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Authority, Authority And Authority In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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Animal Farm: Authority, Power, Propaganda “It is not wisdom but authority that makes a low.” Thomas Hobbes’ quote reveals that the world is all about authority and how powerful people are. In other words, to be able to rule, wisdom is not essential. However, authority is crucial. This quote relates to George Orwell’s Animal Farm as it represents the theme of power by the pigs that use propaganda, intimidation and false informations to take over the farm and to control the animals. Napoleon in the novel is not a wise character. However, he occupies the leader’s position since he is intimidating and authoritative. In contrast, Snowball who is portrayed as the intelligent character, somehow gets expelled from the farm, because he was not as manipulative as Napoleon. To begin with, Orwell uses propaganda as one way of illustrating the theme of power. Napoleon and Squealer both utilize propaganda to brainwash and motivate the animals into following their orders, such as when Snowball teaches the sheep into chanting the slogan, “Four legs good, two legs bad!”(Orwell, page 34). This slogan …show more content…

Originally, the commandments were made to create ‘fairness’ and ‘equality’ among the comrades. However, the novel reveals how “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” (Orwell, page 134) through the commandments, as Napoleon uses his skillful rhetoric to get away with breaking the very commandments that every animals are suppose to follow, while the other animals are punished for not doing so. For example, in chapter 8 when the pigs purchase a brewery to to produce and later drink the alcohol, even though the fifth commandment says “no animals shall drink alcohol” (Orwell, page 25), which shows that the pigs are hypocrites. Thus, the novel shows the difference in intelligence between the animals that made it easy for Napoleon to manipulate and make them obey

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911 Words | 4 Pages

“All animals are equal” was the “golden rule” but the same pattern returns once Napoleon changes it to justify his tyranny by adding “but some are more equal than others.” These changes in the Commandments convey Napoleon 's abusive power. All of the animals finally had enough. “But it appears to me that that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be…?”

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A necessity to ensure an ideal and functional community, as demonstrated in George Orwell 's 1945 novel Animal Farm, is the ability to detect and prevent corrupt conduct, read, and the will to challenge authority, which the animals do not possess, therefore putting them at major fault. One of the main factors that leads to the downfall of the farm and Animalism itself is the blatant stupidity that the animals, excluding the pigs, possess. They are overly dense to the point where the concept of corruption is near unfathomable, and thus cannot detect it or act upon their suspicions. Their willingness to believe Squealer 's persuasive speeches whenever doubt arises indicate that the animals are unable to think for themselves. “The other animals understood how to vote, but could never think of any resolutions of their own” (Orwell 19).

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566 Words | 3 Pages

Don’t be the enemy. Now that Napoleon is in charge life is getting a whole lot worse because is has complete power of Animal Farm. Napoleon from Animal Farm written by Orwell maintains control by using ideology, propaganda, and fear. Napoleon uses ideology of Animalism to give him more control over the animals.

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945 Words | 4 Pages

The satire present here is that the altering of the ten commandments effectively portray how the absurd the concept is. There is no way that animals could become, “more equal” than others. In the beginning of the novel, Old Major expressed that the animals shall overcome their oppressors, but the pigs become the oppressors. Through their chants and the ten commandments, the citizens are brainwashed to believe that everything is just and fair because when the commandments and chants were first written or said, everyone was in agreement, and believed it was fair. The pigs start to alter the propaganda, and the animals still believe that it is fair, when in reality it is not.

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1739 Words | 7 Pages

Over the course of the novel, three characters possess the power on the farm and each struggles to keep it in their control and to utilize it wisely. In his novel, Animal Farm, George Orwell uses Snowball, Mr. Jones, and Napoleon to demonstrate that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Snowball mainly

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381 Words | 2 Pages

The pigs took away rights and lives of their own citizens as did the Soviet’s, which helps teach what the book was trying to show that when these political figures gain such power, that they should not use it to only their advantage but to everyone’s. This can be represented at the end of the book when Napoleon has a meeting with humans and starts to resemble the humans exactly. This is because Napoleon used his power for his own well-being like the humans and eventually resembled one. “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.” pg.124 The image of the pigs appearance is tarnished by the way the pig treated his citizen as did Stalin.

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1201 Words | 5 Pages

Animal Farm -the history of a rebellion that went wrong- is George Orwell 's brilliant satire on the corrupting influence of power. It was first published in 1945. According to Orwell, the book reflects events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalin era in the Soviet Union. In the book, Mr. Jones, the owner of the Manor farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock.

