The use of juxtaposition between the animals and the humans highlights the extent of the rebellion and the harsh mentality that the revolutionist animals possessed against the humans. Orwell uses personification of the animals in order to represent humans by them. The use of personification foreshadows the outcome at the end of the novel. This impacts the audience’s perception of the animals by allowing them to resonate with them and compare the animal’s behaviour to their own. The use of personification is ironic as they are acting like people even though they call people the enemy.
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.
Squealer changes the commandment from “No animal shall sleep in beds” to “No animal shall sleep in beds with sheets.” This action shows how sly and furtive he was by doing it. To add, he said that the windmill was originally Napoleon’s idea, when he knew it was Snowball’s plan. This was sly because he did it for Napoleon’s and his own gain. Also, Squealer cast an ugly, sly look at Boxer. This foreshadows the horses’ death and how sneaky he was.
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. In the same context, Squealer also frightens the animals by saying “Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back!” (pg. 43) By using this propaganda technique, Squealer appeals to everyone’s fears and immediately all doubts of the Ha-2 pigs being selfish were cast out of the other animals’ minds as they are made to think the pigs are only doing what is best for the farm. When Snowball is expelled from the farm, this is another example of the propaganda being used to the pigs’ advantage.
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.
Grace Bowen Mr. Casteel Honors English Period 4 16 November 2012 The Satirical Teachings of George Orwell George Orwell once described political language as being “designed to make lies sound truthful, murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” He strongly emphasizes this in his satirical novel Animal Farm published in 1937 after the failed Russian revolution in 1917. In his novel, Orwell satirizes the use of blind faith, ignorance to suppress knowledge, and scare tactics by tyrannical dictators in all failed revolutions. Through this, Orwell portrays to us how once given power, leaders will abuse it no matter what. Orwell’s first target is the use of blind faith used by tyrannical dictators to have support from their people without having to prove their ideals. When a meeting is called by old major, the boar, the animals huddle around to hear “such wisdom [Old Major] [had] acquired [over] [his] long life (Orwell 28).
In his self-proclaimed fairy story, Animal Farm, George Orwell has clearly shown that absolute power corrupts absolutely. In order to get this theme across, he has used fable to replace human beings with animals and show the process of power corrupting, allegory to draw parallel between Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution and satire to expose the corruption of the leaders. In order to demonstrate that absolute power corrupts absolutely without being defensive to anyone, Orwell has created Animal Farm as a fable, where all animals think, talk and fight like human beings. He has effectively used Napoleon, the leader of Animal Farm as an example, to show the process of power corrupting. Although Napoleon seems to be a good leader at first, he becomes very corrupted when he has gained absolute power, that is, when he has exiled Snowball from Animal Farm.
He uses guilt and fear to instigate the anxiousness of jones’ tyranny coming back into power over the animals’ mind sets. We also discover that Squealer is deceitful, since he manipulates the truth from past events (Such as the Snowball incident in the Battle of the Cowshed upon where Snowball lead the farm to victory, however Squealer later twisted the truth, therefore misleading the animals into thinking that what they saw was mistaken for Squealer’s words), and misleads them into believing that they are as alike as the pigs with higher authority by telling them that they are all equal. However, because they 'might make the wrong decisions', they must trust Napoleon, or alternatively have Jones back in charge at the barn, which is very
The quote, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” by Lord Acton is demonstrated in Animal Farm perfectly, and concisely as the characters, plot, and themes show how power can absolutely corrupt. Orwell uses animals to represent humans. Through this he demonstrates the corruption of humans. The animals mimic humans, including the flaws, which show the extremity of human corruption. As each animal has an opportunity to seie power each uses it for good and bad.
*Tuesday 29th* September 2009 *What impression do we get from Napoleon in chapter five*? In Orwell’s allegorical novella Animal _Farm _that character Napoleon is portrayed as envious, secretive and power hungry towards the other animals in the farm; particularly Snowball where there is a battle for power. His character is greatly explored through the techniques and language that Orwell uses. This novel relates to the Russian revolution and shows how greed and ignorance can destroy the lives of innocent bystanders. Orwell has written in an intriguing and captivating style that makes the reader want to continue deeper into enlightening fairytale of the Russian Revolution.