Category: Animal Farm

Does our society comprehend the great significance behind dystopian literature and what it symbolises? Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s Animal Farm are microcosms into multiple totalitarian regimes. Fahrenheit 451 was written as an indictment of totalitarian governments and the restrictions they put on humanity. Both Orwell and Bradbury have created societies that are both controlled and manipulated by supreme authority. Francis Bacon’s “knowledge is power” quote is extremely evident in both texts. Society is blinded by the powerful, therefore all civilians are turned into apathetic followers so that their authority can be maintained. Power is portrayed through the separation of class by allowing one specific class to gain supreme control.

In Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and George Orwell’s Animal Farm the nature of oppression is explored through the form of autocratic, totalitarian and communist societies. In oppressive societies the value of individuality is denied and absolute conformity is expected of you. Hitler’s Germany typifies this. Bakhtin’s term of dialogism expresses the constant relation between the texts of George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The introduction of Fahrenheit 451 establishes that Montag accepts his role in society as it is assigned to him by the autocratic government in power. Montag’s job of firefighting is an occupation designed to be ignorant and destroy knowledge amongst society.

Bradbury has authored this novel on situations such as censorship and oppression, based in a society where book burning is encouraged. Certain catalyst’s in the book with conflicting political opinions allow Montag to form a divided psyche. Guy Montag lives in a world which does not promote the idea of individuality and has constant diversions from the corruption of government. Montag’s colliding thoughts lead to him being alienated from society due to punishments stemmed from acts of rebellion towards totalitarian powers. Montag’s form of rebellion includes the secrecy of keeping forbidden books and setting Captain Beatty on fire. Furthermore to this after being told to burn his own house down and setting Beatty on fire , Montag flees from the city in search of sanctuary. Characters such as Clarrise and the old lady have made him reconsider his role in a working class society.

In Fahrenheit 451 Clarisse is shown as a democratic thinking young woman even describing herself as “seventeen and crazy”. Clarisse is a free, yet deep thinking member of society, who questions life and the morality of those above her (government, military and other higher powers). “If you don’t want a house built, hide the nails and wood. If you don’t want a man unhappy politically, don’t give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none.” This quote shows the hypnotism amongst humanity and the propaganda used to control the minds of an entire nation. Beatty is a vivid example of a brainwashed citizen living in a propaganda influenced society. Characters like Beatty are displayed in both texts and remain as bystanders as their society implodes.

On the other hand, Animal Farm by George Orwell resembles authoritarian change in a government. Orwell’s novel gives us a satirical insight into the Russian Revolution and genicidal methods of power used throughout this time period. Dictatorial leaders such as Napoleon show the audience characteristics Stalin used to control his people at the time of the Russian Revolution. The text presents to us the poverty and neglect as well as poor treatment the animals are receiving at the hands of Mr Jones. Animal Farm is an allegory and focuses on the ideas and difficulties that the participants in democracies face, and how the misuse of power can lead to corruption. The animals join in solidarity in order to overthrow Jones and run the farm themselves.

This book is about a corrupt society that is based around the idea that everyone should have equal intelligence and books are forbidden. After the rebellion against Jones and the eradication of Snowball, Napoleon creates addendums to the 7 commandments in order to suit the privileged pigs and changes the way of life for all animals. The continual shifts in power the ideals of revolution become corrupted due to greed and power (Beatty, Jones, Old Major, Snowball and Napoleon). Orwell uses personification throughout Animal Farm in order to draw away from the dystopian reality and the use of oppression in society. Besides the reigning pigs all animals are given orders and formulate rules because they have the intelligence to manipulate and invent propaganda that will benefit themselves.

The unawareness of oppressive power leads to characters such as Beatty, Mr Jones and Napoleon to take advantage of their leadership. In both texts naive and gullible citizens in society grant authority to their leader, and physical force isn’t required. Intertextuality between Fahrenheit 451 and Animal Farm exposes minorities in society with the inability to question the ruling elite. The loss of individuality and independence leads to loss of self-governance and the ability to think freely, this is due to the way authority abuses their power over their citizens.. Ideologies and decision making is controlled those at the top of the social hierarchy, this is forced upon characters such as Montag, Mildred, Clarrise, Benjamin and Boxer. Humans and animals in both texts dedicate too much loyalty to their leaders, the continual approval of information only gives dictatorial rulers more power to embrace.

Dystopian literature needs to be educated in society in order for people to understand its significance and comprehend the seriousness behind it. Themes of oppression, propaganda, supremacy and corrupt dictatorial ideologies have all influenced both George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Both authors compose texts based on corruption in human history as well as the fear of what humanity might become.

Mr Jones is the first character we are introduced to who represents the Tsar, Nicholas II (1868-1918), the last Russian emperor. During Nicholas II reign of 1894-1917, the people of Russian encountered terrible poverty and upheaval. This was marked when unarmed protesters demanding social reforms were shot down by the army near Nicholas’ palace known as the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1905 which is represented as the event when a animal goes to the slaughter house. Just like the animals under Jones rule, the lives of millions of Russians worsened during Nicholas’ reign or Mr Jones reign.

After World War I, Russia consequently lost more men than any country in any previous war. The outraged and desperate people of Russia began a series of strikes and revolts that signalled the time for the end of Tsarist control. Nicholas abandoned his throne in the hopes of avoiding an all-out civil war, however, the civil war arrived in the form of the Bolshevik Revolution, when Nicholas, like Jones, was removed from their place of rule. They both died shortly after. Old Major represents V. I. Lenin (1870-1924) who was the leader of the Bolshevik Party that seized control over all others in the 1917 Revolution. A theory holding that all animals are equal was Old Majors idea for his creation of animalism, while Lenin was inspired by Karl Marx’s theory of Communism.

Marx’s idea that inequality and suffering resulted from capitalism. Animalism envisions a life where all animals share in the prosperity of the farm compared to Communism claims that a communal way of life will allow all people to live lives of economic equality. Old Major like Lenin dies before witnessing how his believers carried on the work to go through with the revolution. Turning Russia into the U.S.S.R was the doing of Lenin’s thinking, as old Major is responsible for transforming Manor Farm into Animal Farm from his thinking. Even the U.S.S.R.’s flag, depicted a hammer and sickle, the tools of the rebelling workers, was the same look and meaning as the flag of Animal Farm, which features a horn and hoof. Lenin participated in several revolutionary demonstrations and uprisings with his greatest ally Leon Trotsky (1879-1940) who was another Marxist thinker. His part in Animal Farm was conducted by Snowball who, like Trotsky, felt that outside of Animal Farm or Russia, there should be a series of rebellions which would be necessary to achieve the revolution’s ultimate aims. Snowball has a plan for a windmill in the novel which greatly reflects Trotsky’s intellectual character. Trotsky was also the leader of Lenin’s famous Red Army, as Snowball was the director of the army of animals that repelled Jones. However, then Joseph Stalin (1979-1953) come in and Trotsky was exiled from the U.S.S.R. and killed by the agents of Stalin, just like Snowball is chased off of the farm by Napoleon representing Stalin.

