The world-famous classic fable Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, showcases the perversion of a revolution that went wrong in a critique of the Russian Revolution. One of the key themes in the novel indicates that a populations’ ignorance can lead to their social and political oppression. This was exemplified by the animals’ behaviour in the text through their toleration of manipulating the seven commandments, their constant state of believing what they were told, and the gradual decline into tyranny which they lacked the knowledge to express their misgivings over. The animals’ ignorance of the repression of the original ideas of ‘Animalism’ ultimately led to the corruption exhibited in Animal Farm.
The seven commandments of Animalism became …show more content…
Although the total tyrannical take over by Napoleon didn’t happen until many years after the rebellion, Napoleon was positioning himself and the pigs as superior from the start. This is demonstrated when the pigs are found to be keeping all the milk and food for themselves, Squealer justifying their selfishness by saying, “It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.” Not only does it make the pigs seem vastly more important and inherently superior, it also allowed for the catalyst of manipulating the pigs’ rights to be favoured above all other animals. A turning point for the dictatorial rule of Napoleon is when he banishes Snowball from the farm and establishes himself as leader. He then proceeds to promptly announce that, “from now on the Sunday Morning meetings would come to an end,” further concluding an end to all debates. This not only establishes him as the leader of all the animals, it also stifles any chance of rebellion that might have occurred due to outrage of his new position. Over time, it is shown how the principles of Animalism change to suit the ever-growing tyrannical strong-hold of the farm, and how each passing year the original idea of the Rebellion is slowly lost to the Animals’ memory. In reality however, the farm itself has done a complete cycle as Napoleon becomes a duplicate of Mr Jones, the animals only realising this at the end of the book when looking through the window and realising,”…it was impossible to say which was which…the creatures looked from pig to man, and man to pig.” Only then do they comprehend the true extent of Napoleon’s take over, and how their ignorance has stopped them from seeing their political and social
The seven commandments of Animalism became …show more content…
Although the total tyrannical take over by Napoleon didn’t happen until many years after the rebellion, Napoleon was positioning himself and the pigs as superior from the start. This is demonstrated when the pigs are found to be keeping all the milk and food for themselves, Squealer justifying their selfishness by saying, “It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples.” Not only does it make the pigs seem vastly more important and inherently superior, it also allowed for the catalyst of manipulating the pigs’ rights to be favoured above all other animals. A turning point for the dictatorial rule of Napoleon is when he banishes Snowball from the farm and establishes himself as leader. He then proceeds to promptly announce that, “from now on the Sunday Morning meetings would come to an end,” further concluding an end to all debates. This not only establishes him as the leader of all the animals, it also stifles any chance of rebellion that might have occurred due to outrage of his new position. Over time, it is shown how the principles of Animalism change to suit the ever-growing tyrannical strong-hold of the farm, and how each passing year the original idea of the Rebellion is slowly lost to the Animals’ memory. In reality however, the farm itself has done a complete cycle as Napoleon becomes a duplicate of Mr Jones, the animals only realising this at the end of the book when looking through the window and realising,”…it was impossible to say which was which…the creatures looked from pig to man, and man to pig.” Only then do they comprehend the true extent of Napoleon’s take over, and how their ignorance has stopped them from seeing their political and social