Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Orwell.Animal Farm. Why the society that was meant to be just was transformed into a tyranny in Animal Farm. What made it possible?

Better Essays
1581 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Orwell.Animal Farm. Why the society that was meant to be just was transformed into a tyranny in Animal Farm. What made it possible?
Topic: Why the society that was meant to be just was transformed into a tyranny in Animal Farm. What made it possible?

Orwell in his work "Animal Farm" touches on the problems faced by society while trying to change an existing order and create an ideal state with a fair system of governance. He shows reasons why the system does not work, and as result society becomes a tyranny. Mostly it is the fault of the leaders who care about their well-being. Such leaders are eager to power and uncaring about ordinary people. Orwell also draws reader’s attention to the fact that society is transformed into a tyranny partially because of the citizens, their ignorance, stupidity, selfishness, and a number of other reasons. That is why it is difficult to establish a society that’s full of freedom and justice.
The main problem lies in leaders. The system of government, Orwell described in his story, is a prototype of actually existing dictatorial and totalitarian regimes established after a series of major changes in Spain, Germany, some republic of Latin America, but mainly, it is the dictatorial regime established after the 1917 revolution in Russia and the overthrow of the tsarist regime, led by Nicholas II . It is linked with the deposition of owner of the farm Mr. Jones in the “Animal farm”. Napoleon, who soon forcibly came to power, is a prototype of Stalin. He is contrasted to Snowball, who sincerely wanted to help animals. Snowball tried to enlighten animals, causing them to think and giving them an education. He inspired them, as he could, and sincerely believed in the idea of building a society of equal and happy animals. Snowball did not forget about the true purpose of the revolution and words spoken by Major, who dreamed about elimination of exploitation of animals by humans. He had a big plan for the future. He made a plan for construction of a mill, which would give huge benefits for residents of the farm. In the history of the Soviet Union this is a symbol of industrialization, during which enormous human and material resources were spent. Thus, Snowball is a prototype Trotsky, who was one of the organizers of the revolution and truly believed in its power. Unfortunately, Snowball did not manage to implement his plans. From the earliest days between Snowball and Napoleon there were disagreements. The reason was a struggle for a dominant position in the leadership of the farm.
Napoleon did not want to share the helm with Snowball, who had already inspired confidence in animals thanks to his great mind, declamatory and military skills. But Napoleon was neither an orator nor clever and intelligent. For this reason, he did not invent any farm development plans with the aim to surpass the opponent's plans, but only chose simple and sneaky way. He decided to expel Snowball, whose fate was similar to the fate of Trotsky. Trotsky was accused of treason and expelled from the USSR. In addition, his ideas of five-year plans have been appropriated by Stalin, as well as Napoleon subsequently appropriated the idea of building the mill.
Napoleon began actively to strengthen his power after expulsion of Snowball. His purpose was to convince animals in his devotion to them. Therefore, for this purpose he decided to use Squealer, because had excellent oratorical skills and could easily make everyone to believe in what he was telling them, and very important thing was that Napoleon understood that Squealer unquestioningly would carry out all orders of Napoleon. Squealer’s description, which Orwell gave in the beginning of the story, perfectly characterizes Squealer, as a very cunning and selfish character of the tale:” He was a brilliant talker, and when he was arguing some difficult point he had a way of skipping from side to side and whisking his tail which was somehow very persuasive. The others said of Squealer that he could turn black into white.”
Squealer was playing a very important role in advocating ideas of pigs and creating a cult of personality of Napoleon. Using Squealer, Napoleon bit by bit gradually began to change life on the farm and invisibly for other animals make minor amendments to the laws, because of what the very essence of laws were radically changed, and not for the benefit of the society. Napoleon affected on consciousness and thinking of animals, making them docile crowd that was easy to manipulate. So Squealer, who could convince others, played a crucial role in that. Thanks to his oratorical abilities, Squealer influenced on the fate of animals and the course of history. For instance, he deceived animals into the belief that it is necessary to create more comfortable living conditions for pigs, since they did hard mental work. From that moment pigs began to live in Jones’s house, eat at the table, sleep in the bed, and it became their legal right. Other animals that did not have such privileges agreed with this obvious injustice towards them, because they were led to believe that it was done for the common good and that the law prohibiting sleeping in bed or eating at the table had never existed. In another case he convinced everyone to necessity for creating trade links with people, as Napoleon did it in order to get the goods, without which they could not survive. When the animals began to think of the correctness of that actions Squealer once again reassured the crowd, dissatisfied with new transformations, by reminding about Jones: “Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back.”
Squealer symbolizes mass media, which was strictly controlled by the special services, so that all coming to citizens information was filtered, and so it was untrue. Media could make Media from an innocent person an enemy of the people, and from a criminal - a hero. At that time in the Soviet Union there were hunger and devastation, but officially, the newspaper wrote that everything was going according to plan.
Napoleon had also other methods of strengthening the power. He used violent methods of punishment and suppression of animals. Dogs were his faithful servants in this matter. Leadership of Napoleon was extremely violent and aggressive. Orwell associated it with the theme of Stalin's purges that existed for a long time in the Soviet Union. So dog were like NKVD organs. Once on Sunday's meeting Snowball declared that the chickens must give their eggs for sale in order to buy grain and flour. According to him it would help animals to survive until the summer. Of course, chickens were outraged and first time since the expulsion of Jones rebellion happened on the animal farm. But Napoleon brutally suppressed resistance. Another occurrence happened in early spring. Napoleon, using dogs, forced some of the animals, including also pigs, to confess to a conspiracy with a Snowball. Thus, through these actions, he finally consolidated his power. Actually there was not a person, who could change the situation on the farm a better way. Life of pigs was getting better and better while the animals were working hard, but their living standards were getting worse.
Another reason why society was transformed to tyranny lies in ignorance, passivity, stupid obedience and also selfishness of some animals on the farm. When the revolution occurred, a most of animals were not even aware off the essence of the revolution. They believed that revolution would improve the life of animals. Great believe in leaders and trustfulness of some animals were also the reasons of what happened on the farm. Animals were following their leaders. Most of them were ready to work hard. But ignorance of great portion of animals prevented their happiness. They just did what leaders demanded from them. They preferred just carrying out the orders of others to thinking themselves. Any mental work was complicating their lives. This lifestyle completely satisfied desires of animals. Orwell draws our attention to how animals behaved at those moments when Snowball tried to explain something to them. They did not want to think and did not try to learn and understand what Snowball told them. They were not truly appreciating what Snowball was doing for them. Thus, ignorance was the reason why animals allowed Napoleon to fool them. But on the farm there were animals, who really understood what was happening. Benjamin was among them. He was quite smart. Benjamin could be very useful to society, since he was able to shed light on all the vile actions of Napoleon. But he was too passive. On the farm there were also animals that cared only about themselves. They had no desire to help other. Good examples are cat and horse Molly, who did nothing and were indifferent towards others. Thus, because of all these reasons dictatorial regime was established on the farm.
Orwell tries to warn the world of this terrible danger, showing how society, which was full of freedom, becomes tyrannical, and makes us think about what makes it possible. My opinion is that the reasons lie in that such persons, as Stalin, comes to power, and it is also happens because of the acquiescence of society - someone is happy with position when it is not necessary to think and fight; someone does not believe in success of revolution, therefore does not want to spend his time and energy; others doesn’t realize that the government does not care about the welfare of this person. All these make establishing of tyranny possible.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In George Orwell's fable Animal Farm, the animals want equality and freedom, but is not achieved due to the nature of their human oppressors. The animals rebel and send their humans oppressors off like a herd of turtles. The pigs on the farm become the dictators, turning the farm they live on into a utopia. But over time, they do practices similar to that of their former masters, bringing the situation of the farm back to where it was originally as a dystopia. A literal revolution. Animal Farm uses symbolism, allegories, personification, and dramatic irony to show…

