Animal Farm †the Nature of Power Essay

Animal Farm The Nature of PowerDescribe at least one idea that was worth curbing nearly. Explain wherefore the idea was worth learning ab come in in the text.In George Orwells apply Animal Farm an idea that was worth learning about was the obnubilateive temperament of mightiness, and the effects it has on those who wield it. Power tends to corrupt absolute big businessman corrupts absolutely. -Lord Acton. This is important beca utilise it gives the reader an insight on Orwells theory on why most communist revolutions and regimes fail. In the radical of Animal Farm the tyrant bring forther Jones is overthrown and the animals atomic number 18 modify with visions of a farm where were all animals are equal and were animals work together to bring into being a better world for all animals, the base principles of communism, or the so called animalism in the book. Although this is a good ideal in theory, it runs once against the personality of man (or animals in the case of the book) and we soon see things heading downhill. Because of the nature of power we arent all equal. We dont conduct the analogous drives and same compassion as a group, and therefore it is unlikely we put up create a society of true equality.The way Orwell portrays the pigs suggests he believes that either vacuum of power will be filled quickly by those who take the chance to seize it. In the book, from the very point Jones is overthrown, the pigs sweep up leadership roles. In the first harvest on the farm, The pigs did non real numberly work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should wear down the leadership. The pigs have already asserted themselves because of their superior intellect. None of the animals calculate to have a problem with this, perhaps because the pigs have suggested its natural, even though it is already running against one of the key principles of animalism all animals are equal. Napoleon an d Snowball have already set themselves up with superiority to the un-educated animals. The pigs begin to take things for themselves, always convincing the animals that it is for the good of the whole farm. winning take out and apples for themselves to be mixed into their mash. This is covered up by the pigs propaganda apparatus Squealer, a highly manipulative pig with a way inwords. Comrades he cried. 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. Squealer plays on the imprecate given to the pigs, and manipulates reality so as the pigs can take for themselves. This runs completely against the idea of equality, the vision of equality does not mean someone taking privileges for themselves.The pigs use their higher intellect to their advantage, and use control over wording to keep the power in their manpower and out of the hands of the masses. They as well use this control over langua ge to assign themselves privileges and allow themselves to edit the rules. The birds did not understand Snowballs long words, but they accepted his explanation, and all the humbler animals set to work to learn the new maxim by heart. Four legs good, both legs bad. This maxim, which serves as a controlling device, arises because of the working animals inability to understand or learn the cardinal commandments, a set of rules set afterward the rebellion. Its simplicity allows it to be intimately altered and manipulated. Napoleon uses his control of language to his own advantage, and the pigs edit the seven unchangeable commandments. There was yet another of them that the animals had remembered wrong. They had thought that the Fifth educational activity was no animal shall beverage alcohol, but there were devil words which they had forgotten.Actually the commandment read No animal shall drink alcohol to excess. They allow themselves the luxury of the farmhouse beds, and drinkin g alcohol, all which was agreed against after the rebellion. Because the animals believe that the commandments are unchangeable, and because of their blind trust in the pigs, and now also because of fear of the pigs, they do not question them, their superiors. Squealer, Napoleons propaganda machine is the main perpetrator of this twisting of language, and controls the masses with this. If anybody opposes, the sheep begin to bleat in chorus, four legs good, two legs bad preventing any discussion, so Napoleon has control of what is said. This relates directly to real revolution, were control over language and especially large amounts of propaganda are apply to control the masses, what is said and sometimes even what is thought.Because the pigs and especially Napoleon have power, and the trust of theother animals, and no one questions their decisions. When the dogs give fork over to some new born puppies, Napoleon takes them away from their mothers, saying that he would make himself responsible for their education the rest of the farm forgot their existence. The animals noticed that the dogs are gone, but decide against questioning or challenging what Napoleon is to do with them. Lack of action on the animals part means that the pigs can widen to seize power until a state where they are practically untouchable. It is not until Snowball proposes a windmill be built on the farm that we see things escalate. We then see a power struggle mingled with Snowball and Napoleon. This is where the dogs come back in, and Napoleon releases them on Snowball and exiles him from the farm. nix now speaks out against Napoleon as they are physically scare by the dogs, which serve as bodyguards to Napoleon. Napoleon becomes greedy with power and fleetly removes his opposition, Snowball, and asserts his own dominance. Napoleon can do what he chooses because Snowball is not there to oppose, and the other animals do not oppose either out of fear after seeing the fate of Snowball, or because they are blind by Squealers lies and still trust in Napoleon. Orwell is here proposing the idea that those in power often use physical harm or bullying to keep power away from the masses.In the end we see the pigs associating with homosexuals and the pigs almost becoming the same as humans, as they have been filled with the corruption of power and greed The creatures looked from pig to man, and from pig to man again but already it was impossible to say which was which. Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely. This is important because Orwell was strongly anti-fascism hence he went to fight in the Spanish civil war with the republicans against the fascist militarist rule of Franco. Throughout the book the pigs play upon the nave trust of the other animals. This is important because it demonstrates peoples willingness to take advantage of others. This is an unattractive but strong part of human nature. The flip side is the stupidity of the animals, or masses o f humans, that give trust to those who are unproven and then fail to return to that decision and underwrite that it was really the correct one to make. The only thing necessary for the jump for joy of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke. Surely we dont just hand over unlimited trust and thereforepower and expect it to all just work out? Responsibility belongs to us all.