The Dangers Of Allegory In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” Luther’s statement about ignorance being dangerous is a recurring idea in Animal Farm, written by George Orwell. In this allegorical story, Orwell uses the animals of Manor Farm to represent the corrupted leaders of the Russian Revolution, as well as the people who stood by and let it happen. Through his characters, Orwell attempts to expose the seriousness of the dangers presented by Stalin and other totalitarian leaders at the time and the need for people to think for themselves and oppose the tyranny. George Orwell uses Napoleon to take advantage of the other animal’s hardworking, albeit ignorant and naive attitudes to gain power and provoke fear and manipulate the farm animals, proving that, without followers, leaders have no power. In Animal Farm, Napoleon takes advantage of Boxer’s loyalty in order to motivate the animals to work more, and harder. Animal Farm,through Boxer, represents …show more content…

The narrator explains that, “and though no one cared to mention it in the hearing of the pigs or the dogs, it was felt that the killings which has taken place did not square with this.”(76) The animals are too afraid to say anything against what they know is wrong and against the seven commandments. Their freedom is being taken away because they know if they say anything the pigs don 't like, they will be killed. The narrator tells us how, “As soon as they were weaned, Napoleon took them from their mothers, saying that he would be responsible for their education”(30) referring to Jessie and Bluebells litter of puppies. Here, Napoleon is building a sort of line of defense. By taking and training the young dogs into being his slaves and to be loyal to him Napoleon is establishing himself as being more important and, later, a feared ruler. Just like Jones was before the