Animal Farm is a book written by Gorge Orwell in 1943-1944. Many allegories are used to represent the Russian Revolution. It can be said that the book is about many themes. We can agree with the fact that one of them is corruption. However, it is not the main one. Mostly it would be the theme of deception or betrayal.
According to Collins Cobuild “Corruption is dishonesty and illegal behavior by people in position of authority or power”.
In Animal Farm the ones “in position of authority” are the pigs, Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball. The pigs begin by leading and encouraging a revolution against the humans, but they end using the animals and what they gain from the revolution, to benefit themselves. An example would be with the seven commandments. When they first write them, they are in favor of all the animals. However, throughout the book the pigs slowly change them without making it too obvious to the animals that in changes they make, they are the ones who keep all the goods. “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. No animal shall wear clothes. No animal shall sleep in a bed. No animal shall drink alcohol. No animal shall kill another animal. All animals are equal.” All seven commandments end up being changed to something that favors them.
The fact that they benefit themselves because of the help of their power, intelligence and position compared to the rest of the animals, can be used as an example of corruption because they are the ones in “position of authority” and they are being dishonest and using illegal behavior. Although this can be used as an example of corruption, in my opinion it also is an example of deception and betrayal because they make the animals believe something and in the end they lie to them.
Deception is to deceive someone usually in order to get some advantage for yourself. “The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised