‘Literacy is a bridge from misery to hope’- Kofi Annan. Indeed it is. The ability to read is something that many lack and therefore face despair in everyday situations. However, Annan;s words apply to fictional worlds as well. In the novella Animal Farm by George Orwell the animals are illiterate and have to struggle with the consequences. Due to this, they have trouble deciphering what is true and what is false. Their crude leader, Napoleon takes advantage of this by manipulating their memory of events, by verifying his claims with writing, and by --------------------------. In Animal Farm the animals who are under the rule of Napoleon are manipulated due to their illiteracy. Napoleon, being the devious pig he is takes advantage of this by manipulating their memory of events. There are many instances …show more content…
Due to the fact that many of the animals are unable to read or write, they are forced to memorize the Commandments. For example, on page ninety-one, Orwell states, “It ran: No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.” Somehow or other the last two words had slipped out the animals’ memory. But now they saw that it had not been violated; for clearly there was good reason for killing traitors who leagued themselves without Snowball”, (Orwell 91). As proven in the text, Napoleon uses the fact that the animals cannot read to do what h e desires. Since the animals can only rely on their memory, which is already so fallible it makes it quite easy for Napoleon to turn his homicidal acts, which are clearly against the original Sixth Commandment (No animal shall kill any other animal) into something acceptable. Moreover, the animals cannot verify Napoleon’s claims with a legitimate source other than the pigs, who are in league with him or the other animals who