Like Stalin, Napoleon was unconcerned with debates and ideas. Alternatively, he prized power for its own sake and 10 years after the removal of Nicholas II, in 1927, Stalin had assumed complete control of the Communist Party through acts of terror and brutality. Napoleon used dogs like Stalin used his KGB which was his secret police that he used to eliminate all opposition or threat to his power. As the novel moves on, Napoleon gains control under the appearance of improving the animals’ lives just like Stalin used a great deal of propaganda which was symbolized by Squealer in the novel to show himself as an idealist striving for change. His plan to build the windmill which snowball thought of reflects Stalin’s Five-Year Plan for his vision of the nation’s industry and agriculture. In the end though, it is thanks to animals like Boxer who swallow all of their leader’s lies, that Stalin and Napoleon can become one of the world’s most feared and brutal dictators. There is much that Orwell humiliates of the Russian revolution and events around it that comparisons could go on for much longer.

However, numerous events in the novel that are based on ones that occurred during Stalin’s rule can quickly be shown off there worth in the book. First, The Battle of the Cowshed parallels the Civil War that occurred after the 1917 Revolution. Frederick represents Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), who allied with Stalin in 1939 but then backstabbed Russia finding himself fighting Stalin’s army in 1941. This happened because Frederick appeared like an ally of Napoleon’s, but he forged banknotes revealing his true character. The confessions and executions of the animals reflect the various purges and show trials that Stalin conducted to rid himself of any possible threat of dissension. The Battle of the Windmill reflects the U.S.S.R.’s involvement in World War II specifically the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943 when Stalin’s forces defeated Hitler’s as Napoleon’s defeat Frederick.

Finally, the card game at the novel’s end parallels the Tehran Conference (November 28-December 1, 1943), where Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt met to discuss the ways to forge a lasting peace after the war. Just like everything, this peace, Orwell mocks by having Napoleon and Pilkington complement each other and then betray their other natures by cheating in the card game.

Animal Farm is an allegorical story with a very powerful underlying message but it does not rely entirely on historical context for narrative power, I read Animal Farm without any knowledge of the Russian Revolution and although it was confusing at first, I was still able to understand there was underlying meaning as well as many lessons to be learnt. A big part of the book that stood out to me, and that I personally believe George Orwell wanted to stand out was the lesson of Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it, Orwell was smart to warn us of this because history does seem to be repeating itself and we know this because we can relate Animal Farm concepts with not only multiple times in history but even modern day life. There have been many wars over land, murders for revenge, power hungry leaders, and assassinations of unprotected leaders, this alone is history repeating itself.

After finishing Animal Farm I felt amazed at the writing and how George Orwell managed to use aesthetic features such as dramatic irony to elicit sympathy from his readers, one scene he does this in, is in chapter 9 when Squealer, representing the media, claims he sent Boxer, who represents the working class, to the hospital to die peacefully while retrieving the best medical treatment and all the animals believe it, it was never confirmed by the pigs that he in fact didn’t go to the hospital but instead the slaughter house and by the author doing this, the author makes his audience feel very strongly on the topic.

Orwell’s was a committed socialist who sought to promote a more egalitarian and fair society, he believed his own experiences should guide his philosophy. Orwell, it seems, put a lot of thought into his characters and what they represent, for example Napoleon represents not only Joseph Stalin, but he also represents the political tyrants that have emerged throughout history. The name Napoleon was not from a communist leader but from french general Napoleon I, who betrayed the democratic principles on which he rode himself to power. Once again as more evidence of history repeating itself, Napoleon you may have realised, can stand in for any of the great dictators and political schemers in world history, even those who Aarose after Animal Farm was written! Orwell also had a reason for making characters certain animals, hence why Napoleon was a pig and why Boxer, who was underappreciated, exploited and naive, was a loyal hard working horse.

Moses, the raven, is yet another example of symbolism which Orwell uses throughout the book. Moses represents organized religion in the Soviet Union, this is shown clearly in Chapter Two when Moses starts telling the other animals about a place called Sugarcandy Mountain which represents heaven, at first the pigs insisted on Moses being crazy and told no one to listen to him, but by the end of the book when the condition of animal farm has worsened and the animals have lost all hope Moses appears again and as Karl Marx famously stated, ‘Religion is the opium of the people,’ and Moses’ tales of Sugarcandy Mountain likewise serve as an opiate to the animals’ misery.

Orwell uses humorous satire, which goes hand in hand with his irony, by making the setting on a farm, the farm setting helps illustrate how corruption increases with power, especially in government, and the characters animals, this is to help him portray the characters how he wants and to symbolise that the characters share traits with the animal which he chose them to be.Then Orwell uses symbolism, irony and satire when the power of the new society becomes corrupt and the animals aren’t all equal, Napoleon slaughters the animals that disagree with him and who don’t follow his orders and accuses Snowball of destroying the windmill, even though the readers know it wasn’t him.

The genre of satire has served as a useful tool throughout history, in literature and the general arts, to indirectly bring attention to the shortcomings of humanity and more often the government as well as to effect political or social change, or to prevent it. It is certainly traditionally a passive aggressive tool, but is actually manipulated as an almost direct provocation within George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ that asserts the notion that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat, and that the animals are to avoid the sins of mankind if there is any hope of achieving true liberty. As well as in Jonathan Swift’s ‘Gulliver’s Travels’ which placed swift under the unofficial title as ‘the master of Juvenalian satire’, also ridiculing the affairs of the human race as a whole in addition to satirizing the English system of governing. The novels both reveal and criticize sins and corruption of British ruling class and their cruel exploitation towards people of Britain and neighboring countries Both tales centering upon the external affairs of the English Government. Orwell’s wrote his own impression of the contemporary state of affairs at his time ‘Taught me how easily totalitarian propaganda can can control the opinion of enlightened people in democratic countries’

The key purpose of ‘Animal Farm’ is to inform as a cautionary tale of Communism, a key reason as to its prolonged date of publication due to its parallels with the Russian Revolution. As well as an allegory, Orwell uses anthropomorphism in order to parody a fable bringing to light a satirical juxtaposition between the stark political seriousness of the tale and any traditional fable generally accessible to children. Furthermore, Orwell extends the use of anthropomorphism as certain characters come to show humanistic traits throughout the tales progression which was decidedly initially taboo, ‘The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig….but already it was impossible to say which was which’. Essentially creating the connotations that you may not always attain the desired results from a revolution as the extent of the pigs corruption is estimated through their growing level of human attributes, and thus an example of satire as a blatant scrutiny of humanity’s vices.