    • 771 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Absolute power can eventually lead to the creation of complete corruption. In George Orwell’s catastrophic novel, Animal Farm, the wish of founding a self-governing republic ends up transforming into a dictatorial horror. Four significant elements caused the downfall of the nation. First, the social, economical, and technological advances that the citizens dreamed of creating were unachievable. Next, there was a lack of a system of checks and balances, which opened the door to unfair treatment. Additionally, since the leaders did not desire to properly educate the inhabitants of the country, cluelessness, widespread gullibility, and implicit trust were easily spread across the community. Finally, due to the selfishness and deception of the nobility, the nation began to crumple apart within itself. It was not a single power that led to the ruin of Animal Farm; instead, corruption released an…

    • 1876 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the novel Animal Farm, George Orwell hints that power corrupts through the use of an allegorical storyline. By using historical criticism, one can analyze the causes and effects of ruthless ambition. During the WWII era, there was widespread corruption in many nations, as seen in Germany with Hitler and Russia with Stalin. This time period of chaos exposed the lack of compassion among humans. Similar to this era, there were cultural and political struggles among the humans and animals in the farm as well. Ironically, in the animal’s struggle to free themselves of human dictatorship they end up oppressing their own kind.…

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton). The novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, demonstrates multiple ways how power was abused during the time of the Russian Revolution. This book displays many parallels with history, for example, how the animals on the farm represent the people of Russia. On the other hand, the pigs, that portray the leaders of Russia, who wanted nothing but authority which lead to corruption. In interest of gaining more privileges and power, Squealer persuades the animals to let the pigs sleep in the beds using guilt and fear tactics.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In George Orwell’s novel “Animal Farm” displays a society in a farm transforming from a utopian society into a dystopian society. Old Majors vision of a utopian society was successful after a win against their leader, however this perfect utopian society changes because of Napoleons gain in power, the inequality and human characteristics that the pigs had, these are excellent reasons on how Old Majors vision of a utopian society quickly becomes destroyed into a dystopian society. George Orwell fascinates the reader on…

