Social Dichotomy In Animal Farm

Throughout human history, humans have fought for power and used their differences to assert power over the other. Often times money is the key to success and so arises class dichotomy. To be wealthy is to be a part of the upper class, the desired group and to be the goal of the lessers. Social dichotomy fuels many and is the main conflict within many of the stories throughout British literature. “If you be wise, then go not far to dine; you’ll spend in coach hire more than save in wine,” (Swift text 335) . A quote from Smith’s Description of a City Shower which is straightforward example of social dichotomy. Smith’s poem describes the conditions of the city of London in 1710, the streets of the poor covered in filth and the windows above dumping waste onto the lower class Londoners while the upper class ride in carriages and are able to keep their shoes and silk garments spotless. The quote describes the cost of travel for the rich, the coach prices that the upper class were able to afford were steep and it was simply a better idea to stay near home because of the horrible sanitation system of …show more content…
The fictitious, utopian society created in Animal Farm by George Orwell is a perfect example of how the nature of humans creates a social dichotomy. “The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership,” (Orwell 27) Dichotomy formed right off the bat in this tale as the pigs assumed a leadership position; they had just sprung the farm from the leadership of Mr. Jones only to trap the animals under their own agenda (the pigs) because they saw themselves as the superior beings, just as Mr. Jones saw himself. Within the self government the animals formed, under animalism, created a the hierarchy the animals had tried to escape from; Orwell demonstrated our natural instinct for division and a power ladder within