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. The intelligent pigs take advantage of the uneducated lower animals and take control of the farm. By showing the steady increase of the pigs' intellectual exploitation of the lower animals, Orwell warns the reader of the importance of an education.
Immediately after the revolution, the pigs began their intellectual exploitation of the lower farm animals by telling them that the cows' milk would be mixed with apples for the benefit of the pigs' health. " ' It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty? Jones would come back'" (42). This statement dumbfounded the animals. The fact that apples and milk were being stolen was lost in the fear of the tyrant Jones returning. Their lack of intelligence keeps them from recognizing that the pigs are exploiting them, and they slowly begin to hand over their newly-won freedom to their new masters, the pigs. The next freedom the animals unknowingly give up is the freedom of choice.
As the debates persisted, Napoleon and Snowball began disagreeing more often. While one argued about new rebellions in far off places the other would argue about defending Animal Farm for their safety, but the animals themselves were to dumbfound to figure out who was telling the truth in their best interest. "The animals listened first to Napoleon, then to Snowball, and could not make uptheir minds which was right indeed, they always found themselves in agreement with the one who was speaking at the moment"(...
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...lectual increase in the exploitation of the animals started with little things such as the eating of the apples for the pigs' health. Then the animals couldn't make an informed decision, which led to their bad decision making. Next Squealer would constantly tell the animals of the great things that they accomplished now that the pigs had gotten rid of Jones. After that the pigs used the animals' lack of memory to their advantage by changing laws and telling the animals that the rules that were on the wall, had been there forever. At the end of the book, the pigs had completely manipulated the lower animals' memories by going against the original views on animalism and by wearing man's clothing and walking on two legs. George Orwell wrote this novel as a warning to man about what is going on in society today and he also warns about the importance of an education.
From the death of Old Major, Snowball, Napoleon, and Squealer replaced him. At first things started off pretty well; the harvest was very good the first year and the reading and writing system had helped some, but had limited success on others. In time, the leaders of animal farm started to have mixed feelings. Snowball and Napoleon were in constant disagreement. An important meeting that was held ended with an astonishing outcome. One decision that was made was concerning the windmill project and the most important decision made was who would be the head animal. Snowball and Napoleon each gave their input on what needs to be done around the farm. “Snowball stood up and, though occasionally interrupted by bleating from the sheep, set forth his reasons for advocating the building of the windmill. Then Napoleon stood up to reply. He said ver quietly that the windmill was a nonsense and that he advised nobody to vote for it” (57).
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.
Animal Farm is not only a novel about rebellious animals; it is a study of the corruption of society and humanity in an enclosed environment. The actions of the anthropomorphic animals that now rule Manor Farm represent the human society as a whole. Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel which contains syntax that exemplifies power and hierarchies and diction that portrays character’s will and intention.
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.
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.
The rebellion was doomed to failure from the beginning. The pigs easily won the animals over with propaganda. An example of this came soon after the rebellion and the drawing up of the Seven Commandments, with the pigs justifying their need for milk and apples with lies and threats of Jones’ return.
...st followed what Squealer said and thought that was the truth, which is quite pathetic for them but it was also the wish of Napoleon: animals should be totally loyal and obedient to him.
It was the glorious speech from Old Major that made the animals want to rebel so badly. Animal Farm, written by George Orwell is an excellent novel that portrays the need for power. It shows how power can be used for either good or evil. The story begins on Manor Farm, owned by a farmer named Mr. Jones. One of the pigs, named Old Major, gives a speech that motivates the animals to rebel. After a while, the animals ended up rebelling, and managed to kick out Mr. Jones. During the beginning of “Animal Farm’s” reign under Snowball and Napoleon’s (main characters) lead, it brought the animals on Manor Farm together into a peaceful world. However, after this initial stance of power, Snowball and Napoleon began to fight for it. In the end, Napoleon ends up with control of the farm and Snowball is never seen again. Power is a corrupting influence in Animal Farm and both Snowball and Napoleon’s way of leading are very different.
This story Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel about an animal revolution over an oppressive farmer. The irony in the story comes when the pigs turn into the very thing revolted against. They exhibit the same cruelty by treating the other animals the same or even worse than previous owners. This cycle of cruelty is shown in the Russian revolution by Joseph Stalin who is represented by Napoleon in the story. Cruelty in animal farm is shown by the human’s treatment of the animals, and the animal’s eventual treatment of each other and the ironic characteristics of the two.
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.
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.
As a result, if the pigs are not allowed to do what they want, then Animal Farm will not prosper or function well. The effectiveness of propaganda is evident through the rise of a despotic and tyrannical government in Animal Farm. Used as a successful, manipulative tool in the story, Animal Farm depicts the dangers of propaganda to an ignorant and gullible society. Orwell’s story describes the actions that brought about the eventual collapse of an ideal utopian society.
The disappearance of the milk grew questioning in the animals on the farm, but Napoleon sent Squealer to explain, “Milk and apples contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of the pig (Orwell 36).” They took advantage of the animal’s knowledge by saying it was for the animals sake that they consume the apples and milk to keep the farm running, and threatens the return of Mr. Jones. Napoleon often uses the image of Jones as a scare tactic in order to get the other animals to agree with him. When the scarcity of food increases it is explained as a “readjustment (Orwell 112),” not as a reduction. The animals minds are being manipulated about reality by Napoleon and his growth of power. Throughout Animal Farm’s struggle, Napoleon still receives a fair amount of food, along with the other pigs, as well as the
Orwell opens the novel Animal Farm” mentioning about thee carelessness drunk runner or the Manor farm Mr.Jones. Oldest wise pig Major takes the use of the weakness of Mr.Jones and gives the idea of a farm which controls by themselves through his speech Old Major explains how the animals throughout the world suffers under the control of human beings. Then he says about his dream.
... In the end, George Orwell’s dark brooding fairy tale Animal Farm proves to be a symbolic and understanding book. In its pages we can see the contrast between a supposedly communistic state where everyone is equal and the same, and how in the end it only leads to a total dictatorial establishment of totalitarianism, where everything is controlled by an elite group. Though Animal Farm was established with the idea of every animal being equal, in the end, the voice of the scheming pigs was the only one heard. Secondly, the book powerfully symbolizes key figures that have appeared in history.