"For many, the American Dream has now become a nightmare." - Bernie Sanders, American politician
Animal Farm is a novel by George Orwell, parallel to the Russian Revolution, in which a working class of farm animals overthrows their masters to create a communist society. However, when a pig named Napoleon gains power, things around the farm quickly go awry. George Orwell used Animal Farm as a warning to future generations. He encourages us to think freely and be educated to prevent the events of the Russian Revolution and Stalin's dictatorship from happening once again. George Orwell warns the reader that once leaders get power, they will do anything to keep it, that societies are easily manipulated through propaganda and promises leaders make, …show more content…
As the animals do not have the greatest memory, or great literacy, when the commandments are changed to fit the pig's needs, any doubts that the animals may have are blamed on faults in the animal's memory. One of the only literate animals on the farm, Muriel, is unable to remember what the original commandments stated; meaning, she cannot decipher if there was a change in the commandments. The power of literacy is clearly shown when the pigs take advantage of the other animal's illiteracy to create a classist division between the pigs and the working class. For example, Clover hears about the pigs sleeping in the beds in the farmhouse, despite there being a ruling against it. "Clover had not remembered that the fourth commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so" (79). Clover is unable to remember the original commandment because of her poor literacy skills. Animal Farm demonstrates how societies can be manipulated through education, and how effective, especially in today's time, a poor education can be on the working class.
Power hungry leaders, propaganda, and lack of education were all warnings from George Orwell to our generation, in order for the events of the Russian Revolution in 1917 to prevent being repeated. Our society is driven through free thinking and a good education. We, as a society, must think for ourselves, and not believe everything we may read online to prevent the spread of propaganda. As South African Statesman Nelson Mandela says, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the
Animal Farm is a novel by George Orwell, parallel to the Russian Revolution, in which a working class of farm animals overthrows their masters to create a communist society. However, when a pig named Napoleon gains power, things around the farm quickly go awry. George Orwell used Animal Farm as a warning to future generations. He encourages us to think freely and be educated to prevent the events of the Russian Revolution and Stalin's dictatorship from happening once again. George Orwell warns the reader that once leaders get power, they will do anything to keep it, that societies are easily manipulated through propaganda and promises leaders make, …show more content…
As the animals do not have the greatest memory, or great literacy, when the commandments are changed to fit the pig's needs, any doubts that the animals may have are blamed on faults in the animal's memory. One of the only literate animals on the farm, Muriel, is unable to remember what the original commandments stated; meaning, she cannot decipher if there was a change in the commandments. The power of literacy is clearly shown when the pigs take advantage of the other animal's illiteracy to create a classist division between the pigs and the working class. For example, Clover hears about the pigs sleeping in the beds in the farmhouse, despite there being a ruling against it. "Clover had not remembered that the fourth commandment mentioned sheets; but as it was there on the wall, it must have done so" (79). Clover is unable to remember the original commandment because of her poor literacy skills. Animal Farm demonstrates how societies can be manipulated through education, and how effective, especially in today's time, a poor education can be on the working class.
Power hungry leaders, propaganda, and lack of education were all warnings from George Orwell to our generation, in order for the events of the Russian Revolution in 1917 to prevent being repeated. Our society is driven through free thinking and a good education. We, as a society, must think for ourselves, and not believe everything we may read online to prevent the spread of propaganda. As South African Statesman Nelson Mandela says, "education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the