The Callous Nature of Government Illustrated in Orwell's Animal Farm

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The Callous Nature of Government The establishment of an elite power in a society produces feelings of hopelessness and fear. George Orwell, a world-renowned author, is known for his politically influenced works regarding socialism. In Animal Farm, Orwell creates a satire based on the communist regime of Russia from 1917–1943. The animals seeking freedom under their liberators, the pigs, revolt against their oppressive owner, Farmer Jones. Ironically, after the revolution, the Pigs, led by Napoleon, become the oppressors. Orwell’s most influential novel Nineteen Eighty-Four describes a society under totalitarian control. The dictatorship of Big Brother in Oceania, rule over the population with strict laws and a distinct hierarchy. Winston Smith, a blue-collar Outer Party member is secretly discontent with his life. When he begins to rebel against the Party, he is found out, brutally forced to rehabilitate, and required to conform to their ideals. In both novels, the authorities use their power to gain superior status at the expense of others, the government control of the population, poor treatment of the working class, and the disallowance of basic needs, illustrate the destructive nature of the antagonists. The government control of the population in both works is manipulative and brutal. The pigs in Animal Farm use songs to control the thoughts of the other animals. The pigs teach, “all the humbler animals…the maxim FOUR LEGS GOOD, TWO LEGS BAD…the sheep developed a great liking for the maxim and would start bleating…for hours on end” (Animal Farm 22). Initially, the Pigs lead all the animals to believe that anything on four legs is a friend and anything on two, namely humans, are the enemy. However, later on when the pigs ga... ... middle of paper ... ...Eighty-Four, Orwell describes a society where the basic rights of human beings are denied by the government. Both of which treat their citizens so cruelly and unjust because that is their nature. If anything is to mirror this type of ambition in the governmental system, society would have to take a stand. For no government has the right to impose its will on its citizens. It is human right to be able to think, cloth, and feed ones self without any assistance. Government should never be able to control and manipulate citizens into submission, use scare tactics to get its way, or any other unjust means of conviction. Government sole purpose should be to maintain the standard of living and look out for society’s best interests. It is up to society to take a stand and declare their needs, because if they do not make up their mind, the government will do it for them.

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