Theme Of Knowledge In Animal Farm

Throughout the course of Animal Farm, a fable written by George Orwell, there is a recurring theme on how knowledge is dangerous in the hands of the self-serving. The tools he uses to present this idea are his characters. Napoleon and the pigs are a perfect example of a group that takes advantage of knowledge on the farm. Orwell further portrays this idea through Benjamin’s indifference and the easily manipulated masses on the farm.

Early on in the story, the animals overthrow their tyrant, a man named Mr. Jones, through rebellion to create their own society based on socialism. After laboring a little on the newly claimed farm, the pigs realize that the work of the animals must be organized and efficient, and thus have decided to “supervise”

But one group lacked this level of intelligence and their lack thereof was their downfall. This is of course referring to the other, uneducated animals on the farm. They are naive and ignorant, making them extremely easy to manipulate by anyone who is cunning and deceptive. A blatant example of this occurring is when Napoleon banished another pig named Snowball. He sent his subordinate Squealer to explain why Napoleon done what he has done to the other animals. Squealer told it to be a masterful plan to get rid of Napoleon’s rival through what he called, “tactics, comrades, tactics!’ skipping around his tail with a merry laugh. The animals were not sure what the word meant, but Squealer spoke so persuasively, and the three dogs who happened to be with him growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions.” The inhabitants of the farm could not think for themselves as they physically incapable of doing so. What really makes knowledge and education as dangerous as it is on Animal Farm is the intelligence of the masses. If the masses were not as dependent on their leaders they would not have been taken advantage of, or at least to the extent the pigs got away with. The pigs knew exactly which words to say and which actions to take to gain control of the farm using their knowledge over the other animals and made it seem as

Napoleon and his lackeys are a prime example of knowledge being a dangerous weapon in the hands of the self serving. They manipulated the less knowledgeable animals on the farm and they took what wanted when they wanted it by using their own knowledge to the fullest extent. The character who was the exact opposite was Benjamin the donkey, who was also knowledgeable, but did not use it in any sort of way and just remained silent. Then there are the rest of the animals on the farm who were used like puppets by the downright evil pigs. These charecters are tools used by George Orwell to portray a message that can be seen as relevant even today, that is knowledge can be dangerous, especially in the hands of the self-serving. This is a lesson to ensure we think for ourselves as we might be currently being manipulated by our leaders, whether we are aware or