Orwell also uses satire in ‘Animal Farm’ as a tool in order to mock the control of religion as well as the state of the Church within the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union being the first state to have as an ideological objective, the elimination of religion. ‘The Seven Commandments’ are considered the basic laws for the animals, comparable to ‘The Ten Commandments’ of Christianity, and meant to be upheld without fail, however we see that throughout the text the commandments are altered in order to best suit the will of the Pigs. ‘All animals are equal but some are more equal than others’ as an addition to the commandments implies the doom of communism as greed brought along the doom of the USSR’s socio-economic regime, symbolised within the book as the divide between the pigs and dogs living upper class and segregated from the farm but still in power above the rest of the animals. An alternative view of the changing state of the commandments is said to be a direct ridicule of The Bible’s New Testament due to its continuous evolution through translation, and thus taunting human nature.

Similarly to ‘Animal Farm’, Swift also uses satire and anthropomorphism to illuminate political and religious corruptions in ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, as well as, in a deeper facet, on human nature itself. This is highlighted through the stark contrast between the intelligent, dignified and rational-thinking horses, Houyhnhnms and humanlike barbaric and greedy creatures, the Yahoos that he encounters upon his travels. The segregation between the two species shown in both novels, is blatant symbolism of animal superiority, with the vices attached to human nature such as greed, evident as our downfall, and whilst the animals lack human nature, they prosper. Satire is continuously explored through this as Gulliver was ‘at much pains to describe to him the use of money’. This highlights the fact that the Houyhnhnms are able to succeed without the use of a currency within their society whereas the brutish Yahoos are said to be attracted to ‘shining stones’ indirectly ridiculing the use of money among humans and goes on to state that it ‘might proceed from the same principle of avarice which I had ascribed to mankind.’ allowing us to infer avarice itself to be an inherent trait of human nature and therefore explains humanity’s uncanny disposition toward money. Orwell also explores the corruption within the semantics of money and trade as the founding principles of ‘Animal Farm’ that included a prohibition against trade and the use of money were completely disregarded as the pigs plunge deeper into the metaphorical abyss of human nature, and a factor of the farms downfall from their supposed utopia.

Within the first chapter of ‘Animal Farm’ political influence is shown as it is made underhandedly clear that Old Major acts as the novel’s embodiment of Karl Marx, otherwise known as the ‘Father of Communism’. Old Major’s monologue “For the overthrow of the human race’ acts as a stand-in for Karl Marx’s ‘Communist Manifesto’. Old Major’s “strange dream” resulting in inspiring the rest of the farm, however the death of the ‘the prize Middle White boar’ emblematizes the ideals of true pure Marxism dying in the real world. With the result of the Pigs taking on the reigns of control only to twist and perverse the founding principles of Old Major’s wish for animal kind. We can further infer Orwell’s wish was to highlight the negative influence of the Soviet myth upon the western Socialist movement. Similarly Swift also attempts to accentuate the political influence of England as he also uses characterisation to symbolise key figures within the English government. The Lilliputian Emperor represents the King of England at the time of the publication of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, George I, a strongly pro-Whig king. Swift expects us to understand that the history Gulliver relates, parallels European history. The High-Heels and the Low-Heels correspond to the Whigs and Tories of English politics. The context of Swift’s own conflicts with the Whig Party we assume fueled his criticism of the Emperor’s use of rope dancing to achieve positions in government, “Whoever jumps the highest, without falling, succeeds in the office.” creates the connotations that there is little assessment of talent or skill within the Lilliputian and English Government and whoever pleases the ruler most (indirectly suggesting bribery and further forms of foul play) shall be in the Emperor’s favour.

Jonathan Swift also conveys both human nature and political influence at once through the very concept of war and conflict in part one of the novel, satirizing the Western world’s own conflicts in Swift’s time. The writer brings attention to the rivalry between the Lilliputians whom symbolise Protestant England, whilst the Blefuscu stands for Catholic France, and further mocks each side’s cause as their conflict revolves around the religious question of egg – breaking. This exaggerates the meaningless of their ill will toward one another through such an insignificant matter. Whilst an alternative view is that the the egg-breaking itself may refer to a quarrel over the nature of the sacrament, and it is also possible that it refers to the differences in communion of the Catholic and Anglican churches. “He shall be our ally against our enemies in the island of Blefuscu, and do his utmost to destroy their fleet, which is now preparing to invade us.” is the sixth rule that the Lilliputians give Gulliver as a condition of his stay in Lilliput that acts as a satirization of the rules of the whig party and also emphasizes how they attempt to manipulate Gulliver. Although he doesn’t help in the invasion of the Blefuscudians, this shows the controlling nature for personal gain of those with political influence. Swift mocks this aspect of humanity as the truly insignificant nature of the conflict is mirrored by the size of the citizens of Lilliput and Blefuscu; just as they are physically small, people from Lilliput and Blefuscu are wrapped up in tiny disputes blown way out of proportion. Thus, through this humorous depiction of a war, Swift suggests that Western conflicts are small-minded, absurd, and ultimately unnecessary.

The concept of war is then also manipulated by George Orwell in ‘Animal Farm’ to convey political influence, most notably in “The Battle of the Cowshed” as the climactic battle between the animals and Manor Farm owner Mr. Jones serves as the representation of the Russian Civil War. Although, Snowball’s tactical mastery is what led the animals to victory, Napoleon later changing the events to portray himself as the hero when in fact he was conspicuously missing during the events, depicts the deceitfulness of humanity for personal gain. Napoleon repeatedly puts down any recollection of snowball’s positive contribution to the farm whilst mirroring how eventually, Trotsky was exiled from the U.S.S.R. and killed by the agents of Joseph Stalin, as Snowball is chased off of the farm by Napoleon. Orwell’s parallels with the war of the Red October creates an excessive sense of satire as criticizing the betrayal amongst the animals that even leads to The confessions and executions of animals that directly reflect the various purges and ‘show trials’ that Stalin conducted to rid himself of any possible threat of dissention the continues to relay the active themes of corruption and totalitarianism that takes over human nature when political power is presented to it. Orwell unceasingly continues to use animals to represent figures and classes within society as Swift does to emphasize satire and within the war it is clear to infer and understand how that Snowball the figure of Trotsky emerges as a military hero. Mollie the horse, who represents the Russian upper-middle-class plays little role in the battle and instead uses it to enact her escape, whilst we believe Boxer, symbolises the working class and reveals himself as a powerful military force. As the narrator tells us, ‘the most terrifying spectacle of all was Boxer, rearing up on his hind legs and striking out with his great iron-shod hooves like a stallion,’ represents the overbearing power of the working class people, most useful in ‘The Battle of the Cowshed’, and explains his execution in ‘Animal Farm’ because of his ability to remember the past correctly with a sincere and incorruptible belief in the original principles of Animalism (Communism). Thus representing the force of will power within human nature however alternatively due to the satirical nature of the novel it may be that Orwell wishes to show here how those in power are able to silence and win over those in positions beneath them.

