George Orwell Use Of Satire In Animal Farm
In the book, Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, the author tends to utilize satire to communicate his lesson. This book is a historical fiction, because of it revolves around the events of the Russian revolution, but much of the characters are replaced with farm animals. So in this case the animals are fighting for their freedom from the humans. In doing so a certain type of animal, the pigs, took charge and later started to use this power for their personal benefit. Orwell uses ridicule and reversal techniques of satire in order to teach that with power comes corruption and with absolute power comes absolute corruption. Orwell choses to use many techniques to satirize, with ridicule and reversal being among them. To start of with reversal
is when the opposite of normal order is presented. In the very start of the book, a character, Old Major, starts with the idea of equality and freedom for all animals from human beings. So he states some ways of successfully doing this, “ … in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices.”(11). When Old Major stated this, it was really defining the whole purpose of this movement. He wanted only better conditions in the life of the animals, and not for them to change themselves to being more like a human. Ironically, at the end of this “revolution”, “... the animals looked from pig to man, man to pig… impossible to say which was which.”(141). As you can see, by the end, the fact that the pigs have power over all the other animals have incited corruption. Also, the event that took place happened to be the exact opposite of what Old Major declared. As the second technique, Orwell choses to use ridicule. Ridicule is language or behaviour intended to intended to mock or humiliate. In the book, during the early stages of the revolution, the animals thought they should be educated. The “smarter” animals tried educating the other but failed in doing so, as the book reads, “ none of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A.”(33). Orwell describes that the people couldn’t tell right from wrong. They were unable to comprehend the situation and choose for themselves. Because of this the leaders had the advantage and took charge, making the conditions only better for themselves also known as corruption. Orwell’s intention was most likely to show what the people of the russian revolution look like to us today and to teach a lesson. He wanted to show what power could to one person versus what it could do if it was distributed throughout everyone. As a result, his use of reversal and ridicule leave us with how with power comes corruption and with absolute power comes absolute corruption.
is when the opposite of normal order is presented. In the very start of the book, a character, Old Major, starts with the idea of equality and freedom for all animals from human beings. So he states some ways of successfully doing this, “ … in fighting against Man, we must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices.”(11). When Old Major stated this, it was really defining the whole purpose of this movement. He wanted only better conditions in the life of the animals, and not for them to change themselves to being more like a human. Ironically, at the end of this “revolution”, “... the animals looked from pig to man, man to pig… impossible to say which was which.”(141). As you can see, by the end, the fact that the pigs have power over all the other animals have incited corruption. Also, the event that took place happened to be the exact opposite of what Old Major declared. As the second technique, Orwell choses to use ridicule. Ridicule is language or behaviour intended to intended to mock or humiliate. In the book, during the early stages of the revolution, the animals thought they should be educated. The “smarter” animals tried educating the other but failed in doing so, as the book reads, “ none of the other animals on the farm could get further than the letter A.”(33). Orwell describes that the people couldn’t tell right from wrong. They were unable to comprehend the situation and choose for themselves. Because of this the leaders had the advantage and took charge, making the conditions only better for themselves also known as corruption. Orwell’s intention was most likely to show what the people of the russian revolution look like to us today and to teach a lesson. He wanted to show what power could to one person versus what it could do if it was distributed throughout everyone. As a result, his use of reversal and ridicule leave us with how with power comes corruption and with absolute power comes absolute corruption.