The Abuse Of Power In George Orwell's Animal Farm

A PBS Frontline World program discusses the topic of Mugabe, a dictator, and his rule over Africa. In George Orwell’s novel, Animal Farm, Orwell expresses his idea of what abuse of power looks like. Mugabe fits Orwell’s description of abused power perfectly by exemplifying the propaganda, ideology of the state, and organized violence aspects of abused power.

In the first place, propaganda is a huge part of Mugabe’s complete control of the public image of Zimbabwe. Similarly, Animal Farm uses propaganda to manipulate what the public image of Animal Farm is. Reporter Alexis Bloom states that, “If we were caught reporting, we'd be arrested.”(Shadows and Lies) As for the Animal Farm parallel, “Napoleon ordered the almost empty bins in the store-shed to be filled nearly to the brim with sand, which was then covered up with what remained of the grain and meal. On some suitable pretext Whymper was led through the store-shed

Similarly, Squealer aims to justify the pigs’ use of the the farmhouse beds. In Shadows and Lies, secret footage was smuggled out of Mugabe’s "Operation Clear out the Filth". “When the police came we were just forced to push out. They said you must take all of your belongings within thirty minutes time… A year later, traces of these people remain but no sign of the new homes Mugabe promised he'd build them...” (Shadows and Lies) In Animal Farm, Squealer repeatedly justifies Napoleon’s actions by stating, “We have removed the sheets from the farmhouse beds, and sleep between blankets... Surely none of you wishes to see Jones back?” (Orwell 67) Mugabe’s actions are parallel to Napoleon’s actions because both dictators promise their followers a better life, but proceed to ignore their follower’s actual necessities to accomplish their goals. This further reinforces that George Orwell’s notion of what abused power is is still around in today’s