Leadership and Ideology in Animal Farm

The Theme of Leadership in Animal Farm

Sub-theme: Power Corrupts

The sub theme of power corrupting people is very eminent in animal farm. The leaders on the farm - the pigs, were the brains of the farm. The animals let the pigs lead the farm, thereby placing them into a position of power. This power corrupted them as they became more and more greedy and their ideology became more and more corrupted. Also, the pig’s transgressions of the rules of animalism worsen as they grow in power.

In chapter 2, when the 7 commandments were first written down, there was already a slight corruption in the pigs. The pigs steal the milk and apples and explain it with the lie that these foods have nutrients essential to pigs, which need these nutrients to carry on their managerial work. This chapter was the chapter in which the farm was closest to Utopia.

In chapter 6, the pigs started trading with the other farms, which was another sign of the growing corruption. The also broke a commandment by sleeping on a bed and furthermore, they masked this by changing the commandment to brainwash the other animals. This was a clear sign that the pigs were corrupt.

From chapter 6 onwards, things went downhill as the pigs got more and more powerful and greedy and at the end of the story, all 7 commandments were broken.

Also, this sub theme is also reflected in the state of the farm. As the pigs grow in power, the state of the farm worsens. Although this fact is masked from the animals by the pigs, it is quite clear. Immediately after the rebellion, food was plentiful and the animals could get a double ration of corn, but as time passed the animals began to starve, even though Squealer’s figures showed otherwise. “At times the animals felt that the...

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...a means to stop violent revolutions and to keep the discontented workers docile. Another example is in Muslim suicide bombers, whose fanatic belief in their religion blinds them from the truth that they are not doing the right thing. However, it is irrelevant in some cases. For example, people who believe in an ideology are not necessarily taken in by falsities or misinterpretations in the ideology in the same way as people who are Muslims are not necessarily fanatics to their religion.

Orwell treats this tone in a satirical manner and uses irony to convey its message. This can be seen from the fact that at the start of the novel, nobody believed in Moses but at the end, many did. Orwell included this in the storyline to tell the reader not to be taken in by falsities or misinterpretations in the ideology or religion hey believe in and to do what is right.