Preview

What Does Orwell Say About Power And Corruption

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
507 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Does Orwell Say About Power And Corruption
Perge 1

Andrew Pergek
CP English 9
Mrs. Murgatroyd
March 13, 2015 Power, Deception, and Equality Edward Abbey once said, “Power is always dangerous. Power acts the worst and corrupts the best”. George Orwell wrote Animal Farm to tell the truths about Stalin’s power and corruption.
Animal Farm has many historical figures represented in it such as Stalin, Trotsky, Karl Marx, Rasputin, and many more. The books mimicked the Russian Revolution and Stalin's reign of Russia. George Orwell teaches many truths in Animal Farm including; absolute power corrupts absolutely, equality is not always equal, and deception is easy when others lack education. George Orwell teaches many truths in
Animal Farm
…show more content…
Napoleon shows that equality is not always equal when he changes the last commandment. Orwell writes,” All animals are equal, but some equals are more equal than others.” (133). Napoleon also demonstrates inequality when he gives the pigs extra apples and milk. Orwell writes,” So it is agreed without further argument that the milk and apples should be reserved for the pigs.” (54). The more education one has, the harder it is to deceive them. The final truth Orwell taught was deception is easy when others lack education. The pigs show that deception is easy when others lack education when Squealer convinces the other animals that Snowball was Jones’ agent. Orwell writes,” ‘Our leader, Comrade Napoleon,’ announced Squealer, speaking slow and firmly,’ has stated categorically­ categorically, comrade­ that Snowball was Jones’ agent from the very beginning­ yes, and long before the rebellion was ever thought of.’” (91). The pigs also proved that deception was easy when others lack education when they changed the another commandment. Orwell writes,” They had thought the Fifth commandment was ‘No animal shall drink alcohol,’ but there were two words they had forgotten. Actually the commandment read: ‘No animal shall drink alcohol to excess.’” (113). There is not always equality that is truly

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    “With power comes great responsibility.” This quote perfectly describes the future of not just world leaders, but any leader. Power is a great chance for a good world change, but it can also be manipulated for selfish reasons. If lured to the dark side, control can be one of the most dangerous and horrifying things in the universe. Considering that, power is a negative trait, not just for the user, but also for its victims and the effects power has.…

    • 1077 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The novella by George Orwell, Animal Farm, is an allegory, or a piece of literature with a hidden meaning, of the Russian Revolution of 1917. Animal Farm follows the events of the farm animals and their uprising against the farmer. Despite the obvious differences between, Animal Farm, and the Russian Revolution, they are very much similar. Characters from the novella can be compared to historical figures from the revolution. While the novella is not limited to these characters, these are the most significant. These characters are: Jones and Czar Nicholas II, Old Major and Karl Marx, Snowball and Leon Trotsky, as well as Napoleon and Joseph Stalin. In addition, certain events of the Russian Revolution can be compared to those of Animal Farm.…

    • 2028 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    This Animal Farm and its authoritarian leader facilitate a severely unethical environment, wherein law changing for one's personal benefit and conversing with the enemy is perfectly fine. Animals are chosen to portray humans in this narrative because during the Russian Revolution "leaders" performed unspeakable acts; acts that people would and should never even think about doing to their fellow man. Napoleon and his minion pig, Squealer successfully replicate these acts by manipulating the lesser intelligent animals to believe in Napoleon's superiority. Secretly both the ladder and former have worked together to become an oppressive, sorry excuse for a government institution to extremely hardworking. Napoleon eventually strays very far from the base idea that all animals are equal which was established by the wisest of the pigs. The makeshift Stalin says, "...all animals are created equal, but some animals are more equal than others."(Orwell…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm Dbq

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Joseph Stalin was the most ruthless dictator throughout history. The book, Animal Farm written by George Orwell, was an allegory of how Stalin harshly ruled over the Soviet Union from 1929 to 1953. Animal farm follows a group of animals who wanted a utopia and while striving for this goal, made a dystopia. When the animals took over the farm, the leaders became the pigs since they were the most intelligent. Overtime a pig named Napoleon took complete control of Animal Farm using various methods of deception. Napoleon stays in charge of Animal Farm by using Animalism, fear and propaganda.…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton). The novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, demonstrates multiple ways how power was abused during the time of the Russian Revolution. This book displays many parallels with history, for example, how the animals on the farm represent the people of Russia. On the other hand, the pigs, that portray the leaders of Russia, who wanted nothing but authority which lead to corruption. In interest of gaining more privileges and power, Squealer persuades the animals to let the pigs sleep in the beds using guilt and fear tactics.…

    • 503 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The quote written by Lord Acton, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Relates to the novel Animal Farm for the reason that in Animal Farm power influences the characters, the pigs in particular because the power they obtained blinded them of their initial idea, which was to build a fair and just society on Manor Farm. Using the ability to persuade the other animals on the farm, to their advantage, the pigs seized the commanding role on the farm. With that they continue to abuse their power until they became exactly like those who they were rebelling against, the humans. Consequently, this shows the effect power has if used immorally.…

