Power turning to corruption on the novel animal farm
With a name that defines exactly what he does, Squealer is the only pig on the farm that actually speaks to the other animals. A small fat pig with very round cheeks, twinkling eyes, nimble movements, and a shrill voice. He is a brilliant talker and is known to change black to white. He could turn "black to white," which is a Chinese proverb meaning to distort the truth to manipulate people. His persuasive speech is enough to change the decisions of the other animals. He is also very good with words, as he can twist his language to make even the worst situations or his most blatant lies sound good. He has a way of skipping between arguments or stating different arguments in quick succession to make it difficult for his opponent to argue his reasoning. Squealer is in no way honest; he is the most dishonest character in the novel. The only time in which Squealer is seen to be troubled or upset by what he has to say is the moment in which Boxer is injured and he has to convince the animals that the van was purchased from the knackers by another owner and in which the wild lies about Snowball's supposed involvement with Jones to the animals' battle with Frederick and his other farmers. In both circumstances, it was only because Squealer was caught off guard and he simply covered up his tracks with more lies. Squealer represents the media – for he is the link between Napoleon and other animals, and Napoleon represents the government of a corrupt leader. Squealer convinces the animals (proletariat) that Napoleon is right and all of his actions are for the best of the farm, with tactics of saying "surely you don't want Jones to come back" or manipulating the animals into a frame of mind where they feel guilty of their doubts. He uses the sheep to drown out voices of protest, and when some animals do argue that what he says doesn't add up, he uses his eloquence to twist their arguments and intimidate them into agreeing with him.
Through the guise of a seemingly simple tale about farm animals, Orwell crafts a sophisticated political satire that exposes the corruption of revolutionary ideals and the dangers of totalitarian power (Orwell, 1945). Boxer is an example of all that is noble in the working class of Animal Farm. He is a dedicated and hardworking horse who displays unwavering loyalty to the pigs. His greatest weakness is his blind trust because he does not possess great intelligence. Boxer has been compared to the proletariat or working class in Russian society. His description as "faithful and strong in body" shows the physical strength of the proletariat, but the anagram "ignorant and unquestioning" highlights their intellectual limitations. It is Boxer's naivete that leads to his ultimate downfall and the ultimate betrayal of the working class by those at the top. Boxer throws himself completely into the task of building the windmill, the project which he believes will improve the lives of the animals and is happy in his selflessness at this time. His motto of "I will work harder" becomes a parody of his situation when he is unable to do so because of his failing health after the windmill is destroyed the second time. Boxer's grief and self-criticism at this time are touching, and it is typical that at his moment of greatest need (when he is sold to the knackers) he has a solitary lament that he has let down the pigs. In reality, they have exploited him for his sweat and toil and then callously disposed of him when he was no longer of any use in gaining them what they wanted. Boxer dies a tragic hero, betrayed by the pigs who claimed to value him, and the ultimate irony is that he was no clearer in his understanding of events that led to his undoing. With the title "Snowball," the character is an allegorical parallel for Leon Trotsky. He is an idealist who wants to improve the lot of the animals. Trotsky was imbued with this mission following the Russian Revolution. The idealist is then outmaneuvered by the tactician and he is forced to work for the general good through hard labor. Snowball asserts, "Some of you animals are not much better than humans." Florey and Dumond, 1969: 107. This is a reflection on Trotsky's introduction of a minimum wage where he said, "Where is the man who does not get a starvation wage? It is up to him to unite with the farmers to fight against the common enemy." Simmons, 1968: 133. Despite the fact that all Trotsky intended was an improvement in living standards for the Russian proletariat, it would seem that he was also echoing Snowball's sentiments. An underlying theme within the character of Snowball is a skewed reflection on events in Russia up to Trotsky's expulsion from the Communist Party. Snowball is one of the key figures during the Battle of the Cowshed and is hailed for his heroism. Then he is outmaneuvered by Napoleon who raises nine "violent dogs" up from puppies. As it was taken from Trotsky's autobiography; My Life: "A few days later he took the puppies from their mothers and said to us that the dogs did not belong to any animal and that they would train them to serve themselves." Simmons, 1968: 201. This led to the eventual intimidation and the exile of Trotsky. The precise parallel between these events in Animal Farm and those of Russia in the 1920s up to the Show Trials reveal Snowball as a Trotsky figure, a man of ideas, who is ultimately defeated by Stalin's opportunism and the perversion of Trotsky's ideas.
