Theme Of Corruption In Animal Farm

The Power of Fear: An Analysis of the Corruption of Those in Power, and Those That Become Victim to It Power- it divides nations, colonizes many, and often brings an essence of fear with its presence, no matter who is the one that is holding it. Power, and the corruption that seems to come hand in hand with it, is a concept that appears to have been seen time and time again throughout history; but, is it really power that sullies the men that possess it, or rather, is it the fear of no longer having it that causes the moral downfall of a man in power? As Aung Sun Suu Kyi expresses, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”
The animals, at first, must face the terrorizing power that all humans hold over them. Through the fear that the animals have endured their entire lives, they decide to change the course of their future- but even through their acts of bravery and dauntlessness, they still become a prisoner to the exploitation of power over others. After the revolution, they become victim to “Napoleonism,” and though some say being ruled by Napoleon is a better fate than being disciplined by any human, there is an understanding that Napoleon’s power has become too immense for himself. One of the wisest (and oldest) animals on the farm, Clover, ultimately understands the harrowing conditions that Napoleon has created on the farm. Orwell writes as her persona, “They had come to a time when no one dared speak his mind, growling dogs roamed everywhere, and when you had to watch your comrades torn to pieces after confessing to shocking crimes” (87). Clover finally realizes that, though the animals may not live in fear of a totalitarian state created by Mr. Jones, the feeling of distraught created by him is reflected in the way that Napoleon decides to rule the farm. The animals are the perfect faction to prey upon, in the sense of gaining complete power over- they are not as educated as the humans or some of the other pigs, they tend to be quite gullible, and they have spent their entire lives wishing for a leader that will not take advantage of them, and will serve them rightfully and equitably. Because of their lives that have been spent unaccustomed to a proper leader and guide, they are left to be subjected to the ignorance of the characters in power in this novel, and must live their lives in a