The Role Of Conflict In Animal Farm And There Will Be Blood

Conflict involves three main parties; the alphas, the challengers and the compliants. Each role is as detrimental as the next, affecting the way conflict evolves and the lessons derived from it. Animal Farm and There Will Be Blood explore lessons from conflict via negative consequences, albeit in diverse paradigms. As texts reflect their context and values, lessons learnt from conflict remain irrespective of context in both texts.

The notion of profound greed and lust for power as a single leader, and the determination to exterminate weakness and interferences is a significant lesson learnt by characters as a result of conflict. This is evident in the portrayal of character Napoleon, from ‘AF’. Napoleon grasps that for utmost power, control
co operative enterprise”. As Napoleon becomes increasingly influential and powerful, he begins to recognise Snowball as a ominous rival, their future rift foreshadowed in the text, “...of all their controversies, none was so bitter as the one that took place over the windmill.” Fed up with Snowball’s unwavering competition and hindrance, Napoleon employs the scare tactic of dogs to chase Snowball off the farm. Napoleon utilises propaganda and deception to convince the animal crowd that Snowball was “...no better than a criminal” and uses Snowball as a scapegoat for bad occurrences. Conflict and betrayal explored between Napoleon and Snowball morphs from a positive “comradeship” into a toxic contention, their relationship destroyed by Napoleon’s greater greed for power. Napoleon acknowledges, because of conflict, that one cannot be completely successful and dominant whilst in a leadership duo, and addresses the undesirability to work in harmony with another whilst maintaining equal control. Correspondingly, There Will Be Blood embodies this lesson of riddance of obstructions in exchange for singular supremacy. Plainview and his son
This is illuminated through character Boxer, from ‘AF’. Boxer is represented as the farm’s most dedicated and loyal labourer, placing childlike trust in ‘all-knowing’ Napoleon. This is constantly revealed by his hyperbolising maxims “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right.” However, Boxer’s great strength is also matched by great innocence and foolishness. Boxer is intellectually inferior and “could not get beyond the letter D”, allowing him to be taken advantage of by Napoleon. Old Major’s speech at the beginning of the rebellion specifically foreshadows Boxer’s end, "...the very day that those great muscles of yours lose their power, Jones will send you to the knacker.” Dramatic irony is engaged by Orwell when Boxer is eventually sold away to a slaughter house by Napoleon, the animals assured that he was visiting the vet. As he is being led away to his death, Boxer needs to be informed of his terrible fate by Clover and Benjamin, “Fools! They are taking Boxer to the knacker’s!”. Boxer realises Napoleon’s true nature all too late, mistaking what he thought was purity for corruption. Boxer learns, as a result of this conflict, that one can be brainwashed and deceived if they trust too much, and that unbridled loyalty and devotion can result in death. Boxer was so