George Orwell's Animal Farm concerns a fierce revolution that erupts between people and animals on an English farm. Throughout the novel Orwell focuses on the theme of tyranny. Napoleon, the pig who seizes power, Squealer, his partner in crime, and Boxer, a victim of tyranny, are all clear examples of characters that are affected by tyranny. .
The primary character who is greatly influenced by tyranny is Napoleon. As Napoleon rose to power he began to oppress his fellow animals. Eventually he became the dictator, controlling the lives of his comrades. Napoleon begins to over power and brainwash his own citizens into a life of hard labor and misery. As a result of his tyrannical actions, Napoleon becomes a primary example of a character that embodies the theme of tyranny.
Another main character that is influenced by tyranny is Squealer. When Napoleon took power on Animal Farm, Squealer became his spokesperson. He listened to everything Napoleon said and somehow managed to convince the animals the Napoleons new rules were for the good of the animals, and not just for the pigs" wealth. Squealer's quick thinking and strong lectures changed the views of most of the animals on the farm, but mainly Boxer and the Sheep. Squealer is another primary example that absolutism has affected many animals on the farm. .
The last main character that the tyrannical actions of napoleon had affected is Boxer. Boxer's hard work made things easy for the farm, but Squealer convinced Boxer that he should somehow put extra efforts into working so he can rise above the other animals. Boxer soon falls under Napoleons" dictating spells and while he works Boxer keeps thinking to himself, "Napoleon is always right." Boxer soon got overworked and Napoleon used tyrannical actions and told the other animals that they took him to a doctor, but really he was taken to be slaughtered. Boxer was not part of any dictating, but by other people being dictatorial, Boxer was greatly affected. We first see Napoleon when the pigs take the freshly harvested milk and that these apples are essential to their brainwork. No argument must lead to any member of the flock responding. This sets the stage for the devastation of Napoleon. He is a pig described as rather fierce looking, not much of a talker, and having a reputation for getting his way. This was done by deliberate means. It is a while before we see any other dominant characteristics of Napoleon. After we learn of the rebellion that will be happening, he takes about 9 newborn puppies into seclusion. They are brought up to be completely loyal to Napoleon and later we see them become ferocious dogs used to enforce his power. At this stage, Snowball has shown to be a very effective and strategic leader and Napoleon feels threatened by this, so he decides to raise 9 dogs that were taken from their mother at birth to be his own security and essentially a weapon to overthrow Snowball's leadership. It shows that Napoleon was scared of losing his status and power and this was the first of many selfish acts he takes to ensure he is the leader. He is driven by power and status and proves this by chasing Snowball away from the farm when the idea of the windmill is stolen and later using him as a scapegoat. Although Napoleon was described as not much of a talker, but having a reputation for getting his own way, we see a near unrivaled talent for deception and persuasive speech. Throughout the ongoing build and destruction of the windmill, he has the animals convinced that despite his minimal work, it is Snowball who is responsible for their misfortune. He played on current political situations, misusing Squealer's ability to twist language to change the Seven Commandments to benefit the pigs in every situation. His biggest act of deception was the release of the pigeons believed to be in conjunction with Mr. Jones, who are apparently spreading tales of an impending attack on Animal Farm. THEME AND RELEVANCE THEME: The Animal Farm concerns with the Revolution for an ideal, and about how the ideal is violated until it disappears altogether from the new society after the revolution. It tells how the animal captured the Manor Farm from its unconcerned master, change its name to Animal Farm and establish a community in which all animals are equal, how a power-starved pig brought into existence his own personal dictatorship, how the animals learned that some animals are more equal?... RELEVANCE: The story of the Animal Farm is about the Russian Revolution. ... Almost all scen...
Prompt: What is the main theme of Animal Farm?
Hey all. I really need help writing a conclusion for my animal essay. The question is...How does Orwell explore the problem of rhetoric in ‘Animal Farm?’ Paying particular attention to the character of Squealer, how is language used as an instrument of social control? How do the pigs rewrite history?
. (2024) '50 Animal Farm Essay Topics'. 23 July.
- Thus, Animal Farm depicts the idea that alliances formed in a tyrannical dictatorship are merely veneers of camaraderie, which hide each personâs capability to destroy others in their path towards control.
Appreciating Animal Farm in the New Millennium.
Old Major had a vision that never came to be. After his death, it became twisted and perverted by those animals that got a taste of power and could not let it go. Instead of an animal utopia, pigs like Napoleon turned the farm into an autocratic dictatorship. Animals would senselessly and tragically die through a poisoned ideology meant for the self-gain of certain pigs. Orwell's Animal Farm hence becomes a cautionary tale of a utopian dream going wrong through human (animal) nature.