George Orwell's Use of Language Techniques to Represent Power in Animal Farm

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George Orwell's Use of Language Techniques to Represent Power in Animal Farm

"Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely"; and this is

eloquently proved in George Orwell's novel 'Animal Farm.' In this

satirical fable, Orwell uses his allegorical farm to candidly

illustrate the corruptive nature of power and to symbolise the

communist system in the microcosm of a farmyard barn.

George Orwell was the pen name of Eric Blair, a British political

novelist and essayist. He was also a socialist but he criticized the

right (fascists and capitalists) as freely as he criticized the left

(anarchists, socialists, and communists). Orwell used his writings

mainly to expose the negative effects that political systems could

have on people - harsh forms of control, manipulation, and repression.

Even though Animal Farm was based on the Russian Revolution,

particularly directed against Stalin's Russia, it is more meaningfully

an anatomy of all political revolutions, where the revolutionary

ideals of justice, equality, and fraternity shatter in the event.

The story of Animal Farm tells of "a revolution that went wrong." One

night Old Major, an old pig preached of freedom and equality for all

animals as well as independence from humans to his fellow animal

comrades. He introduced to them the 'Beasts of England' song, which

inspired rebellion and soon afterwards, he died. The carthorse Boxer

devoted himself to the cause, committing his great strength to the

prosperity of the farm and adapting as a personal motto " I will work

harder." Led by the pigs, the animals on the Mr. Jones's oppressed

farm carryout a provoked revolt against their hum...

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egalitarian principles. At first the farm prospers but then, the pig

leaders were corrupted by the power and turn on their fellow

"comrades" eliminating competitors through propaganda and bloodshed.

In the end, as the animals looked from human to pig, pig to human,

they could see no difference.

To conclude, the discourse of power is represented in this text is

many different ways. A wide range of language techniques were utilised

in Animal Farm, such as political speeches, songs, votes, laws,

punishments etc. Orwell uses techniques such as persuasive language,

dramatic irony and the structure of "Animal Farm" to build these

messages about the corruption and abuse of power. "Power corrupts, but

absolute power corrupts absolutely." Indeed this quote is proved

accurate throughout George Orwell's novel, Animal Farm.

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