Animal Farm, an allegorical novel written by George Orwell in 1945, tells the story of a group of personified animals who, after rebelling against their previous owner, attempt to create their own autonomous government system in which all of the animals become equal, happy, and – most importantly – free. A metaphor for Soviet Russia, Animal Farm aims to educate the reader about complications involving government systems through the childlike simplicity of talking animals. Within this work of literature, the reader may observe the initial uprising that forms a new regime entitled ‘Animalism’, starting with the seven commandments written on the inside wall of the barn in which the animals reside. These commandments start out important but, over time, their invalidity begins to appear quite obvious, as one particular group of animals rises to power. This power struggle highlights the previous importance of the commandments, while also weakening the importance of them by the end of the book and proving that, no matter how promising equality appears, it can never become reality.

The first two commandments appear simple: ‘Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy’ and ‘Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend’. Animalism as an ideology states humans as the animal’s oppressors, so, these commandments hold importance in determining the others. The next three – ‘No animal shall wear clothes’, ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed’, and ‘No animal shall drink alcohol’ – all stand to back up the animal’s anti-human rhetoric. However, one strange commandment that follows – ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’ – may appear illogical to the reader since scientifically speaking, many animals survive without human aid (one of the main principles of Animalism) by consuming other animals. This small break in logic serves to subtly direct the reader’s attention to the already-shaky rule of Animal Farm, without spoiling too much of the story’s end. To sum many of these commandments up, the animals decide on a seventh commandment, which reads ‘All animals are equal’. This seems promising for the animals, considering their poor treatment by their previous owner for the past few years, but reveals itself as a facade in its entirety, as a struggle for power between the animals begins to appear and the animals – specifically the pigs – break all of the commandments, one by one.

The first commandment broken, but not formally changed – ‘All animals are equal’ – shows up in the obvious superiority the pigs – especially Snowball and Napoleon – have over the other animals. While other animals work day and night to provide for themselves and the rest of the farm, the pigs enjoy a leisurely job of observing and barking orders. Once this rule becomes forgotten, social classes develop, with the pigs standing as the ruling elite, while the other animals become subjects and slaves. This allows the pigs to do as they please and they do, breaking many other rules, such as ‘No animal shall wear clothes’ (the pigs end up wearing the previous owners’ clothes), ‘No animals shall sleep in a bed’ (changed to ‘No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets’ for the pig’s benefit), and ‘No animal shall drink alcohol’ (changed to ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess’ also for the pig’s benefit). One important rule – ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’ – becomes obsolete amidst all of this when, during a heated debate directed towards building a windmill for the farm, Napoleon rises to power after attacking Snowball with dogs he had secretly bred. The animals assume that Snowball has died and because of this, although the book reveals him alive later, other animals, such as a few hens, die in between this period and Napoleon amends the commandment: ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause’. Eventually, the pigs begin walking on two legs, which stuns the other animals, considering the initial importance of what the sheep have simplified as ‘four legs good, two legs bad’ (which changes to ‘four legs good, two legs better’). Finally, after the downfall of these commandments, as an ending to the book, the last commandment formally crumbles and all seven become painted over and replaced with ‘All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others’.

Since the dawn of time, equality remains strived for. Wars become started over it and heated debates lead to violence, even in civil communities. However, this idea of equality proves neither possible nor desirable, once examined properly. Humanity widely agrees that formal equality of opportunity or, equality within legal systems, does not exist for everyone. Implementing this system of equality applies to the public lives of the citizens, but not the private. Ensuring equality in citizen’s private lives involves largely ignoring personal liberties, as well as the possibility of a system along the lines of Plato’s Republic, in which the state takes young children from their parents and raises them communally in order to ensure intergenerational equality. Obviously, this system does not appear desirable to many. Even if this system became a reality in today’s society, inequalities shall arise from equality of opportunity, including those of natural talent and hard work – which may, both, have roots within an individual’s genetics. The daunting conclusion of Animal Farm simply and metaphorically warns those looking for a quick solution to equality to take heed – for it appears simpler in fantasy than in reality, as proven.

The promise of perfection and equality has stayed ingrained in human culture for years and holds responsibility for some of the world’s greatest tragedies, such as the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Holocaust. Within this book, one quote directly stands out due, in part, to its harsh truth: ‘…things never had been, nor ever could be much better or much worse hunger, hardship, and disappointment being, so he [Benjamin] said, the unalterable law of life’ (115). This quote perfectly draws the reader’s attention to the unattainability of a society where all citizens stay blissfully equal to one another. Animal Farm, in its most condensed form, simply attempts to explain why equality appears so unattainable and why society may benefit from it staying that way. Ignorance prevails among humanity, however, all humans may agree upon one statement – equality holds no reality.

Imagine being an animal on a farm which has been full of pain, overwork, constant hunger, and mistreatment. If there was even a slight chance that there could be an end to that, chances are, it will be taken. That is exactly what the animals on Animal Farm did with little to no knowledge of the possible consequences. If only they knew what they had just doomed themselves into. This book focuses on farm animals whose main focus was to live a free and equal life after being neglected . One day, the animals had enough of the mistreatment, and rebelled against the farmer and other men, which led to them leaving the farm for good. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned after a pig, Napoleon, became in charge due to the pigs being more knowledgeable. He found techniques to manipulate and get into the animals’ heads and got them to believe anything he’d say. Things started getting even worse, when Napoleon began changing the commandments leaving the animals confused, years passed by and the farm had only gotten worse. The pigs manipulated their knowledge and power. Throughout the book, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, the pigs managed to use propaganda and intimidation to take leadership over the farm.

