Marguerite Young, an American poet, novelist, biographer and critic, once said, “If you understand hallucination and illusion, you don't blindly follow any leader. You must know if the person is sane or insane, over the abyss” (Young 1). However, in the novel Animal Farm written by George Orwell, many of the farm animals blindly followed a leader regardless of what that leader did or said. These submissions lead to a lack of reasoning and thought behind the animal’s actions. Orwell uses allusions, violence, and comparisons to delineate the theme that following leadership blindly will ultimately cause a society to fail. In Animal Farm, each character represents a character, group, or idea from history. Some animals are more relevant than …show more content…
By being submissive to Napoleon, many animals were hurt and killed in battles. One of the worst battles fought was with the neighboring farmers, “A cow, three sheep, and two geese were killed, and nearly everyone was wounded” (Orwell 108). This battle was led by Napoleon and his close comrades. If the animals had thought of the potential consequences and not fought in the battle, many lives could have been saved. The death of Boxer is also an example of how negligence and blind leadership can cause harm to others. After being told that Boxer would be taken to a safe place by Napoleon, he was taken to a slaughter house, “They are taking Boxer to the knacker’s!” (Orwell 123). If the animals had taken matters into their own hands, Boxer would have been protected. He would have not lost his life simply because Napoleon told a lie. Finally, Orwell writes how Boxer murdered a human because he told that it was the right thing to have a rebellion. Along with other animals, Boxer fought for the farm, “He is dead, said Boxer sorrowfully. I had no intention of doing that” (Orwell 58). Without this blind leadership to Snowball and the other animals on the farm, Boxer would not have harmed the boy. These deaths had a hand in creating fear and panic within the farm, resulting in a failed
Animal Farm, written by George Orwell in 1943 is one of the greatest allegories the world has ever seen. This allegory about the Russian Revolution is delivered to the audience in a story about a diverse group of animals on a farm in England who use the words of an old pig to come up with the concept of ‘Animalism’ and rebel against their human master and begin to run the farm themselves. In the development of their supposed utopia, several problems arise and a dystopic reality sets in. by using the techniques of negative characterisation, anthropomorphism and dystopia, Orwell explores the ideas of power and control through manipulation and through this positions the audience to understand that the characteristics of greed, manipulation and violence are animalistic qualities which make us less than human.
Another example of Boxer’s strong personality in times of hardship is the night in which the executions of the animals that admitted to having been deceitful to their fellow comrades by taking Snowball’s side took place and Boxer stated that to overcome the faults amongst the farm’s animals, he was going to work harder.
While Napoleon was gaining power over the animals he had to get rid of other politicians and opposing citizens. He did this by raising dogs that would strike fear into citizens and end up chasing Snowball out of the farm making Napoleon have total power. “Four young porkers…uttered shrill squeals of disapproval…. But…the dogs sitting round Napoleon let out deep, menacing growls, and the pigs fell silent and sat down again.”(document B). This made it so the animals were too scared to oppose or overthrow Napoleon. He also made it so no one could challenge him politically. He did this by having his dogs kill masses of people so no one would dare have different opinions and speak out against him. “When they 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”(document B). The mass murder made it so Napoleon had total control of the farm. The violence of Napoleon’s leadership caused the animals to fear to have their own opinions and forced them to conform to Napoleon’s
Boxer has a very important allegorical meaning in the book Animal Farm, as he represents the workers and laborers during the Russian Revolution. In the book, Boxer is a very strong horse, who is stronger than everyone else on the farm. Despite having immense strength, he lacks knowledge and often cannot think straight. This can be seen in the quote, “Napoleon is always right”. The idea that Boxer has developed is incorrect, as it states that everything Napoleon says or does, is justified. Due to this, Napoleon is able to kick Snowball out of the farm. Boxer has no idea of how his physical ability is being used and continues to exhibit his kind and hard-working attributes, as can be seen in the quote, “I will work harder”. This quote implies
Get out quickly! They are taking you to your death!” All of the animals never saw Boxer again. This hurt the animals and they put Boxer in harm’s way. Napoleon was killing people and harming the people in his utopia.
