Violence and Corruption of Leaders “They had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, when fierce, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes” (Orwell 87) This is the scene for George Orwell’s Animal Farm, where pigs take over governmental rule after driving out the tyrannical Mr. Jones. Although the new government was designed from ideas of equality, corruption amongst the pigs leads to a reign of terror equal to or worse than that of Mr. Jones. Orwell’s intention in writing Animal Farm was to indirectly critique the ruling of the newly formed Soviet Union, therefore many characters in the novel are related to prominent leaders after the Russian
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At the beginning of the novel, the respected pig Old Major utilizes the technique of pathos to incite fear into the animals, persuading them to accept his ideas. In his speech, he explains to the animals how their “lives are miserable, laborious, and short” (Orwell 5). With this line, in addition to an elaborate explanation of their soon-to-be deaths, Old Major employs pathos by using idea of misery and violence to incite fear, which helps promotes his idea of animalism. As the novel continues, the pigs continue to gain power by threatening the other animals, furthering their corruption. Napoleon forces several animals to admit to crimes of treason, despite their innocence, and “when they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out” (Orwell 84). This particular instance relates directly to the leadership of the Soviet Union under Stalin, where perhaps millions were killed in unfair trials to eliminate those who opposed the communist regime. In both the novel and history, leaders have used pathos, more specifically using violence to incite fear, to oppress their people and allow them to increase their …show more content…
To gain control over his people, Napoleon unjustly executes those that disagree with his ideals. After the massacre, “there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood,” (Orwell 84). As described in this excerpt, Napoleon does not attempt to hide his corrupt actions, but instead displays them for all to witness. As the other animals observe these acts of violence, their terror forces them into silence and acceptance of Napoleon’s rule. Although some executions were public, others, such as Boxer’s, were kept secret. As the animals watch Boxer being driven away, there was a “sound of a tremendous drumming of hoofs inside the van” as Boxer endeavored to escape his awaiting death (Orwell 123). Despite being the ideal worker and follower, Boxer’s age and lack of strength made him a burden to the pigs. Corrupt governments lack sympathy for their people, and are therefore able to rise to power by taking advantage of them. Through his use of imagery, Orwell describes the lengths to which leaders will go to obtain power, concerning the government of the pigs as well as that of the Soviet
At the beginning of the novel, the respected pig Old Major utilizes the technique of pathos to incite fear into the animals, persuading them to accept his ideas. In his speech, he explains to the animals how their “lives are miserable, laborious, and short” (Orwell 5). With this line, in addition to an elaborate explanation of their soon-to-be deaths, Old Major employs pathos by using idea of misery and violence to incite fear, which helps promotes his idea of animalism. As the novel continues, the pigs continue to gain power by threatening the other animals, furthering their corruption. Napoleon forces several animals to admit to crimes of treason, despite their innocence, and “when they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out” (Orwell 84). This particular instance relates directly to the leadership of the Soviet Union under Stalin, where perhaps millions were killed in unfair trials to eliminate those who opposed the communist regime. In both the novel and history, leaders have used pathos, more specifically using violence to incite fear, to oppress their people and allow them to increase their …show more content…
To gain control over his people, Napoleon unjustly executes those that disagree with his ideals. After the massacre, “there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood,” (Orwell 84). As described in this excerpt, Napoleon does not attempt to hide his corrupt actions, but instead displays them for all to witness. As the other animals observe these acts of violence, their terror forces them into silence and acceptance of Napoleon’s rule. Although some executions were public, others, such as Boxer’s, were kept secret. As the animals watch Boxer being driven away, there was a “sound of a tremendous drumming of hoofs inside the van” as Boxer endeavored to escape his awaiting death (Orwell 123). Despite being the ideal worker and follower, Boxer’s age and lack of strength made him a burden to the pigs. Corrupt governments lack sympathy for their people, and are therefore able to rise to power by taking advantage of them. Through his use of imagery, Orwell describes the lengths to which leaders will go to obtain power, concerning the government of the pigs as well as that of the Soviet