In fact, the pigs on the farm began to focus on using propaganda as a way to create power and leadership upon themselves to use on the rest of the farm animals. For instance, propaganda was used plenty of times throughout the novel to manipulate, in simple ways such as speeches, and phrases said by any of the pigs. As an example, manipulation was used on the farm animals as a way for the pigs to get their way. This type of propaganda was used by Squealer in specific. He claimed that the pigs should be able to “drink [the] milk and eat [the] apples (…) if [the] pigs failed in [their] duty, Jones would come back! (…) surely there [was] no [animal] who [wanted] to see Jones come back.” (Orwell 36). In other words, the pigs managed to use propaganda as a way to manipulate animals into getting what they want by stating that if the rest of the animals did not support their decisions, Jones will definitely go back. This successfully worked since none of the animals would have ever wanted Jones to go back to the farm, so they had no other choice but to do as told. Furthermore, one of the multiple pigs in the novel, used propaganda to induce fear and manipulate each and every animal to promote a certain point of view. This pig, also known as Old Major, had established a meeting amongst all animals. During this meeting he had mentioned several things he dreamt of and several future plans. Old Major began to mention that, “no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end (…) [and] every [animal] will scream [their] lives out at the block within a year.” (Orwell 9). All in all, propaganda was shown by manipulation and fear when the pig, Old Major, began to cause fear to the animals by scaring them and manipulating them into going along with his plan of getting Jones out of the way. The animals surely did not want to wind up lifeless, so they listened to the pigs plan and went along with it. As one can see, both Squealer and Old Major managed to get into the rest of the animals’ heads by using their fears against them, whether it be death or Mr. Jones coming back. This created more power upon them, making it easier and easier to manipulate.

In addition to propaganda successfully being used as a way to gain control over other animals, the pigs managed to also use intimidation as a way to manipulate. To clarify, one of the pigs, Napoleon, used intimidation plenty of times in several ways, one being by having his pet dogs with him, frightening the rest of the animals, and because of that, no one dared to disagree or rebel against anything. Napoleon himself was a well respected and looked upon pig and anything said or done by him was considered to be “right”. For instance, Napoleon was once seen breaking one the farms’ when rules, he was standing on his own two legs as he pridefully stepped out of the farmhouse. Every animal feared to say anything as he walked out looking, “majestically, upright, [while] casting haughty glances from side to side, and with his dogs gambolling around him. He [also] carried a whip (…) there was a deadly silence. Amazed, terrified [and] huddling together, the animals watched (…)” (133). This proves that although Napoleon had broken every single farm rule there was, not a single animal spoke up about it, that is because Napoleon managed to induce intimidation by having his fierce dogs surround him, along with his whip in which he carried, making himself seem more powerful. No animal knew what he was capable of at that point, so they remained silent and terrified. Similarly, Napoleon had set off intimidation in the farm during a terrifying incident in which animals’ lives were taken brutally in front of their peers due to their confessions of betrayal. None of the pigs, yet alone any animal on the farm, had committed any violence towards other animals before. That was up until an assembly was held by Napoleon in where he ordered his very own dogs to drag and seize four pigs who were secretly keeping in touch with an enemy of his. The pigs were called on to confess their crimes and, “when [the pigs] had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess.” (84). The remaining animals were miserable and shaken to see such a thing. Intimidation was shown by Napoleon frightening the animals by letting them know exactly what he’s capable of if he were to be betrayed by any of them. The animals that were tortured, killed, and hurt, all confessed to their crimes and betrayal, that teaches the rest of the animals not to do such a thing. In summary, the animals were easily intimidated by the ways Napoleon chose to make an appearance, at times he’d be surrounded by fierce looking dogs, and at times he’d carry a whip. He used his knowledge and knew he could easily manipulate each and every single one of them.

All in all, propaganda and intimidation are two of the several ways these pigs got to manipulate others after years of trying to positively and calmly turn things around on the farm.

Introduction

Eric Arthur Blair, George Orwell real name, was bone in India 1903 to a father of middle classes which was work with the British government. At 2 years old he was brought back to Britain with his mother and sister, finished hi school and failed in college while he was concerned more with writing and literature, he joined police and worked in India, later he joined the communist in Spain and participate in Spanish civil war, after succeed to escape from the war he went to Britain again and worked as teacher and finally decide to quit from teaching and to become a writer, who wrote many will known works that made him one of the most important 100 writer in the history of Britain as by time magazine. At age of 46 he died with TB soon after his remarkable work (1984 ) was published.

Animal farm was the first significant work that introduce Orwell to the literature world not only in Britain but to the world. The work was an allegory to the Russian revolution with satire nature making it publication difficult. Gollancz, one of publishers who refused to print the novel said about it ‘ highly critical of Meany aspect of internal end external soviet policy’. But when it published at the end it was admired by the critics. Edmund Wilson wrote in the New Yorker, 1946: ‘ But the truth is that [animal farm] is absolutely first-rate’

To understand the motives of Orwell to write such critical novel its better to her from him, one year after the novel was published Orwell wrote an article ( why I write) it which he said : ‘ What I wanted to do throughout the past ten years is to make political writing into an art My starting point is always a feeling of partisanship. a sense of injustice. When I sit down to write a book, I don’t say to myself. I’m going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention’

The novel stated with a meeting of all of the animal of the farm leaded by the Old major who decided to start the revolution against the human being drunken owner of the farm, in this stage we notice the theme of idealism as the major set the rule of equality and camaraderie between all the animals. After death of the Old major, a competition started between two figures of pigs ‘snowball’ the descent thinker with loyalty to the revolution and the animals, and ‘Napoleon’ the powerful deceiver with craving to dominate and control the animals and the farm resources to his own benefit with his close friends and family of pigs. Napoleon was the dictator who used the propaganda to kill the snowball after he stole snowball plans, and to change the history of the farm he also decide to suppress education that was started with revolution. In this stage of novel, Orwell showed how revolutions are failed by deception and corruption.

In the beginning of revolution the animals was able to defend their farm against the humans, later on the humans was able to destroy the windmill planned by snowball and constructed by Napoleon. The end seen of the novel is a theme of apathy which appeared again among the animals when they sow the pigs hand to hand with humans enjoying their control of the low classes worker.

Conclusions

George Orwell in his great book animal farm he symbolizes the reality of struggles between classes that he experienced in his difficult life as he witnessed the bad nature of imperialism, the negative feeling and behavior from higher classes toward the lower ones in Britain and the deceiving between partners of revolutions in the Spanish civil war. He tried also to till the people about the perils of the dictatorial and Totalitarian governments.

His work remain one of the most important novels in the 19th century.

References

1. Why I Writ; George Orwell 1946.
2. George Orwell A literary life; Peter Davison
3. The Social and Political Thoughts of George Orwell, A reassessment; Stephen Ingle

One of human’s biggest failures is our negligence to abuse of power and control. Manipulation of others by a person with authority for their own personal gain is a form of abusive power and control. The novel highlights the hidden faults of communist rule as well as the inevitable return of a totalitarianism-based society. Animal Farm, George Orwell (1945) uses satire to critique and highlight the flaws of the Russian revolution while using farm animals to symbolize important characters and being able to appeal to many.