When Napoleon violently seizes power, he quickly justifies his takeover by falsely denouncing his former ally and fellow revolutionary, Snowball, as a human-sympathizer and enemy of Animalism. In fact, he continuously retells the story of Snowball’s “treachery” until Snowball’s role in the Rebellion and subsequent founding of Animal Farm has been completely effaced. Despite the fact that many of the animals remember Snowball receiving a medal for his bravery in the Battle of the Cowshed, Squealer convinces them that Snowball had actually fought alongside Mr. Jones against the animals. Loyal Boxer, who has trouble believing the official tale, is convinced otherwise when Squealer tells him that Napoleon knows it to be true. “Ah, that is different,” exclaims Boxer.
at the plot and the all round setting of the story. In addition these themes provide crucial information that allows you to understand the book to your fullest potential. Themes such as tyrants, the role of the masses, and religion form many different perspectives of the novel. Many of these themes could also be found in many other novels it is up to you as the reader to interpret it in your own way. Many readers believe it is because of the themes and the literary definition that Animal Farm has come to earn the name of “literary
Throughout George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, the accumulation of power results from language and the use of rhetoric. Through language and the authority of words, the expulsion of Mr. Jones transpires and the undemocratic ascension of Napoleon’s dictatorship is made possible. The remarkable rhetorical and articulation ability of the pigs and their skillful manipulation of language for any situation that questioned their integrity dictated the fate of the farm. The novel demonstrates, through the animals on the farm, humans’ susceptibility to the manipulation of language, the illusion of integrity created by powerful words and the influence of persuasive oratory without fully comprehending its meaning.
The novel ‘Animal Farm’ created by George Orwell heavily expresses the ideals of a prolonged cruel or unjust treatment and the exercise of authority. The exponential ignorance of the farm animals towards the actions and ideas of the pigs (Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball) prove the incentive that it is easier to conform to the ideals/ways of the ‘New England’, than to rebel, as well as through the exposure to propaganda and the distortion of reality. This therefore leaving them docile, numb, and oppressed.
Also, no one on the farm was allowed to protest because of the nine pernicious guard dogs he had bred and enlisted in his personal security and militia. Orwell's novel demonstrates that in 1917 in Russia, there were leaders and followers, and in this allegorical novel where animals represent humans, it is clear to see that Napoleon’s tyrannical actions make him a leader and Boxer's submissive actions put him below Napoleon therefore making him a follower.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a perfect example of how ignorance and lack of education can be used for control. Control which can lead to political and social oppression. The experiences of the various characters present how the pigs use this idea to oppress the animals of Animal Farm.
People play an enormous component in our lives and the choices we make. In George Orwell's “ Animal Farm” there are several people that show leadership and guidance. The Leaders of Animal Farm start off with good intentions, but as the story goes on it becomes obvious the leaders have grown power-hungry and have become the 'superior' animals, showing that equality does not exist. This source of power has been used by leaders at the expense of their followers for their own personal gain, like Napoleon, whose first sign of corruption occurred early in the book when he seemed to be the main leader of them all.
Most people believe that the main characters in a novel tell the story, but it is actually clear that without the minor characters there would not be a story. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm the minor characters play an important role in giving the clues that the new revolution will not work out. Animal Farm’s three minor characters Mollie, Benjamin and Boxer show the importance in being true to oneself rather than trying to please the all-knowing leader.
In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, a major turning point in the novel was when Napoleon used his secret police force, his dogs, to exile Snowball. Snowball had previously been trying to improve the animal’s lives for the future by building a windmill. After Snowball was exiled, Napoleon became leader and everything immediately went amiss. Orwell stated that: "Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer- except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs" (p.86). In other words, no one was benefiting from the animal’s labours apart from the pigs and the dogs because the amount of authority the dogs and the pigs, especially Napoleon had, was corrupt. Frighteningly, if Snowball had been
In Animal Farm by George Orwell, he uses the animals to represent everyone in our society today. In this novel, satire is the use of animal characters as a representation to show the Russian Revolution. The humans, portrayed by animals, are being ridiculed and it shows the breakdown of political ideology, and the misuse of power. Each of the characters portray an individual in society that expresses how humans can act similarly to animals. We can be perceived as animals because we can be separated by classes, or by our appearances. We often become what we don’t want to be, as in the novel the animals make rules to not become humans. We soon find out that the pigs are standing and becoming just like humans. The pigs hold all the power, and everything is fitted around them.