Essay On Corruption In Animal Farm

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Adlai Stevenson said that “Communism is the corruption of a dream of justice.” This means that people who longed for better lives often thought that communism would be their solution. However, it often became their bane, since those who gained power were often corrupted by it. In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, the animals on a farm are suffering greatly under the human’s rule. One pig, Old Major, shared his views of better lives for animals and how they should obtain it. These ideals came to be known as Animalism. When Old Major died, a pig named Napoleon seized power. Napoleon and the other pigs are corrupted by the power and rule Animal Farm with iron fists. George Orwell’s allegorical novel Animal Farm proves Stevenson right when he stated that “Communism is the corruption of a dream of justice.”
Old Major was very upset with the lives of the animals under the head of the farm, Mr. Jones. Before he died he called a meeting with all the animals on the farm. He explained what he felt was wrong with the lives of animals. Old Major explained that the lives of the animals are miserable, arduous, and very short. He also mentions that when the animals can no longer work, they are brutally slaughtered. According to Old Major, all of this is a result of man, if man did not exist the animals would have better lives. Above all, Old Major wants the animals to rebel against Jones and live freely. He wants all the animals in all of England to free themselves of man. While talking to the animals he said, “That is my message to you comrades: Rebellion!” (Orwell 20) Old Major wanted the animals to have better lives and to overthrow the tyrannical Jones. He dreamed of a land where animals could work and produce things for ...

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...nging of the last commandment. It originally read that all animals are equal. However, after years of Napoleon’s corruption and greed the commandment was changed to, “All animals are equal, but some more than others.”(Orwell 123)
George Orwell shows us that “absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Napoleon had all the power on the farm and was corrupted by it. Orwell’s novel also proves Adlai Stevenson right when he said, “Communism is a corruption of a dream of justice.” These dreams were furthered by Snowball. Once Snowball was kicked out of the farm, Napoleon was able to corrupt Animalism and bend it to his will. The animals who longed for better lives free of tyranny, much like people who longed to be free from tyranny, thought Napoleon could be their leader in a new age of freedom. This dream was ruined as Napoleon became the thing they tried to escape.

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