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.
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” ("Abraham Lincoln Quote"). Lord Acton also said, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” (“Lord Acton Quotes”). Both of the quotes show that power is not always a good thing, and can sometimes make good people, do bad things. Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novella about animals rebelling against humans on a farm in England. The novella has been said to be directly related to the Russian Revolution of the early 20th century. Immediately after the animals gained power, the pigs took over as the leaders of the animals. The pigs became corrupt with the power, and may have made conditions worse than they were with humans
One of Orwell's main reasons for writing Animal Farm was to show how the Russian (or Bolshevik Revolutionaries) Revolution of 1917 had resulted in turning a benevolent ideal of equality into a government of an even more oppressive, totalitarian, and dominating to the people, than the aristocratic one it had recently ousted. Many of the main characters (animals) and synapses of Orwell's parody, run parallel to the event of the Bolshevik Revolution: In Orwell’s novel, The Farm is a representation of Russia and its people, and the most important characters such as Old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon parody the central figures that shaped it into the nation it came to be.
George Orwell was an author of a few successful novels including Animal Farm and 1984. Orwell lived a fairly short life of only forty-six years but created ideas that are timeless. In the novel 1984, Orwell showed just how terrible a life in control by the government really is. By looking at 1984, one can see that George Orwell included the themes of power and modernization because the government used technology to their advantage to take control of their own people.
The pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm use specific laws, use unknown vocabulary and excruciating detail, implement scare tactics, and create and manipulate law to successfully attain the other animal’s trust, acquire certain luxuries unavailable to most animal, and establish themselves as the dictators of a totalitarian-like society. Through using detail, unknown vocabulary, specific laws, and scare tactics, the pigs acquire the ability to drink alcohol, sleep on beds, eat and drink the milk and apples, destroy Snowball’s credibility, and establish a trust between themselves and the other animals. From Orwell’s Animal Farm, one realizes how leaders with absolute power use carefully manipulated language to abuse their power.
There is a substantial amount of conflicts that occur in this satirical story. Often these conflicts are between the pigs and the rest of the animals. Only a minute portion of the animals didn’t really have some sort of conflict with Snowball, Napoleon, Squealer, or the rest of the dominating pigs. Overall, Snowball was a better leader than Napoleon, yet the animals reacted differently to Napoleon than to Snowball.
As a result, if the pigs are not allowed to do what they want, then Animal Farm will not prosper or function well. The effectiveness of propaganda is evident through the rise of a despotic and tyrannical government in Animal Farm. Used as a successful, manipulative tool in the story, Animal Farm depicts the dangers of propaganda to an ignorant and gullible society. Orwell’s story describes the actions that brought about the eventual collapse of an ideal utopian society.
Orwell's book, "Animal Farm", is full of satire. This satire is Orwell's way of communicating problems and resolutions. The main message in Animal Farm is that power cannot be divided equally. There will never be equality for all. Once power is obtained it is always abused, and power causes all to think as the leader does. Equality does not exist, for it is impossible for everyone to be equal.
Orwell’s use of purposeful syntax shows the pig’s subliminal control over the unassuming animals and the original purpose of the rebellion. Old Major warns the animals in the beginning of the novel that they must “remember also that in fighting against Man, [the animals] must not come to resemble him” (Orwell 21). The objectification of
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a political satire of a totalitarian society ruled by a mighty dictatorship, in all probability a fable for the events surrounding the Russian Revolution of 1917. The animals of “Manor Farm” overthrow their human master after a long history of mistreatment. Led by the pigs, the farm animals continue to do their work, only with more pride, knowing that they are working for themselves, as opposed to working for humans. Little by little, the pigs become dominant, gaining more power and advantage over the other animals, so much so that they become as corrupt and power-hungry as their predecessors, the humans.
The author of the novel “Animal Farm” George Orwell once wrote “every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been against totalitarianism”. Similarly “Animal Farm” also highlight about the totalitarianism. As all other revolutions, the revolution of animal farm also arises with the dream for a better and more perfect society which transfers in to a totalitarian night mare with the urge for the power in the minds of animals, who symbolizes the people who live in society. “Animal Farm is a satirical allegory of Soviet totalitarianism during the Stalin era. In the novel Orwell uses pigs to represent the ruling class and throughout the story he represent how the ruling class people spread and improve their power employing pigs as the characters.
... In the end, George Orwell’s dark brooding fairy tale Animal Farm proves to be a symbolic and understanding book. In its pages we can see the contrast between a supposedly communistic state where everyone is equal and the same, and how in the end it only leads to a total dictatorial establishment of totalitarianism, where everything is controlled by an elite group. Though Animal Farm was established with the idea of every animal being equal, in the end, the voice of the scheming pigs was the only one heard. Secondly, the book powerfully symbolizes key figures that have appeared in history.
Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is a fable about rulers and the ruled, oppressors and the oppressed, and an idea betrayed. The particular meaning given will depend partly on the political beliefs- “political” in the deepest sense of the word. The book is there to be enjoyed about how human beings can best live together in this world. The novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell, successfully combines the characteristics of three literary forms-the fable, the satire and the allegory.
An author often writes a novel as a warning to mankind. In Animal Farm, George Orwell creates a world of animals that allegorically represent man. The intelligent pigs take advantage of the uneducated lower animals and take control of the farm. By showing the steady increase of the pigs' intellectual exploitation of the lower animals, Orwell warns the reader of the importance of an education.
It was the glorious speech from Old Major that made the animals want to rebel so badly. Animal Farm, written by George Orwell is an excellent novel that portrays the need for power. It shows how power can be used for either good or evil. The story begins on Manor Farm, owned by a farmer named Mr. Jones. One of the pigs, named Old Major, gives a speech that motivates the animals to rebel.
Animal Farm takes place on a small fictional farm in England called "Manor Farm." The animals on the farm include, dogs, a cat, ducks, pigs, horses, a donkey, and even field mice, pigeons, and a crow. On the farm the animals are hard working and severely mistreated. Clearly representing the working class, the animals of the farm are unappreciated and un-rewarded for their hard work by the human owners of the farm. The humans parallel the Russian monarchy. Lead by farmer Jones, who was a poor manager of his farm much like Czar Nicholas was a poor leader, the humans mistreat the animals.