Corruption is a strong motif in George Orwell’s animal farm, exploring how excess political power can corrupt an individual into changing into the very thing they swore not to become. In “ uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter, the use of allusion emphasises the aggression and abuse of power displayed by a corrupt leader, which is a reference to the rhetoric used by Stalin to suppress the Russian society under his communist rule. The Book explores the ideas of Leadership and its flaws from the beginning of the animalist revolution. “ The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership”, uses incongruity to demonstrate Orwell’s criticism of our own human failings and the wrongly perceived ideas about society. Linking to how Stalin’s rule of communist Russia abused intellectual superiority to obtain power and control.. Orwell also uses dramatic irony in, “All animals are equal with some more equal than others” to directly criticize the governing bodies that exploit their own citizens to gain power for themselves as they fail to understand the body of corruption within their own country. Orwell writes the novel in an attempt to educate the masses on how to identify the subtle steps of corruption towards the introduction of a totalitarian state as well as criticising our own human failings in the corruption of power.

Fear is an aspect of political rule that is often overlooked, but it is a key idea in George orwell’s animal farm. He casts light and satirises the problems in the governing bodies of communist Russia, that must use fear to control their own people. Orwell describes both aspects of fear, being the fear of returning back to the previous as well as the physical fear and oppression of the government. In the book, fear of change is what keeps a revolution going. The quote, ”Man is the only real enemy we have, remove man from the scene and the root cause of overwork is abolished forever”, uses dramatic irony to demonstrate the breeding of fear into a revolution from the very beginning to keep everyone in line, even if the current situation is worse than the previous. This links back to how Stalin was able to obtain control over communist Russia, with the fear of returning to a totalitarian rule constantly acting in his favour. In the quote, “Surely there is no one among us that wants to see Mr Jones back”, Orwell uses exaggeration to demonstrate the animals changed perception of how Man is the problem as well as casting light on the problems of the communist Russian rule, where fear was one of the constant drivers of the revolution. This constant fear of change are one of the driving factors towards the pigs acquiring complete control over the other animals. The other aspect of fear that Orwell casts light on is the oppressive and cruelty of the government that sends fear across communities. This is demonstrated in chapter 7, when Napoleon orders his dogs to kill any animal that spoke different from the animalist cause. The quote “When they had finished their confession, the dog’s promptly tore their throats out” uses reversal to emphasise how fear is used to keep people in line as well as relating to the Stalinist Executions that spread fear, allowing Stalin to obtain power and control over russia. George Orwell casts light on the aspects of fear in obtaining power and control and effectively criticises our own failings in society.

George Orwell ingeniously addresses the problems of manipulation in society that allow leaders to obtain power and control in Animal Farm. The book uses satire to cast light on how propaganda can be used to manipulate the masses into believing in the false as well as how lies allow leaders to obtain power and control. Orwell’s use of exaggeration in “All men are enemies, all animals are comrades” and “four legs good, two legs bad” demonstrates from the beginning how old major is able to plant the seeds of rebellion, which directly correlates with the ideas of how propaganda can be used to persuade the masses. The book also criticises the way propaganda is used for leaders to obtain power and reputation. The quote, “Napoleon is always right”, uses dramatic irony to emphasise how propaganda can be used for leaders such as napoleon to obtain power and control through the manipulation of the masses. This links back to how Stalin was able to obtain power through the lies of propaganda. Orwell satirises how the masses can be so easily swayed by the likes of propaganda through snowball and his outrageous claims to raise the status of Napoleon. Orwell also critiques the intellectual prowess of the masses, claiming that any piece of propaganda that is released will be taken in. Animal farm directly satirises and critiques our own human failings by addressing how propaganda can be used for leaders to obtain power and control through the manipulation of their own citizens.

Animal Farm addressed the idea that One of humanity’s biggest failures is our negligence to abuse of power and control. George Orwell’s Animal Farm correctly critiques and satirises our own human failings, making it a longstanding novel that is still relevant in society to this present day. Orwell’s allegorical form allows the novel to appeal to many and give an insight on the reality of the Russian revolution and how corruption, fear and manipulation makes for the inevitable return to a totalitarian rule.

In his book, Dystopian Literature: A Theory and Research Guide, Professor M. Keith Booker argues that the principle literary strategy that dystopian literature utilizes is defamiliarization. He states that ‘by focusing their critiques of society on imaginatively distant settings, dystopian fictions provide fresh perspectives on problematic social and political practices that might otherwise be taken for granted or considered natural and inevitable’ (3-4).

My opinion concerning this idea of using defamiliarization as a tactic in dystopian literature does not differ from that of Professor Booker. Both The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and Animal Farm by George Orwell defamiliarize or ‘makes strange’ of social or political issues within each dystopia or ‘bad place’ in order to enhance the reader’s understanding of them. However, both texts illustrate different dystopias and draws attention to their society’s particular social or political issues in different ways. Atwood linguistically defamiliarizes the judgements that the Republic of Gilead makes about women who are unable to or choose not to reproduce through the labels of ‘Unwomen,’ ‘Unbabies,’ and ‘Jezebels’ to draw attention to the underlying social importance of procreation; whereas Orwell defamiliarizes the characteristics and tactics of a totalitarian tyrant by using an animal protagonist of a pig to emphasize the politics of a totalitarian government.

The presumption of reproductive technologies is to alleviate the burden of infertility among women. Yet, in Charia Thompson’s chapter on Fertile Ground: Feminists Theorize Reproductive Technologies, she suggests that the use of fertility treatments pose as a paradoxical tension because despite its assistance in involuntary childlessness there is still the ‘assumption that infertility is the women’s fault’ (55). Although reproductive technologies help fertilize women, the fact that women need help with impregnation creates shame because they are unable to ‘naturally’ get pregnant. In The Handmaid’s Tale, Gilead prohibits the use of ‘machines,’ but the notion of the female’s duty to procreate and the failure to do so is still prevalent in the text. A prominent example that illustrates this social controversy of sex for the sole purpose of reproduction is Offred’s description of the Ceremony. She says, ‘This is not recreation, even for the Commander. This is serious business. The Commander, too, is doing his duty’ (Atwood 117). This quote depicts that sex in Gilead is not meant for pleasure, but designated for ‘business’ or procedural services in an attempt to procreate. This act is also not considered as rape because Offred chose to be a Handmaid; therefore it is not a forceful action, but her duty to partake in the Ceremony for reasons of potential fertility. The limitation of sex for the purposes of reproduction establishes immense pressure for Offred and other Handmaids because if they are unable to fulfill their duties of fertility, they are shunned from society. One of the ways that Atwood emphasizes the consequences of infertility in reproductive-driven Gilead is by defamiliarizing infertile women as ‘Unwomen.’

