The Concept of Power in Animal Farm
In the allegorical fable Animal Farm by George Orwell, power is shown in the way the animals take over the farm to achieve their own means, with the conclusion drawn by Orwell that "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
To begin with, Old Major, a highly respected old boar, uses his position of trust to influence the other animals that it is time for change. To do this, he uses the power of oratory, using a number of persuasive techniques.
The Roman philosopher Cicero observed regarding oratory, "There is to my mind no more excellent thing than the power, by means of oratory, to get a hold on assemblies of men ...” and as a trusted elder of the farm, Old Major uses this ‘power’ to great effect.
He tells the animals about a dream he claims to have had, in which animals live in a world free from the tyranny of men, and by using emotive language, he causes the animals to have an ‘emotional’, rather than ‘rational’ response. People generally respond better to emotional inferences rather than to mere facts, as Orwell demonstrates.
First, Old Major gets the other animals to share a common injustice, that throughout their lives, they have all been unfairly taken advantage of by men; a point they can all equally agree upon. He then appeals to each individual set of animals … citing how each of them have been used in a particular way. This makes the speech much more personal, and therefore powerful, as it makes it easy for them to relate to individually. Further, using this combination gains the maximum effect of bringing an audience together over a common cause through individual experience.
The second idea is that man is a threat, and for the sake of the animal’s very existence, needs to be dealt with. Old Major states in his speech “Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.” So, something needs to be done. Action needs to be taken. Revolution!
Using the
To begin with, Old Major, a highly respected old boar, uses his position of trust to influence the other animals that it is time for change. To do this, he uses the power of oratory, using a number of persuasive techniques.
The Roman philosopher Cicero observed regarding oratory, "There is to my mind no more excellent thing than the power, by means of oratory, to get a hold on assemblies of men ...” and as a trusted elder of the farm, Old Major uses this ‘power’ to great effect.
He tells the animals about a dream he claims to have had, in which animals live in a world free from the tyranny of men, and by using emotive language, he causes the animals to have an ‘emotional’, rather than ‘rational’ response. People generally respond better to emotional inferences rather than to mere facts, as Orwell demonstrates.
First, Old Major gets the other animals to share a common injustice, that throughout their lives, they have all been unfairly taken advantage of by men; a point they can all equally agree upon. He then appeals to each individual set of animals … citing how each of them have been used in a particular way. This makes the speech much more personal, and therefore powerful, as it makes it easy for them to relate to individually. Further, using this combination gains the maximum effect of bringing an audience together over a common cause through individual experience.
The second idea is that man is a threat, and for the sake of the animal’s very existence, needs to be dealt with. Old Major states in his speech “Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever.” So, something needs to be done. Action needs to be taken. Revolution!
Using the