoleon started as a seemingly good leader but that soon changed… Napoleon, just like Stalin started to have problems with citizens of their own community and tried to hurt people and take things away. Both leaders can be shown using their superiority and power to their advantage to get everything they wanted and felt was necessary.
For example, Napoleon decides that “It was about this time that the pigs suddenly moved into the farmhouse and took up their residence there... It was absolutely necessary, he said, that the pigs, who were the brains of the farm, should have a quiet place to work in. It was also more suited to the dignity of the Leader (for of late he had taken to speaking of Napoleon under the title of "Leader") to live in a house than in a mere sty” (21) meaning that he is starting to take control of the farm. This shows that Napoleon is slowly starting to become the leader of the farmhouse and concludes that he deserves more than the others because of his high position. Furthermore, this also illustrates that the animals do not understand that Napoleon is becoming the thing that he feared most; human.
In Animal Farm, George Orwell warns how power will often lead to corruption. Napoleon was placed in a position of power after Major died, and he slowly starts to lavish in his power and become addicted to the lush life of a dictator. When Napoleon first becomes a leader, he expresses how everyone will work equally, but as his reign goes on, he shortens the work hours. At the very end of the novel, the observing animals even start to see that pig and man had become the same. The irony present in the above example, illuminates how regardless of how much a ruler promises to maintain equality and fairness, the position of power that they hold, will corrupt them.
Napoleon lied to the other animals in many different ways. One way he lied was by telling the other animals that he was going to send one of the horses on the farm, Boxer, to doctor to be treated for his sick lung. Napoleon made the other animals think that he was sending Boxer off to get better, but he was actually sending Boxer to a horse slaughterer to be killed. When Boxer was being loaded into the “ doctors” van one of the animals began to read what was on the side of the van. It read “ ‘ Alfred Simmonds, Horse Slaughterer and glue boiler, Willingdon.’ ”
The second tactic that Napoleon uses is loyalty to the farm. The quote shows that the animals are loyal to the farm by upkeeping the farm in which they do it for themselves, “All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves…” (Orwell 73). The quote proves that the pigs worked the other animals like slaves.
Furthermore, Napoleon gives the other animals the impression he was the sole leader of the rebellion on Animal farm and makes Snowball -a leader who wanted what was best for the animals- seem like an enemy who was in cahoots with Farmer Jones since long before the animals took over the farm. Napoleon and Squealer (another “fat cat” pig.) always put the blame on Snowball whenever something went wrong in the farm to avoid having the blame fall on them. Napoleon is an exemplary example of just how selfish and hypocritical people can be in furthering their own aims because he continued to subtly but purposely change the seven rules put in place as the pillars of animalism. For example, Napoleon and the other pigs move into Farmer Jones’s house and sleep in his bed after commanding “No animal shall sleep in a bed”, so he changes the commandment to read “no animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets”.
Animal Farm is a novella written by George Orwell, where a pig dictator, Napoleon, tries to gain power by using different types of propaganda. This novella takes place in an imaginary farm in England that focuses on politics. George Orwell said that he was inspired by the Russian Revolution, but the idea of the awareness of corruption applies to the world. Similarly to Animal Farm, World War II “was arguably the most significant period of the 20th century” (historynet.com) that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The corruption and dictation of the government was what inspired George Orwell to write Animal Farm.
Power. It is the world’s most dangerous asset anyone can hold on to. It can be used for prosperity or for a complete destruction depending on the person. As the famous Lord Acton 's quote says, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Animal Farm stands for the best example that can display this matter in a clearer and funnier version.
The animals start recognizing Napoleon for any good achievement done that day. For example, one of the hens recognizes Napoleon for just one stroke of good fortune. “Under the leadership of our Leader Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days…”(78). These poor animals are tricked into thinking that everything good that happens is due to “Comrade Napoleon's Leadership”. Every quote we see is a deeper level of corruption in Napoleon, and now, his influence on the farm is tearing what the revolution was all about.
What with the dictatorship of the pigs as well as a the mistreatment of the other animals, it is clear that Animal Farm is something much more than a story about livestock. “Napoleon becomes better and better at satisfying his own goals and needs and in duping the other animals into believing that he is doing it all for them. Each new project that takes all their energy keeps them from questioning whether their lives are truly improved. Napoleon is a master of propaganda, as was Stalin.” As a result of not only lying to the animals and distracting them with new projects that drain them emotionally and physically, but feeding them endless propaganda lead the animals to follow Napoleon and not acknowledge the absence of liberty that they are experiencing.
Trying to gain freedom on the farm, the animals obtain a leader, Napoleon, who is much more harsh and stern than the former farm owner, Mr. Jones, has ever been. Symbolizing a ruler from the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin, Napoleon brings the farm into a hole, they have a hard time getting out of. Napoleon kills various animals, and has also broken the Seven commandments the animals promise to abide by. In the beginning, the farm was run by Mr. Jones, who is later overpowered by the animals on the farm. To gain power, Napoleon starts to earn their trust by making it seem as if he is a trustworthy comrade.
“Animal Farm” by George Orwell, is a story to show how absolute power corrupts, just as Stalin’s power did during the Russian Revolution in 1917. In the allegory “Animal Farm” each character represents a political figure from the days around the Russian Revolution. For example, Joseph Stalin is represented by a pig named Napoleon, Squealer, another pig, represents Stalin’s propaganda department, and the dogs represent the Secret Police (KBG). Using the nine dogs that Napoleon raises (intimidation), Squealer (propaganda), and manipulation, Orwell illustrates how Napoleon was able to gain and maintain control of the farm. The nine dogs that stay by Napoleon at all times are useful for Napoleon to gain and maintain control of the farm because they scare the other animals, intimidating them so that they do not disobey Napoleon.
He convinces them by making up scientific facts that using your brain is more exhausting than physically working all day. Since he is the smartest and one of the only ones who knows how to read, he can get away with making up facts. Once he got away with getting extra food, he decided to assert his power in harmful ways. Napoleon started to change the seven amendments of Animal Farm, which were sworn not to be changed, and started to rewrite the past. “‘It says, “No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets.”