    • 84 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Quotes like these show the concerns that George Orwell is trying to portray about society in the novel Animal Farm. Orwell uses many literary techniques such as allegory, the use of a fable and satire. These styles are a contributing factor to help Orwell show some of the concerns about society like the need for human rights, the use of education and intelligence as tools of oppression and using violence and terror as a means of control. These three concerns can be seen in the competition and rivalry between Snowball and Napoleon. People argue that this novel is linked to the Russian Revolution as the events that happen between Snowball and Napoleon can be linked to the events that happened between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Others argue that it is a timeless piece as George Orwell didn’t write a date as to when all these events where happening and how he guessed that these concerns will still be apparent today, and are still very apparent in today’s society.…

    • 1312 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    When Napoleon had the power to follow his own rules, Animal Farm fell into a dictatorship. Most people have the ability to know what is right and wrong, but rules are still set to bind a community together. If people did not have set regulations to follow and be disciplined by, society would crumble into…

    • 56 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Animal Farm 33

    • 3470 Words
    • 14 Pages

    In ANIMAL FARM, Orwell shows how both the leaders and the followers in a society can act in ways that destroy freedom and equality. Choose one leader and one follower from the novel and explain how the behavior of each contributes to the loss of freedom and equality on Animal Farm.…

    • 3470 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    George Orwell Research Paper

    • 2351 Words
    • 10 Pages

    To symbolize revolt and the corruption of the revolution within society, Orwell starts Animal Farm with a rebellion led by the animals in an attempt to create a utopian society. After the revolt, and the “rebellion had been successfully carried through…and the Manor Farm was theirs” (Orwell 32), there were graver dangers than the threat of attack and counter-revolution. In fact, the most severe risks laid within the…

    • 2351 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm Essays

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages

    In ANIMAL FARM, Orwell shows how both the leaders and the followers in a society can act in ways that destroy freedom and equality. Choose one leader and one follower from the novel and explain how the behavior of each contributes to the loss of freedom and equality on Animal Farm.…

    • 1030 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Corruption In Animal Farm

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the 1945 classic, Animal Farm, George Orwell uses a simple fable-style tale to demonstrate how the shadow of tyranny that progressively engulfs an English farm relates to the timeline of the Russian Revolution and the Stalin Era. With the collective effort of the animals to successfully rebel against their oppressive farmer, they soon adopt the maxim: “All animals are equal” and aim to live in a classless society from that point on (Orwell 4). Although this is the animals’ initial intent, the farm steadily slips into a hierarchy. Orwell suggests that, in the allegorical sense, human nature naturally houses the hunger for power and greed, and proves this inevitability…

    • 1356 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Situations on the animal farm were bad enough. The animals weren’t fed or treated properly and respectfully. Mr. Jones, the human that ran the farm, and Napoleon, the black pig with his own military, both had a part to play when it came to the mistreatment that led to a complete outrage. The facts will be put together to compare Mr. Jones’s way of running the farm to Napoleon’s.…

    • 612 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life”(Marley). In today’s society, corrupted leaders are often seen throughout the world. Also, almost every day, an event happens that forces the government into adding or changing a federal law. With all the historical revolutions from the past, one could occur at any time, any place. In his novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell demonstrates through the characters that a revolution could happen in modern society. By inspecting corrupted leadership as well as, modified and new laws, it is evident that in the novel, revolutions are present.…

    • 909 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Usually in society people are not treated equally. In George Orwells book Animal Farm he symbolizes Russia during the Russian Revolution. In Russia at the time there were many political problems and many things that happened in the Russian Revolution are symbolized in Animal Farm. In The book he proves that things are not equal in the world and society today. In the story Animal Farm George Orwell proves that “In society, individuals are not treated equally,” which leads to an imbalance of power and causes an upper and lower class.…

    • 609 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm is an allegory, in this case, of the Russian Revolution and the rise of Stalin's tyrannical government. It is generally accepted that Orwell constructed his story to reflect this kind of purpose. Manor Farm represents Russia; Snowball is Leon Trotsky, who lost power struggle with Stalin; Napoleon is Stalin; and Napoleon's dogs are Stalin's secret police. The corruption of absolute power is the major theme of Animal Farm. The animals hope to create a utopian system based on the equality of all animals, the pigs through greed and ruthlessness, manipulate and intimidate the other animals to believe and obey them. Orwell showed a basic tenet of human nature, that some will always exist who are more ambitious, ruthless and greedy of power and some within society will be willing to give up power for security and structure. Animal Farm is regarded as a cautionary tale, warning readers of the pitfalls of revolution.…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays