Corrupt Leaders And Segregation In George Orwell's Animal Farm

Published in England on August 17th 1945 and written by Eric Arthur Blair (also known as George Orwell) between 1943 and 1944, Animal Farm is a novella that takes place and has the same ideologies of the Russian Revolution on an imaginary farm. Major characters such as Napoleon and Boxer the Horse play important roles concerning freedom and equality. Napoleon, considered by most to be the leader of Animal Farm is manipulative and selfish; does not care about others, and does not like to be bothered when it comes to gaining full control. Boxer the Horse, on the other hand, is the strongest yet most gullible of all the animals. He believes everything Napoleon tells him and never questions whether he is losing his freedom or not. This novella argues how a farm, just like a country, can transform for the worst with leaders who do not know how to govern it. Just like Karl Marx once said “The ruling ideas of each age have ever been the ideas of its ruling class.”

Why did 1917 Russia have flaws with its government and politics so much so that it started a revolution? Within the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, there are many examples of leadership and corruption such as in the Russian revolution. There are many examples within the novel for this theme like the way the pigs deceive the lower animals with their lies is one example of this. How Napoleon persuades the animals in his decisions by abusing the force of the attack dogs. Banning practices from the animals like the song Beasts of England and at the end Napoleon changes a commandment to say that all animals are equal but some are more equal than others.

Power can have the persuasive action in undoing the moral ethics of one’s character. This can be seen throughout history, such as World War II and proven by the actions of Napoleon in the allegory, Animal Farm, by George Orwell. As Lord Acton said “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In history what was viewed as a villain or wrong doer is never the same as the perception. A leader does not begin wanting to do wrong, they start with the best intentions, but power is a tricky thing, showcased in Animal Farm as Utopian ideals but with failed practices.

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is an allegory about the 1902 Russian Revolution that led to the overthrowing of a corrupt leader, Czar Nicholas II. In the book Animal Farm, Mr. Jones isn’t treating his animals fairly. In 1902, Czar Nicholas II wasn’t treating his people equally either. The novel and the real event can be tied together in many ways, one including having corrupt leaders affecting society. Corrupt leaders have an effect on society because they let the power get to their heads by not being equal, thinking they are above everyone else, and by treating their people poorly.

“Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland, Beasts of every land and clime, Hearken to my joyful tidings of the golden future time…rings shall vanish from our noses and the harness from our back, bit and spur shall rust forever, cruel whips no more shall crack (Orwell, 5).” The analogy of the Russian Revolution, Animal Farm by George Orwell tells the story of how a group of animals kick Farmer Jones off of his farm and take over. At first, it seems to be going well, until Napoleon the pig starts taking the lead. Overall, He makes a horrible leader. For a person to qualify as a good leader, they have to be kind, understanding, gentle, truthful, and willing to work hard, or else, no one will want to be around them.

In the political satire novel, “Animal Farm,” by George Orwell, the characters are allegories for more than just Soviet Russians. Through the Character Napoleon, Orwell warns his readers of how absolute power can tend to corrupt people. Napoleon, a fierce looking boar, rises as the leader of Animal Farm after The Battle of the Cowshed. Based on Joseph Stalin, Napoleon utilizes military power (his nine fierce dogs) to scare the other animals and transform his power. In his supreme shrewdness, Napoleon proves to be more deceptive and traitorous than his adversary, Snowball.

Lord Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This quote shows how power leads to corruption. There is a lot of corruption. There is a lot of corruption in the world like Joseph Stalin.

Power corrupts those who possess it. George Orwell wrote the book Animal Farm in 1945. The book is about animals on a farm that are tired of being taken and stolen from. The animals rebel against Mr. Jones, their farmer and raise their own ‘animal farm’. Power corrupts those who possess it because, everyone has to follow them, they don’t get told no, and they forget what it’s like to work.

Throughout the book of Animal Farm the theme of leadership and corruption is continuous. The animal’s who have the biggest part in both of these major themes are the pigs. Napoleon, for example, takes over as the leader in the beginning of the book and later his leadership methods turn corruptive.

Animal Farm was written by George Orwell and published in 1999 by Transaction Publishers. This novel takes place on Manor Farm in England. The animals on the farm revolt against the farmer because of his cruel and unfair treatment. They set out to develop their own society free of human rule where all animals are treated equally, they called it Animal Farm. At first, life on Animal Farm is everything they dreamed about, but eventually the society they create falls apart and life seems worse than before. This novel demonstrates how greed and power can corrupt a society and how easily words can influence and persuade minds.

As a political writer and socialist of the time, Orwell turns the tragedy of the Russian people, when the Stalin regime crushed their dreams of a communist utopia, into a message to society. The government treated the people of the Russia just as poorly, if not worse, than before the revolution, because of political innocence and an authoritarian government. With his novel, Animal Farm, serving as an allegory for the Russian revolution, Orwell warns that absolute power among the leaders destines any society to become corrupt and oppressive because a leader’s manipulation of power for personal benefit is inevitable. Even revolutions that have the best intentions will ultimately fail if the public does not hold the leaders accountable.

Often times in a communist society, a leader’s use of language can lead to abuse of power. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the farm leaders, the pigs, use unknown language, invoke scare tactics, and create specific laws, thereby enabling them to control other animals, to suit their greedy desires, and to perform actions outside their realm of power. Because of the pigs’ use of broad language, implementation of scare tactics, and creation and manipulation of laws, they are able to get away with avoiding laws and convincing other animals into believing untrue stories and lies that are beneficial to the pigs.

Around the world, people experience many different types of leaders in their life. In Animal Farm, the author George Orwell creates the characters of Snowball and Napoleon to be leaders. Each pig runs the farm differently than the other, and each has their own reasoning for it. The three main ideas that revolve around this topic is Snowball’s hard work and compassion he has for the farm, Napoleon’s selfishness and no desire to help others, and finally a comparison between both leaders. Napoleon and Snowball lead in their own way, but Snowball’s leadership style is much more reasonable and enjoyable for the other animals on the farm.

Revolutions are supposed to induce a new and improved government system. However, in George Orwell's Animal Farm, an attempt to overthrow a human dictator results in an even more corrupt leader taking over. The remaining animals, too ignorant and powerless to defend themselves, are left struggling to survive under dangerous living conditions along with daily threats of starvation, exhaustion, and execution. In Animal Farm, George Orwell asserts the idea that absolute power results in corruption. Napoleon and the other pigs, interested in remaining superior, persuade the other animals by using intimidation and emotional appeals in order to keep control of the gullible animals.

Throughout time there were a lot of people in leadership positions, and corruption is not uncommon. In many occasions, the leaders wanted more power, and the strive for it eventually developed into corruption. In George Orwell’s story, Animal Farm, the pigs are seen as the smartest of the animals, and therefore they became the leaders. One pig, Napoleon, did not like how the farm was being run, so he took over through the use of force. After he became the leader of the farm, he continued to try and gain more power and influence over the other animals. In Animal Farm, George Orwell asserts the idea that absolute power results in corruption. Napoleon and the other pigs, interested in remaining superior, persuade the animals by using intimidation and emotional appeals in order to keep control of the gullible animals.