The label ‘Unwomen’ predominately refers to women who are sterile, but they can also refer to women who are lesbians, nuns, feminists– essentially all women who are incapable of social integration with Gilead’s gender divisions. They are exiled to the ‘Colonies,’ where they are sentenced to labour. What makes this label so strange and fantastical is that Atwood literally labels women who are unable to conceive children as sub-human, therefore inadequate to be considered woman, hence the ‘Un’ prefix in ‘women.’ The inability of a successful pregnancy is deemed as the Handmaid’s fault, with no other factors such as, the Commander’s capability, is taken into consideration. This is why Offred says, ‘But she’ll never be sent to the Colonies, she’ll never be declared Unwoman. That is her reward’ (159). Witnessing the success of Janine’s birth serves as a reminder to the other Handmaids that reproduction is the ultimate goal. It is a Handmaid’s only purpose for the Republic of Gilead and failure to complete that goal makes Handmaids unworthy of being a woman. Furthermore, the ‘type’ of baby that is produced also determines whether a Handmaid had a successful reproduction.

Atwood stresses the importance of procreation through defamiliarizing its ideal outcome of a flawless child by labelling babies who are born with a defect as ‘Unbabies.’ Even ‘improper’ babies are sub-humanized and examined as an insignificant waste of space. No one knows of the whereabouts these babies are disposed of, but ‘to go through all that and give birth to [an Unbaby]: it wasn’t a fine thought’ (140). This label is extremely ridiculous and it attracts attention to the pressures Handmaids face in reproduction, while also creating a perfect child. Offed’s passage refers to the concept that if a child is born with a defect, the responsibility of this falls back onto the Handmaid and her problems of deficiency in her womb. Her fertility complications are the sole cause of the creation of a defected baby. Again, this idea of fault stays clear of other implications such as, the Commander’s shortcomings or the environment in which the Handmaid lives in, it is simply the Handmaid’s failure to reproduce an ideal child. Finally, Atwood defamiliarizes the judgment women face when they choose not to reproduce by labelling them as ‘Jezebels.’

‘Jezebels’ refer to women who are prostitutes; they powder themselves with make-up and dress in provocative costumes of the ‘time before’ the Republic of Gilead like, cheerleaders or school uniforms. Offred quotes, ‘They said there was no sense in breeding. Aunt Lydia’s nostrils narrow: such wickedness. They were lazy women, she says. They were sluts’ (141). The name ‘Jezebel’ appears in the Bible and refers to the character of the same name, who is associated with prostitution. So, by using the name ‘Jezebel’ to describe women who choose not to procreate, Atwood is emphasizing the idea that these women are not fulfilling the purposes of reproduction because they refuse to become Handmaids and instead participate in sex for pleasure, rather than procreation. It is evident in the above quote that Jezebels are judged harshly by Handmaids for their decisions. It shows that the choice that women make about fertility is what determines whether or not they are considered ‘legitimate’ women. In the case of Jezebels, these women are ‘illegitimate’ because they choose not to abide by women’s ‘natural’ duty to procreate. Orwell uses the same literary technique of defamiliarization in his novel Animal Farm; however the author primarily focuses on the subject of politics, specifically the notions of a totalitarian rule.

As mentioned in lecture, totalitarianism is defined as a ‘society that is under control of a charismatic dictator, who enforces a comprehensive apparatus of surveillance and coercion’ (Judge and Neill Jan 8 2013). To present this definition in Animal Farm, Orwell portrays the specific animal of a pig for its characteristics are similar to that of a tyrant and their tactics. In his book, Three Modern Satirists: Waugh, Orwell, and Huxley, Stephan Jay Greenblatt describes this technique of animal representation as a ‘beast fable’ where ‘the characteristics of human vice and folly are embedded in animals’ (62). Napoleon is depicted as a ‘large, rather fierce-looking Berkshire boar, the only Berkshire boar on the farm, not much of a talker but with the reputation of getting his own way’ (Orwell 10). This quote demonstrates that totalitarian leaders are manipulative and power-hungry, so it is appropriate that they are represented by pigs because they are typically associated with greed and gluttony. Napoleon’s use of dogs, which are typically associated with loyalty, assistance, or protection, also serves its purpose of representing the totalitarian tactic of surveillance. Orwell defamiliarizes the greedy characteristic of tyrant leaders by depicting Napoleon’s gluttony for food.

To gain access to all the milk and apples, Napoleon delivers an influential speech that persuades the animals to willingly give away their resources. Napoleon expresses, ‘Day and night we are watching over your welfare. It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!’ (25). This quotes exemplifies Napoleon’s cunning manipulation by justifying his gluttony for food by stating that it is all for the ‘protection’ and ‘good’ of the farm. Napoleon also incorporates scared tactics of Jones’ return to frighten the animals into agreement. Napoleon’s actions highlights Orwell’s fundamental notion of the manipulative and persuasive characteristics that totalitarian leaders embody. In order for the tyrant to gain complete control of their state, they have to make the public believe that their actions are for the ‘benefit’ of the people. Totalitarian leaders speak in grand and optimistic linguistics because the method of speech deliverance also effects how the public will react, whether they choose to support or reject their ideas. Tyrants also produce fear within the public by giving them the alternative, ‘dystopian’ image of what the state would become if the public did not embrace their views. Another way that Orwell defamiliarizes the power-hungry attributes of totalitarian leaders is through alternations of the seven commandments of animalism.

As Napoleon gains further control, he continues to justify for the ‘sake’ of the other animals, leaving his actions unquestioned. The sixth commandment once read, ‘No animal shall kill any other animal’ (66). However, when Muriel read the commandment for Clover it now read, ‘No animal shall kill any other animal without cause’ (ibid). Especially since not all of the animals are equipped with literacy, the modification of commandments could go unnoticed, unless they were notified through another member of the farm like, Muriel reading the commandment for Clover, for example. Although they are both aware of the changes made to the commandment, neither animal questions the alteration and instead states, ‘for clearly there was good reason for killing the traitors who had leagued themselves with Snowball’ (ibid). The strangeness of farm animals corrupting written commandments that they abide by draws importance to the idea of sly strategy. Once again, this quote emphasizes the justifications totalitarian leaders make when feeling obliged to eliminating a member of the community because they went against state policy, which effects ‘all’ people. It also demonstrates the nature of a totalitarian regime in that if an individual were to express an opposite view, then they are likely to be disposed of by the tyrant. Surveillance is a tactic used by totalitarian leaders to increase their power, so Animal Farm Napoleon uses dogs to his advantage.