    • 115 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The animals go from disregarding an unwritten, unspoken set of rules (the common belief that animals are lesser than humans) to disobeying a written set of rules. The pigs created the Seven Commandments as the definition of animalism, a philosophy that preached animal equality. The pigs say, “These Seven Commandments would now be inscribed on the wall; they would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after” (Orwell 9). The Seven Commandments stated that animals must never wear clothing, sleep in beds, or drink alcohol, as those things are characteristic of humans. However, as the pigs started doing all of the things that were prohibited, Squealer, the propagandist, modified the commandments to allow whatever the pigs were doing. Orwell suggests that there will always be a disruption of order. The animals disrupt the order that the humans established, while the pigs disregard the order that they themselves…

    • 1399 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Fitzpatrick, Kathleen. “Animal Farm.” Novels for Students: Volume 3. Detroit, MI: .....GaleResearch, 1998. 13-16. Print. Kathleen Fitzpatrick writes that the reader of Geroge Orwell’s novel must have an understanding of the historical setting to prove that the work is .not simply an indictment of Communism in the Soviet Union. My essay will include many .references to the control that a communist government has. This essay by…

    • 596 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Power is something nobody should mess with, power can corrupt. I had friends that would play with a stick. The stick was the only way to win the game, so when we were playing one kid slapped the other in order to obtain the stick, and once he had it he chased the rest of the kids with the intent to harm them, the boy had a taste of power that day and tried to make it worthwhile. The little boy’s intentions were bad just as big brother’s in the novel 1984 by George Orwell. Winston is your everyday office worker working for the dictator Big Brother. Winston, like others disagree with Big Brother’s plans. Winston finds his companion and lover julia and together try to spread the word of Big Brothers intentions. A theme that can be derived from the novel is power can and will corrupt.…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Orwell uses many characters to emphasize leadership and corruption. Napoleon the pig is made leader through deception and abuse of his power. He is selfish and beguiling and becomes consumed in control and authority that he himself becomes corrupted. For e.g. Napoleon demands the seven commandments which include, 'Whatever goes up on two legs is an enemy, No animal shall wear clothes, No animal shall drink alcohol and No animal shall kill any other animal.' By the end of the book, he alone breaks every one of these rules for his personal benefit. He also, uses his power to change the commandments in order to cover his wrong actions. Napoleon has absolute power over the animals and farms, he knows this, so he can break the rules and misuse his authority for his gain.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    In George Orwell’s book “Animal Farm”, we can see that he makes the characters personify the leaders in the Russian Revolution. He makes a comparison among animal’s characters during the rebellion against the Russian Revolution and Stalin. Orwell shows how people can be fooled by tyrants to believing anything. The animals in the story who act as the main characters may seem like regular animals but upon historical reference these are actually representatives for Communist leaders, such as Joseph Stalin, Leon Trotsky, and others.…

    • 390 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story Animal Farm is not just one of farm animals working for human beings. Rather, the tale gives us insight of the Russian Revolution and what occurred during and after the event, the animals functioning as certain historical figures and groups. George Orwell, in Animal Farm condemns and criticizes the actions and injustices that occurred during the reign of Joseph Stalin with the evil character Napoleon. As the farm animals are encountered with no freedom, no equality, and are being slaughtered by their own kind, Orwell illustrates the misinterpretation of a Utopian society and the wrong turn rebellion can take with the wrong leader in charge.…

    • 780 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Animal Farm, written by George Orwell in 1945, portrays the Russian Revolution by using animals on a farm as symbols of political figures, such as Lenin and Stalin, and historical events as well. Orwell often wrote books such as Animal farm so that he can reflect and share his concern on the political and social circumstances of his day@. After the animals were treated brutally, they decided to revolt and rule the farm on their own. This resulted in them being in the hands of Napoleon, who was one of the pigs. Napoleon was not the leader who they thought he was, but a corrupted dominator. This was much like the Russian Revolution where the citizens revolted against Czar and later resulting in having Stalin, who was much like Napoleon as their leader. The book was very convincing in getting the message of the Russian Revolution and how power can be dangerous when in the wrong hands, across to the readers.…

    • 1780 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Satire Animal Farm

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Animal Farm, written by George Orwell, is a satire, which criticizes the Russian leaders, government, communism, and world powers. It shows how an uneducable lower class can lead to social corruption in the fictional world and real world. Orwell shows Stalin and Trotsky as the leaders of Russia, in a way, in which the nation of Russia and the world had never seen before; he portrays the world leaders as animals on a farm that wish for a rebellion. Mr. Jones treats the animals on the farm atrociously and consequently they long for freedom from the humans. However, the animals later realize that their freedom was not everything they wish for. The book includes many ideas from the Russian rebellion, the injustice of communism, and the struggles of the lower class in Russia. Animal Farm demonstrates that when many leaders come together and others blindly follow, social corruption and inequality may occur.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    George Orwell believed in using axioms (a statement or proposition that is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true), to prove or describe a point he has previously made. One axiom in particular that Orwell uses is as follows: “Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” This statement can be proved true not only through works of fiction, but also through actual historical and current events. First of all, the theme of power through corruption reverberates through George Orwell’s book, Animal Farm. One example is his use of Napoleon’s leadership. Napoleon’s original goal is to create a successful and prosperous farm run by animals. Napoleon takes over Mr. Jones’s spot as the leader of the…

    • 562 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays

Related Topics