Animal Farm Totalitarian Government

The Impacts of a Totalitarian Government in Animal Farm Throughout history, a totalitarian government has proven time and time again that in the end there are negative outcomes regarding this particular style of government. In George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, the author accurately portrays the events occurring during the control of the Soviet Union. Orwell applies the horrors of his infamous period in history through his writings. Furthermore, the novel depicts the impacts of a totalitarian government on the citizens living under the rule, those who oppose the government, and the propaganda leaders used to influence the minds of the citizens. Within a totalitarian government, many of the citizens are affected in negative ways that Orwell

Napoleon's character demonstrates the definition of what a hypocrite is. At the beginning of the novel, Napoleon states that all animals are equal and that nobody, even the leaders, are above anyone else. Eventually towards the end of the story, Napoleon states that “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 10), which indicates that all along his government was leading up to him having authority over everyone else. In Napoleon's speech, his use of the statement: “Some animals” (Orwell 10) is him referring directly to himself. During the times of the Soviet Union, the government had complete say over what the citizens practiced. Stalin’s communist ideologies had complete dominance over any other belief. Many of Stalin’s people, out of fear, had to stop practicing their

While creating the laws of the society, Napoleon claims that “whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy,” (Orwell 3) and “whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend,” (Orwell 3). By conducting this statement, Napoleon implies that animals are the only ones that the farm animals can trust. Anything that man does is immoral in the eyes of Napoleon. He has the animals constantly repeat the line “four legs good, two legs bad,” (Orwell 3) to install the phrase in their senses. Napoleon uses art to create influence over the farm animals through his written piece- Beasts of England. Orwell utilizes this idea from the events of the Soviet power. The Soviets used art such as literature to “[glorify] the achievements of communism, Stalin, and his economic programs” (Littell 876). Napoleon uses song as a form of literature to make his arguments known. By incorporating the use of lyrics for the animals to sing, it is easy for them, even the uneducated ones, to understand and to follow the ways of the society. In Animal Farm, Orwell uses propaganda for the same purposes Stalin used during his reign. Every citizen is made to believe that the world they live in is in their best interest. Propaganda reassures the citizens that everything the government constructs is of good nature. Influence was a huge factor for the amount of time Stalin remained as a leader of the Soviet Union. Orwell brings to