Uncovering Deceit and Propaganda in Orwell's Animal Farm

George Orwell’s animal farm is an allegory about communist Russia and the Russian revolution. Animal farm represents communist Russia through animal farm. Some of the themes Orwell portrays throughout the story of animal farm are lies and deceit, rebellion and propaganda through the characters and the story of animal farm.

Lies and deceit is one of the main themes of animal farm. Orwell shows this through one of the main characters Napoleon who after some time becomes the leader of animal farm. Napoleon is a very deceiving and misleading character who at one stage in the story told the animals that the hens had died of coccidiosis and were buried in the orchard which was partly true. What really happened was when Napoleon decided to raise

the demand for eggs the hens decided that they did not like that idea so the hens rebelled which lead them to starting a hunger strike, for nine days the hens held out but after the nine days the hens could not go any longer and died on the ninth day.

Rebellion was quite a significant theme in animal farm. It is shown very early in the story when old major told the animals that they should stand up against farmer jones to get rid of him and start their own farm which the animals listened to and put into action and in doing so the animals were very successful. Rebellion is also shown when Napoleon forcefully puts the demand for eggs up again so he can sell more and bring in more money for resources and food. The hens fly up to the rafters and lay their eggs there only to let them all fall off and smash on the ground
below.

Propaganda is another important theme in animal farm that George Orwell shows in many ways.

The theme of propaganda comes up in a part of the story when the pigs say “You have heard then, comrades, ‘that we pigs now sleep in the beds of the farmhouse? The pigs justify sleeping in beds by saying that they removed the sheets so it does not make it a bed. The theme of propaganda rises again when squealer has to justify to the animals that the pigs should keep the apples and milk for themselves because they are the more intelligent ones of the farm and need to stay healthy which the animals then accept. Propaganda is shown again when boxer is taken away to the “knackers” to be turned into glue which the animals are not aware of and think that he has been taken to hospital for treatment. Squealer then goes on to tell them that he was taken to the hospital by the vet for treatment but unfortunately died there. Squealer tells the animals that he was there when he passed and that his last words were “long live animal farm” which was not true and never even happened because he wasn’t taken to hospital, he was taken to the knackers to be turned into glue. When the animals questioned why it said “horse mortuary” on the side of the van squealer told them that the vet had bought the van off the knackers and had not been rebranded

yet.

George Orwell’s animal farm was really about Russia's communism and the Russian revolution. Orwell portrays themes like lies and deceit, rebellion and propaganda in the story. He does this very well by demonstrating his views through the portrayal of the animals who are representing the important people that began the Russian revolution.