Critical Analysis of Animal Farm and 1984
Ryan Mobley
Ms. Burkhardt
Honors English 12
4/23/2009
Critical Analysis of 1984 and Animal Farm
George Orwell experienced many different ordeals that allowed him to write the amazing stories 1984 and Animal Farm. Orwell’s upbringing and development was greatly impacted by his father’s absence during his childhood. Also, Orwell experienced firsthand the hardships of harmful government policies during his time spent in Burma. He also saw the misleading tactics and psychological attacks made by groups such as those involved in the Russian revolution while he fought for the Royal Army in 1917. He saw people’s true fear of tyrannical government in his fight against Joseph Stalin. Orwell’s Napoleon represents Stalin through his harsh dictator-like in Animal Farm. These experiences were the main premises for writing 1984 and Animal Farm. Both deal with the brutality that governments can procure through their extreme power misuse and other means of abuse. These influences helped Orwell envision two fantasy worlds in which abused citizens suffer and the class in power eliminates any opposition. In 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell portrays how the individual is easily manipulated by a higher power to become part of the masses through use of fear of execution, psychological manipulation, and misleading government policies.
The most prevalent example of Orwell’s ability to show fear of execution is the use of the Thought Police in 1984. The Thought Police are a group of people that work for Big Brother, the tyrannical government seen in this novel. The Thought Police are used to prevent citizens from even thinking about revolting against Big Brother. If a citizen was discovered to be thinking of anarchy, they would be taken and tortured until they are once again loyal followers of Big Brother. This constant supervision is displayed in the statement, “Big Brother is watching you,” found on giant posters throughout the city. This shows that these “policemen” are
Ms. Burkhardt
Honors English 12
4/23/2009
Critical Analysis of 1984 and Animal Farm
George Orwell experienced many different ordeals that allowed him to write the amazing stories 1984 and Animal Farm. Orwell’s upbringing and development was greatly impacted by his father’s absence during his childhood. Also, Orwell experienced firsthand the hardships of harmful government policies during his time spent in Burma. He also saw the misleading tactics and psychological attacks made by groups such as those involved in the Russian revolution while he fought for the Royal Army in 1917. He saw people’s true fear of tyrannical government in his fight against Joseph Stalin. Orwell’s Napoleon represents Stalin through his harsh dictator-like in Animal Farm. These experiences were the main premises for writing 1984 and Animal Farm. Both deal with the brutality that governments can procure through their extreme power misuse and other means of abuse. These influences helped Orwell envision two fantasy worlds in which abused citizens suffer and the class in power eliminates any opposition. In 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell portrays how the individual is easily manipulated by a higher power to become part of the masses through use of fear of execution, psychological manipulation, and misleading government policies.
The most prevalent example of Orwell’s ability to show fear of execution is the use of the Thought Police in 1984. The Thought Police are a group of people that work for Big Brother, the tyrannical government seen in this novel. The Thought Police are used to prevent citizens from even thinking about revolting against Big Brother. If a citizen was discovered to be thinking of anarchy, they would be taken and tortured until they are once again loyal followers of Big Brother. This constant supervision is displayed in the statement, “Big Brother is watching you,” found on giant posters throughout the city. This shows that these “policemen” are