One such case is that of Boxer, ‘an enormous beast’ who was ‘as strong as any two ordinary horses put together’. This horse’s own ignorance and loyalty lead to his death at the hands of Napolean, the animal Boxer was most loyal to. Boxer does not enjoy dwelling on his own dilemmas and so allows the pigs to decide for him. Thus he adopts two maxims, ‘I must work harder’ and Napolean is always right’. His stupidity blocks him from realising that he could rally all the farm animals to rebel against the tyrannical pigs.
This book is about a bunch of animals that chased their farmer out of the farm and decided to run the farm themselves. It all begins with a boar named Old Major that had a dream of animals roaming free in the plains, free of human control. After Old Major dies, three pigs named Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer work together to help his dream come true. Everything goes well at first but corruption is slowly seen in greater degrees throughout the book. This book is symbolic to the Soviet Union, which was a communist state.
Through the use of obfuscation Squealer manipulates the “dumber” class of animals on the farm to believe that even though they cannot see the pigs working they are the ones that are making sure the farm is functioning. This is portrayed in “Squealer told them that the pigs had to expend enormous labours every day upon mysterious things called ‘files’, ‘reports’, ‘minutes’ and ‘memoranda’.” By using these words Squealer is confusing the animals because they do not understand the meaning of them and they just accept it. However, those were used to confuse the animals when Squealer is actually directly lying to them. Symbolism between the Russian Revolution and the revolution on Animal Farm is very closely related. In the extract it describes how the farm has gotten richer but the animals still live their hungry troubling lives.
He presents power to be abused through the character of Mr Jones, who represents Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, the last Tsar of Russia whom the Russian public rebelled against. Mr Jones was the neglectful, lazy, tyrannical owner of Manor Farm, before the animals overthrew him by a democratic coalition of animals as the Russian public did Tsar Nicholas II. He was an alcoholic, which is expressed as he was ‘too drunk’ to take proper care of the hen-houses, and the verbs ‘lurched’ and ‘kicking’ that are used to describe him highlight his carelessness and negligence towards his responsibility to the animals. Similarly, Tsar Nicholas II left his citizens living in poverty to starve whilst he lived a privileged life. The animals describe Mr Jones and the humans as ‘parasitical’, which suggests he uses the animals to his convenience and not to any benefit to the animals, and that though he had power, Mr Jones relied on the animals to keep him in business.
Tsar Nicholas II who resembles Mr. Jones in Animal Farm; was soon removed from power by riots and violence; just as Mr. Jones was chased off the farm by the animals by a series of violence and riots, both because of neglect. Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky represent Napoleon and Snowball from “Animal Farm”, they both became leaders of the Russian revolution after Karl Marx (Old Major) died just like Napoleon and Snowball became leaders of “Animal Farm” after Old Major passed away. Joseph represent Napoleon very well because they were both not very good speakers and didn’t want to follow anyone else’s ideas they wanted to have all the power and do thing their way, they both loved power so much they would kill anyone who would disagree to them. They also both used different types military forces to control Joseph used KGB just as Napoleon used Moses, Squealer, and dogs.
This also alludes to the historical destruction created between Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist Party rule. Another example of power and exploitation can be seen when Napoleon takes 9 puppies away and raises them to become his potential bodyguards in order to protect his life regardless of the safety of the dog. This can be seen through visual imagery “it was noticed that they wagged their tails to him in the same way as the other dogs had been used to do to Mr. Jones.” Like how Napoleon abuses his power, many people such as dictators use their power for their own interests instead reinforcing ideas of peace. The desire within a community to have a higher social class and increased status can result in conflicts and destruction within the community. Orwell’s use of “animal farm” stands for a human society whether a capitalist or communist.
This is what happened in Russia in the early 1900’s. This is what happened in Animal Farm by George Orwell. John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton said it best, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In Animal Farm, the animals, representing Russia’s people, were upset with the management of the farm. They were eating only enough to stay alive, so they finally had a breakthrough and Rebelled against the humans on the farm, representing the Royal Family in Russia. When the pigs came into power they had seven commandments by which all of the animals need to live.
Also, when the animals question them, the pigs change the commandments in their favor. Then when the farm doesn’t remember that particular commandments as they are, they are blamed for their “faulty memories.” On page 80 Napoleon is questioned, and Squealer steps in to state that there weren’t problems, and that what the pigs were doing is okay. “You did not suppose, surely, that there was a rule against beds? ... A pile of straw in a stall is a bed, properly regarded. The rule was against sheets, which are a human invention.” The pigs have clearly changed the commandments, for their comfort in this situation, and now have more peaceful resting areas because they could certainly not be “too tired to carry out their duties.” The pigs do use other tactics to get what they want; though changing rules was the most common.
Never listen when they tell you that Man and the animals have a common interest, that the prosperity of the one is the prosperity of the others. It is all lies.” Squealer was a small, fat pig known for being a smooth talker and could reportedly “turn black into white." Squealer had an explanation for everything, including why the pigs need to drink the milk the cows produce, why the commandments of Animalism seem
One example of propaganda in the novel is when the other animals start to assume the pigs are being selfish as they take upon all the apples to only themselves. Squealer is quick to refute that “ ‘Our sole object in taking these (milk and apples) is to preserve our health. (They) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig.’ ” (pg. 43) He argues that the whole management and organization of the farm depends on them and it is for everyone’s sake they eat the milk and apples solely. By using the idea that it is for everyone’s good that the pigs eat the milk and apples, they are able to convince the other animals that they are not taking advantage of them like they had originally thought.