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Animal farm george orwell analysis
Characterization of animal farm by George Orwell
Literary analysis of animal farm by George Orwell
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In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the author includes many different animals, some of which show more intelligence and cunning than the others. These are the pigs represented by Old Major, Snowball, and Squealer. While the other animals live on the farm toiling for their masters, who are often cruel. The pigs are different. They demonstrate their genus by being able to by inspiring the animals, to make a set of laws, promote propaganda, and spread the philosophy of animalism. All of these traits show how each of the pigs is intelligent in their own way.
Old Major is Mr. Jones’s prize winning white boar. In the beginning of the story he ignites new ideas about the way the animals are treated during his speech he says “No animal in England
knows the meaning happiness of leisure after he is a year old” (Orwell 5). In this quote Old Major explains that even though the animals work hard for jones they are never treated fairly and they live miserable lives. Another point Old Major bring up in his speech is the root of all the animals’ problems. He says “Is it no crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of our life spring for the tyranny of man?” (Orwell 7). In this final quote Old Major speaks about how man is the source of all the evils in the animal’s world and to get rid of man would cure all their problems. In summary while Feeble and weak Old Major delivers a compelling speech that leads the animal to rebellion.
At the beginning of George Orwell’s Animal Farm, an aging pig named Old Major gives a speech to the rest of the animals. In his speech, he explains to them how awful their lives are in order to shows them that the Rebellion against Man, their one true enemy, will come soon. Old Major appeals to the animal’s emotions by using rhetorical questions and fear to effectively persuade the animals of the coming Rebellion.
“The pen is mightier than the sword”, a popular saying, and one that is unequivocally true. Although physical force and power can manipulate someone into acting a certain way, it is not as effective as intelligence. Intelligent people can use the force of their words to extents that physical strength does not extend. Furthermore, intelligent people can use things like propaganda, lies, and deceit to get whatever they want. This is clearly proven by the actions of the pigs in the Animal Farm. Because of their high levels of intelligence compared to the other animals of the farm, the pigs are able to manipulate everyone else to achieve their own personal means through the use of propaganda, lies, and deceit. Propaganda can be seen clearly in the role of the pig Squealer, although it is prevalent throughout the story. In this case, propaganda is used by the pigs to tell the other animals exactly what they want to hear, and to cover up any sort of mistakes on the parts of the pigs. Lies are used to further the personal agendas of the pigs, as well as damage the name of Snowball in the eyes of the animals. Propaganda is used as a defensive measure on the part of the pigs, whereas lies are used as an offensive maneuver by the pigs to strengthen their positions. Deceit is used by the pigs to placate the animals, a maneuver that can be seen as neither offensive nor defensive. Deceit is most prevalent in the maxim of “All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”
in this book. The pigs are the most intelligent animals in the farm and take a
In George Orwell’s Animal Farm farm animals drive their cruel owner out to have independence. After this rebellion, the pigs being naturally smart take the role as leaders. The pigs are able to keep their rule because they take advantage of the animals’ horrible memory and lie about the past in order to benefit themselves and sustain a better rule for the future.
In the beginning of the story Old Major gives a speech to the animals on the farm, and in this speech he mentions how cruel the humans are. During his speech Old Major uses Boxer the horse as an example when he says “You, Boxer, the very day that those great muscles of yours lose their power, Jones will sell you to the knacker, who will cut your throat and boil you down for the foxhounds.” (Orwell 11). He then proceeds to tell the animals that once they revolt the cruelty will end, and at first it does, but soon the pigs begin to act more like humans. The pigs act so much like the humans that at the end of the book it is said that the other animals can’t even tell the difference between the pigs and the humans.
In Orwell's Animal Farm, the animals revolt against the cruel human leaders and set up a better method of farm management where all animals are equal. As time passes, the new leaders become greedy and corrupt, and the other animals realize conditions are just as miserable as before. There is a major connection between Animal Farm and Russian communism. The pigs are one of the most significant of these connections, representing the communist rulers of Russia, like Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Their traits, personalities, and actions are similar to the actual men in power. In the novel Animal Farm, the pigs represent the communist leaders of Russia in the early 1900s.
Orwell uses words to demonstrate that language can be deceptive, powerful, and manipulative. A farm is brought up, where the social order has been corrupt by the superior class of the pigs. The major difference between the pigs and other animals is that pigs can fluently use language and other animals cannot. Orwell introduces the plot of the pigs’ politics being corrupt due to greed and intense pride of their species. The pigs seek to make use of other animals’ underdeveloped linguistic skills and ignorance. Horses, goats, sheep and other animals have been assigned enormous amount of work by the pigs to cultivate the farm and build a windmill. The pigs call themselves brain workers and do not take part in work that involves physical movement. They easily convince other animals into thinking that this is the reason why Jones is not coming back. In this deceiving manner of using words, the pigs have ascended to the leading class of this “society” while the other animals resulted in belonging to the “working class”. Also, the book constantly mentions how powerful language can be. Napoleon’s unique diction that carries an intimidating and admonishing effect causes the animals to have an unconditional belief in him. Orwell purposely exemplifies a society within a fable to effectively note these three aspects of deception, power, and manipulation and to emphasize that one’s mastery of language is crucial in order not to be tricked and manipulated by the words of the elite class who were given proper education.