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757 Words | 4 Pages

Furthermore, Napoleon gives the other animals the impression he was the sole leader of the rebellion on Animal farm and makes Snowball -a leader who wanted what was best for the animals- seem like an enemy who was in cahoots with Farmer Jones since long before the animals took over the farm. Napoleon and Squealer (another “fat cat” pig.) always put the blame on Snowball whenever something went wrong in the farm to avoid having the blame fall on them. Napoleon is an exemplary example of just how selfish and hypocritical people can be in furthering their own aims because he continued to subtly but purposely change the seven rules put in place as the pillars of animalism. For example, Napoleon and the other pigs move into Farmer Jones’s house and sleep in his bed after commanding “No animal shall sleep in a bed”, so he changes the commandment to read “no animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets”.

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Elizabeth Lee Mrs. Clarke English 9 BLOCK 16 March 2015 The Power of Greed As the animals soak in their own sweat, they rest in deep thought on the mounds of dirt in the fields of England, where the dictatorial Mr. Jones had once ruled before he died. A new leader named Napoleon has come into position after his death.

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1266 Words | 6 Pages

Manipulation is the most deceitful way for us to achieve the things we desire the most. Throughout George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, language and the use of persuasive language lead to the accumulation of power. Language and the disappearance of Mr.Jones is where Napoleon dictatorship is made possible. The powerful rhetorical and their smart manipulations skills of language for any situation was what controlled the farm of its entirety. Pigs manipulated the Seven Commandments,Napoleon dictating, and the deceitful lies told by the Pigs were all methods for them to gain more power.

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775 Words | 4 Pages

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton) This quote is telling us that when people get into roles of absolute power they tend to become corrupt, as a result of that power. This quote can be applied to Napoleon from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, because at the beginning of the novel Old Major’s words inspired Napoleon. As a result, he believed that humans were evil for forcing animals to work for them and that animals should be able to live freely, not under anyone’s control; however, as the story progresses his belief changed and the animals did not get to live their utopian dream. At the start Napoleon and the other pigs strongly believed that all animals were equal and had the right to live in a place that took care of their well being.

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861 Words | 4 Pages

Lord Acton, the British historian, once said, “All power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, the character Napoleon puts himself in charge. But, not only that he allows another pig, Squealer, to do his dirty work. And also uses dogs to chase his enemy, Snowball, away . In which leads to other animals not knowing that the farm is being ran the same way as when under Mr. Jones, the old farmer 's, control.

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1118 Words | 5 Pages

Napoleon in the novel is not a wise character. However, he occupies the leader’s position since he is intimidating and authoritative. In contrast, Snowball who is portrayed as the intelligent character, somehow gets expelled from the farm, because he was not as manipulative as Napoleon. To begin with, Orwell uses propaganda as one way of illustrating the theme of power. Napoleon and Squealer both utilize propaganda to brainwash and motivate the animals into following their orders, such as when Snowball teaches the sheep into chanting the slogan, “Four legs good, two legs bad!”(Orwell, page 34).

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773 Words | 4 Pages

We often find that it is simpler to stay hidden in the dark, rather than step out into the light. As citizens it is our responsibility to call out our leaders if they are not taking notice of what we, the people, want or need. The animals, in Animal Farm, overthrew their farmer and attempted to form a fair government, but soon became dictated to, by the pigs. The book records the evolution of tyranny to totalitarianism which became as terrible as their first situation. In Animal Farm, George Orwell illustrates that it is the responsibility of the citizens to stand up against injustice and inequality.

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1354 Words | 6 Pages

“Animal Farm” by George Orwell, is a story to show how absolute power corrupts, just as Stalin’s power did during the Russian Revolution in 1917. In the allegory “Animal Farm” each character represents a political figure from the days around the Russian Revolution. For example, Joseph Stalin is represented by a pig named Napoleon, Squealer, another pig, represents Stalin’s propaganda department, and the dogs represent the Secret Police (KBG). Using the nine dogs that Napoleon raises (intimidation), Squealer (propaganda), and manipulation, Orwell illustrates how Napoleon was able to gain and maintain control of the farm. The nine dogs that stay by Napoleon at all times are useful for Napoleon to gain and maintain control of the farm because they scare the other animals, intimidating them so that they do not disobey Napoleon.

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