The beginnings of Napoleon’s surveillance started when he retrieved all puppies into his own hands and made himself responsible for their education. No animal on the farm knew of their location, but the next time that they convened again was when ‘the dogs bounded forward, seized four of the pigs by the ear and dragged them squealing with pain and terror, to Napoleon’s feet’ (61). The puppies were now watch dogs, there to terrorize and punish those who are or planning to plot against Napoleon’s regime. Orwell defamiliarizes the monitoring tactics of tyrants by highlighting the dogs’ aggressiveness as if they were monsters. Through the dogs, the author stresses the harsh surveillance totalitarian leaders invest in to ensure that no one in the state is in opposition of policy. It instills fear among the public, especially when punishment is put on display for all to see warning individuals of the potential consequences if disobedient. It also serves as a panopticon sort of surveillance expressed by Michel Foucault. In Neve Gordon’s article Foucault’s Subject: An Ontological Reading, he describes Foucault’s argument as ‘the ‘gaze’ [penetrating] the subject, ensuring that the ‘soul’ conforms to the existing rules, codes, and mores’ (6). Individuals are always monitoring themselves in case the tyrant or any other members of their party are watching.

Using Napoleon and his watch dogs is a significant demonstration of the traits and tactics that personify a totalitarian tyrant. Orwell brings awareness and defamiliarizes the manipulative and persuasive behaviours tyrants use to achieve power through the use of animals. The author uses a pig’s characteristic of gluttony to show how greedy and power-hungry tyrant leaders are and the amount of length that they will endure to get what they want. The ridiculousness of farm animals generating commandments illustrates the idealistic rules tyrants create for their state in order to gain attention from the public, only to slowly deteriorate to serve the purpose of the leader. Watch dogs represent the heavy surveillance present within a totalitarian regime, monitoring the public’s actions to ensure that they are not opposing to the regime. Similarly, Atwood uses the concept of defamiliarization, but she uses linguistics to emphasize the judgements women face when they adhere to the notion of reproduction in the Republic of Gilead. Both Unwomen and Unbabies refer to the sub-humanization of women and babies because they are unable to procreate or Handmaids are unable to create ‘perfect’ babies. Jezebels, on the other hand, want nothing to do with reproduction and simply choose not to become a Handmaid and procreate. They are going against notions of fertility and use sex for pleasure instead of purposes of reproduction. As a result of this these women are judged heavily by society. Defamiliarization is a productive literary device in satire because it exposes the underlying problems of social and political notions in society, while at the same time creating a narrative for the reader.

Introduction

“The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages is preserved into perpetuity by a nation’s fables.” these words by William Feather give us an answer as to why Animal Farm has stood the test of time? It is because the morals portrayed by each character is still relevant today. George Orwell has orchestrated the book in a certain way to ensure that it is timeless. The morals, the theme, the characters will forever recur in different people, different political parties throughout history. Like Benjamin, the wise old donkey even knew that “nothing will ever change” (p. ). Orwell developed this outstanding novel when he closely observed how the USSR progressed into the terror it was. I will reveal the prominent morals of Napoleon and Old Major as I take a deeper analysis of Orwell’s famous novel. (50 sec)

Character 1

The first character, Napoleon, has been perfectly created to represent a power-orientated, corrupt leader, none other than Stalin. Throughout the novel you see Napoleon’s cravings for power and control grow greater and greater. Orwell has purposely implemented Napoleon into the fable to effectively communicate how corrupt leadership operates. Napoleon was one of the main controlling leaders of the animal farm revolution. He put down some reasonable rules and everything looked like it was a pleasing and happy life, but there was one problem; no one was in control.

Napoleon realized he had a significant advantage over all of his other comrades; his intelligence. Not long after the revolution, Napoleon was in complete control, and he would do anything to maintain the power he had obtained. He had manipulated some key characters such as Boxer, the cart-horse, to the point he would live by the false lie, “Napoleon is always right.” Through Squealer, the pigs’ misleading liar, that Napoleon used to get the animals to believe whatever was necessary to keep him holding the reins. Even the ironic statement that “ All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” Even kill his fellow leader snowball.

The attributes of Napoleon reflect Stalin, as his character was based on Stalin. Just like Napoleon, Stalin was obsessed with his power. He even got Trotsky, a fellow politician in the communist party, banished and then secretly and horrifically assassinated. One of the worst attributes Napoleon was that he ruled in absolute terror. For example, an extract of the book says, “ when they finished their confessions, the dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess”

Why Napoleon has been a significant contributor to why this fable has endured the tough test of time is because no matter what system: democracy, communism, when left unchecked, there is always the possibility of corrupt leaders. Therefore Napoleon will always be relevant in society. Orwell explicitly communicates the failings of communism and no one will ever be equal as there will always be greedy and corrupt people. As of today, we still have a country like China that is communist but depending on your opinion, it is almost a tragic dictatorship.

Character 2

The first character that has had a major impact on the fables ability to stand the test of time is Old Major. Old Major was a fantastic thinker and clever pig. Old Major represents the courageous people to take a stand against corrupt politicians. More specifically Old Major’s character is based on Karl Marx, the man who invented communism principles.

How has this helped the book last? It is because his ideology fought for freedom from oppression. Old Major, just as Karl Marx did, indicates that there is still corruption and poor ruling throughout the world as he points out the lousy job Mr Jones was performing. As he said, “Remove man from the scene and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.” Just from this quote, it is relevant for those countries where the rich stay rich and the poor get even poorer. This outrageous injustice is almost every society where people get way too little for the amount of work they commit just for a small meal. This is so prominent in the sweatshops throughout East Asia. Just because of the relevance of this quote, it is a big contributor to why the book has stood the test of time.

Old Major was a key force at standing up against mankind on Manor Farm, as he planted the seed of the rebellion. He would not let this torture happen for much longer so he began with his idea of Animalism. Just like how Karl Marx invented a system where injustice would be abolished. “Man is the only creature that consumes without producing… yet he is lord of all the animals. An implication from Old Major’s speech is that we should not put up with greedy snobs that take what they want because they have put themselves in power; horrific scandals.

Old Major has been a key character to keep this book from its death cause of his relevant will to stand up against corrupt leaders of the world which we still have today.

Conclusion

Is it not clear why this novel has crossed its way through time. It’s because of the relatability of the characters and what they stand against. As the fable will never be irrelevant like benjamin the donkey says that thing never changes. Thank you for taking your time to listen to this report.