The Theme Of Cruelty In George Orwell's Animal Farm

In his novel Animal Farm, George Orwell condemns the Revolution which only brings the animals into worse conditions than before. Orwell uses cruelty to reveal how the humans and animals aren’t all that different, proving revolution doesn’t always accomplish its goals in the face of power and corruption, ultimately relating this to the rising Communist party in Russia during his time. The theme of violence and cruelty is used throughout the novel to inspire action. Old Major uses Mr. Jones’s crimes against the animals to stir a revolution citing “no animal escapes the cruel knife in the end.” Although Old Major was nearing the end of his life, the animals were no strangers to violence, which was used to keep order on the farm and encourage obedience. Moreover, the animals created their own dream society through an act of violence-revolution. Once they overtook the farm and appropriately named it Animal Farm, the animals continued to defend their newfound freedom through battles against the

As the novel progressed, the violence escalated as the pigs become more and more corrupt and power-hungry. The turning point for violence was when Napoleon used the dogs to relinquish Snowball’s control. At this point, the conflict shifts from the animals versus Jones to Napoleon versus the animals. From this point on, the animals live blindly under the control of Napoleon and the pigs. Much like Mr. Jones used the whip to assert dominance and control over the animals, the pigs assume his role as the head of the farm. Due to their innate intelligence and cleverness, they are able to control the intellectually inferior animals. This makes the animals vulnerable to the pigs’ corruption. The animals now work longer hours for decreasing amounts of food, despite being told the contrary. Additionally, these aren’t the only lies being told to keep the animals