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The corruption in animal farms
The corruption in animal farms
The corruption in animal farms
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Social Justice in Animal Farm Social justice is a topic known all to well in today's society. Such issues as social heirarchial structure and unjust representatives of citizens of nations are issues in need of attention by those in power. Corruption, lies and greed by those in power however stand in the way of this form of justice from occurring, leaving many with little or no social status open to prejudice on race, religious and sexual grounds. Outlined by George Orwell in Animal Farm is the ease in which power can corrupt. A utopian society is created once a farmer is overthrown from his position in charge of all the animals on "Manor Farm". A set of rules to govern the citizens of the revolutionary society was decided upon and these were to be the fairest and least controversial rules for the citizens of "Animal Farm" to abide by: "The Commandments were written on the tarred wall in great white letters that could be read thirty yards away. They ran thus: THE SEVEN COMMANDMENTS 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a freind 3. No animal shall wear clothes 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed 5. No animal shall drink alcohol 6. No animal shall kill any other animal 7. All animals are equal. It was very neatly written, and except that "friend" was written "freind" and one of the "S's" was the wrong way round, the spelling was correct all the way through. Snowball read it aloud for the benefit of the others. All the animals nodded in complete agreement, and the cleverer ones at once began to learn the Commandments by heart." As months passed on Animal Farm, the pigs, who thought they were the dominant force in the running of the animal farm, became more and more in control. Animal Farm, had now become the fairest it would ever be. Word of what had happened to Manor Farm had spread across all of Ireland and England. Animals all over the country were following in their paths led by pigs Napoleon and Snowball. However, as this was happening, Animal Farm was heading to ruin as the pigs became selfish and ignorant. They would now consider themselves above the laws and commandments they had set, as they believed they had set the way for the new society. To a greater extent, leaders Snowball and Napoleon would control and decide the fate of the farm, setting rations, "In January food fell short. The corn ration was drastically reduced", deciding hours on the Mill, and even who would live to see another day, as we saw in Chapter 7 when Snowball had been declared a traitor: The three hens who had been the ringleaders in the attempted rebellion over the eggs now came forward and stated that Snowball had appeared to them in a dream and incited them to disobey Napoleon's orders. They, too, were slaughtered. Then a goose came forward and confessed to having secreted six ears of corn during the last year's harvest and eaten them in the night. Then a sheep confessed to having urinated in the drinking pool-urged to do this, so she said, by Snowball-and two other sheep confessed to having murdered an old ram, an especially devoted follower of Napoleon, by chasing him round and round a bonfire when he was suffering from a cough. They were all slain on the spot. And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon's feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown there since the expulsion of Jones." The farm which had once been the source of inspiration with a democratic society was now a farm of death, destruction and communism. This is the impact of social injustice on what was once a just community in a revolutionary society. Injustice is a strong word. When power corrupts as happened in Orwell's 'Animal Farm', there is no telling where it will end or what damage will be caused.
After the Animal Revolution the pigs take the initiative and place themselves in charge because of their claim of having higher intelligence. Over time this power begins to distort the basis of their revolt by recreating the same social situation they were previously in. “When the pigs takeover they claim that their goal is to preside a farm of equal animals, all working together to support one another, yet power quickly proves too much for a pig.” Though the animals originally took over the farm to increase the animal’s independence as a whole, because of the pig’s superiority they soon take the place of the humans further limiting their independence.