Squealer, using excellent scare tactics and under Napoleon’s control, acquires the pigs the power to control the decisions made on the farm by giving the animals daunting thoughts of a farm gone array due to their flawed decision-making. He dispels the idea of Snowball’s loyalty to animalism by saying that if the animals would have followed Snowball, Jones would have returned and if the animals do not choose wisely whom to trust, the humans and Snowball will return. By cleverly inducing fear into the animals, the pigs are able to convince them to agree with and support anything they suggest. The pigs in George Orwell’s Animal Farm use specific laws, use unknown vocabulary and excruciating detail, implement scare tactics, and create and manipulate laws to successfully attain the other animal’s trust, acquire certain luxuries unavailable to most animals, and establish themselves as the dictators of a totalitarian-like society. Through using detailed, 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.
The pigs developed Old Major’s teaching into a complete system of thought: Animalism. Rules of equality, formality, and hard work was proclaimed and encoded in The Seven Commandments - ';an unalterable law.'; The animals enthusiasm was expressed through a hymn, ';Beasts of England.';
Pigs walking on two feet, horses and sheep talking. This is how George Orwell satirizes human nature in his classic novel Animal Farm. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution of 1917. The title of the book is also the setting for the action in the novel. The animals in the story decide to have a revolution and take control of the farm from the humans. Soon the story shows us how certain groups move from the original ideals of the revolution to a situation where there is domination by one group and submission by all the others. The major idea in this story is the political corruption of what was once a pure political ideal. Orwell uses satire to ridicule human traits in his characters such as Napoleon and Squealer. There are several different characters in the novel utilizing animals as symbols of people in real life during the Russian Revolution. Napoleon is the leader of the pigs that ultimately come to dominate the farm. The characteristics that we associate with pigs , lazy, greedy, and pushy are meant to symbolize the characteristics that the leaders of the Russian Revolution exhibited. Napoleon is admired by all of the animals because he is their leader. All of the animals believe that their leader wants to fulfill all of their needs. They also are convinced that Napoleon’s decisions are made the best interest of the animals. Napoleon’s piglike qualities are shown throughout the story. He exhibited greediness when he sold the dying horse, Boxer to a slaughterhouse for money so that he and the other pigs could purchase whiskey. Orwell ridicules human nature through Napoleon in the sense that he is trying to show how the greedy and power hungry eventually end in corruption.
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
Through use of language, the pigs appeal to the animals basic hopes and desires of a better life and a better future. They make others work extremely hard, while they themselves rest and unfairly reap most of the benefits of the work. For example, “Now comrades,... to the hayfield! Let us make it a point of honor get in the harvest more quickly than Jones and his men do.” Later in chapter three, Squealer is sent to justify the pigs selfishness and to convince the animals that the pigs are working in their favor. He said, “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples...Milk and apples contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig...the whole management and organization of this farm depend on us.” This how the animals are persuaded to believe almost anything without question.
Old Major chose a poor time to launch a rebellion. The dogs showed little care for the outcome of their pups’ upbringing. The hens’ independence could be seen as a bad action to the taking over of the farm. If the sheep were genetically smarter the story’s course could have been changed. Boxer’s tolerance of the pigs could have been a factor leading to his death. Benjamin’s negligence could have been the downfall of the farm. Lastly the remaining pigs selfishness is a contribution leading to the worse then average life of the farm animals. All these animals were responsible for the pigs’ dictatorship.
Animal Farm is another book by George Orwell that involves animals on a farm going against humans that take care of them and humans from other farms. They are being led by three pigs named Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer. These pigs portray different types of historical figures such as Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, and Hitler ruling a Totalitarian society (Other animals on the farm)."I warn every animal on this farm to keep his eyes very wide open. For we have reason to think that some of Snowball's secret agents are lurking among us at this moment."(Orwell, Animal Farm 82) Snowball eventually was forced out of the group as he was against Napoleon's way of ruling. In this quote, Napoleon and Squealer mention Snowballs “Secret Agents” or spies
The Pigs' Intellectual Exploitation in Animal Farm 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. Intelligent pigs take advantage of the uneducated lower animals and take control of the farm. By showing the steady increase in the pigs' intellectual exploitation of the lower animals, Orwell warns the reader of the importance of an education.