Examples Of Abuse Of Power In Animal Farm

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Michael Nguyen
February 7, 2023
A-Block

Abuse of power in Animal Farm

Dictatorship occurs when power is given to the wrong leader. This mismanagement of power is especially exhibited in George Orwell's Animal Farm. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution that lasted six years in the early 1900s. The book takes place in the mid-1940s in England and is about an abusive and neglectful farmer named Mr. Jones who gets overthrown by the animals at his farm. Overthrowing Mr. Jones was an attempt at potentially starting a new life in which all animals were equal and free. Following Mr. Jones's exile, the animals sustained the stability of the farm with their leaders and most clever animals, Napoleon and Snowball. However, this lasts for a brief amount of time until it begins to fall apart as Snowball gets driven out from the farm by Napoleon. With Napoleon in charge, he …show more content…

Napoleon sees himself as the animal's superior and makes and follows his own rules. Prior to Napoleon's rule, Snowball ruled as an equal to the animals. He applied their rules and commandments to himself as well. As mentioned previously, Napoleon saw himself as superior, and that meant that he felt he was entitled to the higher-ranked title as a result, "Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as Napoleon. He was always referred to in formal style as our leader, comrade Napoleon" (93). Although Napoleon did almost no work, he used his power to give himself privileges that no other animal had. He took advantage of the loyalty and lack of intelligence to use the animals and boost his superiority against them. Although he mistreated the animals, they were too blinded by their dedication to their great leader to notice. He abused his power to benefit himself from the animals'