Michael Eric Dyson

If you pay attention closely throughout the parts we have read so far in “Animal Farm,” many leaders are trying to manipulate others to follow them and trust their decisions over others. Two big example that have stood out more to me than others, is how Napoleon manipulated Squealer. (Pages 56-58) When Snowball was chased out of the farm, Squealer constantly backs up Napoleon's word. He was always telling other animals about his good ideas, but more importantly he was manipulated when he told…

How does the tortoise know he will win in The Tortoise and the Rabbit? How does the tortoise trick the antelope in quitting the race before he even crossed the finish line in The Tortoise and the Antelope? These two fables show very valuable lessons for success in life. Though both are compelling in different ways, they hold more similarities than you may realize. The tortoise is the sharpest animal in these fables while obviously the rabbit and antelope are gullible and smug animals that need…

The environment has long been a part of importance to many, especially environmental protection agencies. In the 1950's to 1960's, the emphasis on and importance of the environment shifted and increased. During this time, the environmental movement started, and people's awareness of the environment and effects on the environment from numerous activities grew. Rachel Carson, a biologist, wrote a book discussing the destructive effects of pesticides, as a means to inform the public and urge them…

The essay “The Ordeal of Change” written by Eric Hoffer indicates people are afraid of drastic change in their life that would dramatically cause them to be misfit and out of place, and the solution of putting that fear into action is there must be “an abundance of opportunities”, and also “a tradition of self-reliance”. According to Hoffer, “Even the change from peas to string beans had in it elements of fear”; This means that even a change as small as a bean can cause great amount of fears,…

In Animal Farm, George Orwell creates the character Napoleon who can be seen as a good leader or a bad dictator. Napoleon increased the animals work and banished anyone who disagreed with him. Napoleon also opened trade with the neighboring farms which have humans. So overall, the farm would of been better off with Mr. Jones instead of Napoleon. However, although Napoleon was a ruthless dictator, he played it well by using fear and manipulation to keep his silence decent. Orwell is trying to say…

John Lennon “If everyone demanded peace instead of a new television set, then there’d be peace.” John Lennon was one of the most profound and inspirational people in the world, even to this day. He was a leader for peace and was against war; he stood up for what he believed in and didn’t back down when people tried to attack his ways of thinking. He changed the world and people’s views, he got the attention of everyone and with it, he used it for good. John Lennon wasn’t just a singer in a…

past and the future. In Beloved (1987), Toni Morrison shows how Sethe had dehumanizing experiences during her years of slavery. Even in freedom, Sethe was reminded of her past which affected her decisions and destroyed her identity. In contrast, in Eric Bress and J. Mackye Grubber’s The Butterfly Effect (2004), Evan witnessed and participated in traumatizing events in his childhood. When he discovers his ability to time travel, Evan alters his past only to find out it damaged his future. Despite…

This quote from Eric Weiner’s travel narrative, The Geography of Bliss, epitomizes an American perspective on thinking. Before his travels pursuing happiness, Weiner never had to consider what thinking did, or does, emotionally. Like many Americans, I find my perspective to be limited in that we Americans do not naturally consider how our thinking is affecting our own happiness. In his book, Weiner finds that other countries have views very contradictory to ours at home. Weiner even points out…

Martin Luther King said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” He was the rightful leader of this cause, and that made this movement much more successful than it would have been without him. But, was this the case on Animal Farm? After the rebellion, the pigs rose discreetly into power. The pigs were not the right leaders for Animal Farm, although it was…

Propaganda in Animal Farm 1) What is propaganda and how is it connected to characterisation? Commonly used as a form of promotion or indoctrination, propaganda in its simplest form is the intentional distribution of information, ideas and fabricated rumours to benefit or demoralise the opposing or supported parties. Throughout the history of mankind propaganda was commonly utilized as a weapon of persuasion in dire times such as World Wars I and II, the Cold War in addition to the ongoing…