Power Corruption In George Orwell's Animal Farm

Georg Orwell released the satirical novel Animal Farm in 1945. This story follows the animals on Manor Farm as they overthrow the abusive human farmers and take control of the farm. Then the intelligent pigs gain power and under the leadership of Napoleon they become gradually more corrupt until they are indistinguishable from the humans they had once despised. This story acted as an allegory for the Russian Revolution in which the Bolsheviks revolted against the tsarist government and instituted communism, which eventually lead to Joseph Stalin gaining power. In Animal Farm Orwell portrays the overarching theme of “power corrupts” through Napoleon’s use of fear, propaganda, and lies to maintain power while making allegorical connections to

One instance of lying is when Squealer was trying to explain that they will begin engaging in trade and says, “He assured them that the resolution against engaging in trade and using money had never been passed, or even suggested. It was pure imagination, probably traceable in the beginning to lies circulated by Snowball.” (page 64) This is a blatant lie as two of the Ten Commandments set at the beginning of the story were that animals can’t engage in trade or use money. After this rule became inconvenient to the pigs they changed it without asking or informing the other animals. Then they lied and convicted the animals that it never existed by diverting blame to Snowball who they would believe deceived the animals. Other examples lies are those told about Snowball after he fled the farm, such as when Squealer asked, “Did we not see for ourselves how he attempted — fortunately without success — to get us defeated and destroyed at the Battle of the Cowshed?” (page 79-80). Snowball had, in reality, fought valiantly at the Battle of the Cowshed and was a key part of the animals’ success. Throughout Animal Farm Napoleon continuously defamed Snowball while elevating his own image. By ruining Snowball’s reputation and erasing, or taking credit for, his contributions to the farm Napoleon controls the narrative in way that makes him seem like a hero and makes his former political rival into a evil traitor. This