Animal Farm

Animal Farm
In the story, Animal Farm, the animals have taken over Manor Farm and have taken matters into their own hands. Naturally, there has to be a leader of some sort and since the old leader got run off; it is time for Napoleon to become the leader of Animals Farm. Of course not all animals are created equal, even if it does say that in the last commandment. There has to be different classes, kind of like a pyramid. Usually the leader sits on the top of the pyramid and then there is a middle and lower class. How does a leader ensure that they stay at the top? Well for Napoleon he made sure he stayed at the top by making the other classes uneducated, made them work, also didn’t remind them of the revolution.
For the animals that aren’t pigs or dogs; they get treated like they’re dirty rats, well even though some of them are. To ensure that Napoleon stays at the top, he doesn’t teach them stuff they need to know, because if they did then they would find what Napoleon is doing. The author, George Orwell, is saying that if the animals were to become literates under Napoleon’s command then they would know that Napoleon is breaking the commandments and vices. For example, when Napoleon made sure none of them knew how to read or write so that he can have Squealer change the commandments without the animals freaking out. Napoleon’s passion to stay leader made him turn into and enemy for not following the original commandments. It is because if he didn’t rewrite the commandments, then the animals would know he has broken all of them. Also when the animals could read a little, they still told lies to the animals. For example, when Boxer was sent to the Horse Slaughter, the animals were able to understand that he was sent to death. Napoleon still had Squealer lie to them and of course the ones that were dumb enough believed him. It is because in order for Napoleon to stay leader he has to manipulate the animals into thinking something good has happened when in reality, it was a terrible thing.
To make sure Napoleon made he stay on top, he made the animals work from duck until dawn. In order to make sure the animals keep working, he lies about hot it benefits them when it really only benefits him and the top of the pyramid. For example, when Napoleon kept making Boxer work and if he ever spoke something bad he would make him work harder or punish him. In order for the animals to not get suspicious, he needs to make the ones that ask questions his ways work so he does not tell any of the other animals. It is because if Boxer were able to think that Napoleon is doing a bad thing instead of having his mind on working, then he would tell the others. Another example is; “The animals were not badly off throughout that summer, in spite of the hardness of their work. If they had no more food that they had had in Jones’s day, at least they did not have less.” (Orwell, 62) Napoleon had brainwashed into thinking that they are getting enough food for the amount of hard labor they do each and every day. Napoleon’s wants to have things he doesn’t need causes the other animals to miss meals and to sacrifice their lives for him, because he has brainwashed them into thinking that way.
Since they are not getting taught to be literate and have to work day and night, the new animals are not being taught about the revolution. If they are not being taught about the revolution, then no one can remember what the rules first started out as and how everything was supposed to be the exact opposite of what it is now. For example whenever Squealer would change any of the commandments, the animals would question it at first, but then just assume that it was like that all along. Since they cannot remember what the commandment was, the animals just assume that it was like that all along and that Napoleon is following the commandments when in reality he is not. Another example is Napoleon tends to brainwash the other pigs into thinking that it was his idea to have started the revolution instead of Old Major’s. He did this only to gain more respect and power from the other animals. The pigs already look up to Napoleon, but most of them think that it was Napoleon’s idea to start a revolution when in reality it was Old Major’s. The reason he is doing this is to gain more respect form them as a leader. In the story, Animal Farm, animals have started a revolution, and have become their own society. In order to have a working society there has to be a leader. That leader is Napoleon and he’s been leader for a long time. The reason he has been able to stay leader without interruptions is because he has made the lower animals, work every day and night, does not teach them to be literates, also does not remind them of the revolution.