When the Clover and Muriel notice that the commandments of Animal Farm have been changing, Squealer assures the animals that no such action has been done and warns them that Mr. Jones may come back if the pigs did not get enough of their “necessities” for work. These “necessities” for work are merely just an excuse the pigs harness to deceive the other animals, who are not as intelligent, so that the pigs themselves can indulge the human creations that is originally created by animal effort. This endless greed and self-benefitting mindset is one of the reasons why Animal Farm fails to become the utopia, not only Old Major wants, but the utopia that all the animals fought for. In addition, after the Fredericks dynamite the windmill, Boxer, who receives major wounds, is sold to the Glue Boiler only to allow the pigs to “acquire the money to buy themselves another case of whisky” (Orwell 126). Boxer, one of Animal Farm’s most loyal workers is sold to the Horse slaughterer so that the pigs could self-indulge in a case of whisky. This government could not become any more corrupt as to not give their most hardworking subordinate a proper retirement or even an honorable burial. Overall, it is the manifestation of greed and selfishness that drives Animal Farm to corruption and
Snowball and Napoleon are battling for control of the farm, they both want to be the leader because they know that the leader has the most privileges. The animals that are in charge, the pigs, do less work than the other animals. "All that year the animals worked like slaves." The title of leader is highly sought after, because the leader tells everyone what to do without actually having to work. The pigs not only do less work but they receive more food. "Once again all the rations were reduced, except those of the pigs and the dogs." The fact that the pigs receive more food than the other harder working animals, shows that the farm is full of inequality. This type of governing is wrong, and Orwell wants it to stop. Less power should be given to the leader, so that the leader and his followers can be more equal. Once a group or an individual obtains power, it is impossible to manage it correctly.
A utopian society is created once a farmer is overthrown from his position in charge of all the animals on "Manor Farm". A set of rules to govern the citizens of the revolutionary society was decided upon and these were to be the fairest and least controversial rules for the citizens of "Animal Farm" to abide by:
The pigs were given larger amounts of food, and living in better conditions than the other animals. They were able to accomplish this because they told all the animals that since they were the real brains behind Animal Farm's accomplishments, they needed to rest so that they could be healthy. As the years pass by there seems to be more animals aging and dying within the farm. One evening Clover discovers their tyrannical leaders walking on their hind legs and carrying whips. The sheep who bleated out, “Four legs good, two legs bad,”now follow and new chant that was taught by Squealer, “Four legs good, two legs better!” Clover notices something on the wall where the commandments were written the only commandment left was, “All animals are equal,” but an addition has been made for it to now say, “but some animals are more equal than others.” “One day in early summer Squealer ordered the sheep to follow him, and led them out to a piece of waste ground at the other end of the farm, which had become overgrown with birch saplings. The sheep spent the whole day there browsing at the leaves under Squealer's supervision. In the evening he returned to the farmhouse himself, but, as it was warm weather, told the sheep to stay where they were. It ended by their remaining there for a whole week, during which time the other animals saw nothing of them. Squealer was with them for the greater part of every day. He
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm we get a glimpse of a strange switch in totalitarian rule. From Mr. Jones a cruel farmer who feeds his animals to little and works them to hard, to Napolean a pig that will have you killed for a bottle of liquor. Through stupidity, narrow mindedness and pure cowardice of some animals we view the inevitable as the farm animals become ruled by pigs. Old Major probably not the first animal to think of as an animal to ruin a utopia for the farm, is in most cases not a favored example to contribute to the pigs takeover. This pig finally near the end of his better than average life chose to create a rebellion against the then in power Mr. Jones. A truly justifiable act executed in a time to late, for Major died to soon to lead the farm. If Old Major had summed up an ounce of courage in his closer to piglet years further and earlier then his dying days the animals might have had a chance of a better life. Old Major can be seen as him being a late coward having what is thought on the farm to be a good life trying to end it a false legend or maybe Old Major was a slow hero wanting to leave a better life for his friends. Still though we should agree that for Old Major’s failing action or neglect was the time he chose to start a rebellion, in the few days before he died.
In George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, a major turning point in the novel was when Napoleon used his secret police force, his dogs, to exile Snowball. Snowball had previously been trying to improve the animal’s lives for the future by building a windmill. After Snowball was exiled, Napoleon became leader and everything immediately went amiss. Orwell stated that: "Somehow it seemed as though the farm had grown richer without making the animals themselves any richer- except, of course, for the pigs and the dogs" (p.86). In other words, no one was benefiting from the animal’s labours apart from the pigs and the dogs because the amount of authority the dogs and the pigs, especially Napoleon had, was corrupt. Frighteningly, if Snowball had been declared leader and Napoleon had been exiled, the result would have been no different because power is corrupt; education is power and intelligent leaders use propaganda to persuade innocent citizens.
