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Civil Disobedience In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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In George Orwell’s allegorical novel Animal Farm, the sneaky and mischievous actions of the government leave the inhabitants of the farm helpless and completely controlled. This novel serves as a warning to people everywhere to challenge authority and never abandon independent thought. Benjamin hides his knowledge of the pigs schemes from the other animals to avoid conflict, proving that mature members of a society may deceive others to remain true to personal philosophy of uninvolvement, if only to solidify to everyone that they are invariably right. Benjamin retains the information he posses in order to prove a point that all systems of government come and go, and will never affect his life. Even when the other animals are curious as to the meaning of confusing government actions, Benjamin would “say nothing” in order to uphold his personal vendetta (Orwell 109). Benjamin’s old and senile attitude he works so hard to maintain keeps him from revealing the …show more content…

The “first time” the other animals saw Benjamin “gallop” was at the occasion of his personal friend Boxer’s essential death sentence (Orwell 121). The only time lazy and disinterested creatures care to take action in any matter is when they are personally invested in the outcome of the situation; because Benjamin believed that the animal run government would soon dissolve, he felt no need to share with the other animals information that could have saved their lives. Many people do not wish to involve themselves or take sides in tricky situations simply for the reason that they want to get off scot free as soon as the rules or circumstances change, and wish to permanently remain on the equitable side of those in power. By only showing initiative when personally invested, Benjamin solidifies the notion that his deception originates out of neglect, not out of a want to shelter

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Consider the case of the political, fictional novel, "Animal Farm" by George Orwell. The scene is set in Manor Farm in an unknown destination and humanly intelligent animals have taken over the farm from their abusive master, Mr. Jones. Napoleon, the pig is the new tyrannical leader of all the farm animals and has instilled fear into everyone. Furthermore, Napoleon instructs one of his minions, Sqeauler, the pig to change the rule about how animals should never harm other animals, which was painted on the inner barn wall. When Boxer, the horse encounter the newly changed rule, Boxer expresses his honesty about the previous rule by asking Benjamin, the donkey to read new rule to confirm the change.

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Benjaminen is a conformist and goes with the flow of everything that is happening around him. He is one of the of the most wise animals on the farm, but has a bit of an issue with communication. Benjamin doesn’t express himself like the other animals and stays quiet most of the time. He doesn’t give his opinions nor shows his personaltiy. He even seemed unchanged even after the battle of the cowshed.

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(Crowe,x;xx). Secondly, after Buster the bear went loose, Benjamin wanted to help the bear feel more wild, but he has only so much money and space for animals cages. He said that he wants the bear cage “Much bigger.” (Crowe, x;xx). Benjamin loves the animals at the zoo and wants

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and absolved of mortality” (Faulkner 181), presenting him as an everlasting symbol to nature. He is the very essence of the wilderness, and he evokes a perplexing aura to the hunters tracking him down (O’Connor 1). Even though he is an animal, the hunters also view Old Ben as a human, interpreting his “almost hairless body” as an “old man’s body” (Faulkner 220). The men awoke from their delirious state of bloodlust as soon as the very symbol that fueled their expedition was vanquished. They felt as if their lives passed away alongside the bear.

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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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In Animal Farm, George Orwell warns how power will often lead to corruption. Napoleon was placed in a position of power after Major died, and he slowly starts to lavish in his power and become addicted to the lush life of a dictator. When Napoleon first becomes a leader, he expresses how everyone will work equally, but as his reign goes on, he shortens the work hours. At the very end of the novel, the observing animals even start to see that pig and man had become the same. The irony present in the above example, illuminates how regardless of how much a ruler promises to maintain equality and fairness, the position of power that they hold, will corrupt them.

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(Orwell, 22) This gaslighting of the other animals is an act of selfishness that benefits no one but the pigs, causing the action to be construed as malicious or evil. Because of the negative effects on the other animals, is becomes obvious that the light it is portrayed in is

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It’s shown here that Benjamin uses his skill and shows all the animals the truth, completely changing their minds from being happy to complete terror. If Benjamin utilized this ability and wasn’t completely apathetic about what Animal Farm had turned into, he could’ve easily stepped up with every animal on his side and prevented the corruption of the farm. Another example of how Benjamin’s extreme pessimism and inability to see past bad things, poisons his chance to influence the animals again happens after his only friend Boxer, dies. “Only Benjamin was much the same as ever, except for being a little greyer about the muzzle and since Boxer’s death, more morose and taciturn than ever.” (pg. 128)

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Such was what men devoted to communism, like George Orwell, author of the book Animal Farm, might have beheld when facing the despotism in Russia under the charade of communism, and such was the sight of the animals of Animal Farm, when the pigs march out of the farmhouse on two feet, triumphant, as dominators, as humans. Though late in the narrative, multiple factors clearly make this the turning point. It is because of the animal 's protests, the indifference of the pigs, and the sharp contrast the author draws between the mood before and after this scene that this is the turning point where the reader is simultaneously enraged and disappointed. For the first time, the animals want to protest against the pigs ' actions.

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“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.

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