Napoleon had a lust for power and getting his own way. When Old Major, the original leader of the barn died, Napoleon and Snowball took control over Manor Farm which they renamed Animal Farm. After that battle, Napoleon used propaganda and brought terror over the farm. Claiming that extra milk was necessary for a pig’s nutrition, he steals the cows milk. Because Snowball challenged Napoleon’s leadership, Napoleon strategized and succeeded at
The animals became their enemy, they represented a human in every send of the word. Though the rebellion was in hopes of creating a future without human exploitation, they failed to create universal equality. Animal Farm’s revolution is a paradox in itself the animals lost sight of their initial ideals and principles. Leading to the complete and major downfall of Animal Farm. The animal’s lack of intellect can be held the reason for the downfall yet Squealer’s consecutive manipulation is what ultimately leads to the
Throughout this chapter, you see the disagreements continue to dominate the proceeding nature of the deep division of the animals. Napoleon and Snowball banished each other with no justification, which evokes the overall message of symbolizing the effect of corruption. Orwell’s narrative shows the great connection between the monopolized farm that was being managed by two different aspirations. Snowball has done this thing! In sheer malignity, thinking to set back our plans and avenge himself for his ignominious expulsion, this traitor has crept here under cover of night and destroyed our work of nearly a year” (70).
The book, Animal Farm by George Orwell, portrays how power can benefit one person but ultimately corrupt a society. Originally, power resided in Mr. Jones was an alcoholic tyrant who did not care about the welfare of the animals on his farm. This type of tyranny led to the Rebellion in which the animals decide to take control over the farm, fundamentally changing its name from Manor Farm to Animal Farm. It was established the official leader of Animal Farm would be Napoleon, a pig who went to the extremes in order to become the leader of the farm. During his rule as leader, Napoleon gradually changes the ideal concept of Animalism that Old Major envisioned for the future. Although power positively affects Napoleon in the objective of raising his revered reputation and great sense of manipulation over animals, power negatively affects Boxer and Clover because of the lack of concern about their welfare and future.
Both pigs were in constant debate as Snowball proposed an ambitious plan to build a windmill as it would supply “the farm with electrical power.” (23), increasing general comfort and production, although production would decrease until then . While Napoleon argued that “the great need of the moment was to increase food production, and that if they wasted time on the windmill, they would all starve to death.” (24) The debate would finally come to an end when Napoleon “uttered a high-pitched whimper of a kind no one had ever heard him utter before.” (25) Which signaled an attack on Snowball, causing him to run in fear and out of the farm. Thus Napoleon was made the sole leader of Animal Farm. Using his knowledge and support from the pigs and dogs, Napoleon had absolute power over everyone, ruling Animal Farm with an “Iron
A perfect world is impossible to create without its faults. The faults in a dystopia can all be narrowed down to people’s ethics and morals as well as how they choose to apply them. In such a society where everything is equal there will always be an underlining inequality caused by corruption and greed. As conveyed by Martin Luther King Jr. in the article “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” which illuminates that injustice should not be accepted instead actions must be taken to bring change and equality. Furthermore, supported by the United Nations article, “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” which states the basic principles of human rights and relations that need to be followed to construct a better world. These articles can be applied to the novel by George Orwell called Animal Farm, where a group of farm animals yearn for a better life and to rule over themselves rather than their farmer controlling them. However, that is until their rule-based society becomes corrupted and their utopia fictional.
As Animal Farm begins, every species of animal bands together to fight back against the animal cruelty, and they succeed. They are at first very happy, and things work fine. As the book progresses, and the pigs come to power, the animals are no longer equal, and the system doesn’t work well. They Dictated what and how things happened on the farm, and all
Throughout the entirety of Animal Farm the author, George Orwell shows just how horrendous totalitarianism is. Totalitarian means ‘total control’