Animal Farm is a novel by George Orwell about a group of farm animals that take over from the humans and run things their way. Even though the power of the humans is abolished, there is still a power struggle that goes on within the farm that the animals have to deal with throughout the book. Some of the issues that Orwell looks at throughout the novel are power, fear and equality. Power Definition: the capacity or ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others or the course of events. In Animal Farm Orwell shows power as something the can be something some individuals get hooked on.
They spend a lot of time making sure that have it and only them get to have it. ‘Old Major dies three nights later, but his message takes hold. The pigs are the smartest of the animals and over the next three months two pigs in particular emerge as leaders. The lively Snowball and the powerful Napoleon. ’ These two leaders emerge and you would hope that maybe they could work together as a sort of team to keep the other animals safe and keep the farm running smoothly but the power of course gets the better of at least one of them and they turn on each other creating conflicts and power struggles.
You know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL! ’ He Suddenly roared in a voice of thunder. ‘Snowball has done this thing! ” There is a power rivalry between Snowball and Napoleon. A tactic that Napoleon uses a lot throughout the book is to make up stories about his rival in order to make everyone fear and dislike Snowball making people trust himself all the more view him as their leader. “Napoleon is always right” this is what the animals learn to always say.
This really gives Napoleon a lot of power for in the animals’ eyes Napoleon can do no wrong because “Napoleon is always right” George Orwell clearly shows power as something that can change people into something they weren’t before and that the easiest and most leaned to tactic to keep power is manipulate people and change yourself for the worst. “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” – George Orwell Fear Definition: an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm.
Fear can be used to gain power and can be used to people advantages and against others. Fear can also be worked around and put up with when needed and sometimes it can even be overcome. “The animals distrusted Pilkington, as a human being, but greatly preferred him to Frederick, whom they both feared and hated” The animals have a lot of fear of a lot of individuals but sometimes it is either one evil or another so they decide which is the lesser evil and go with that for it is the easiest option “Do you know what would happen if we pigs failed in our duty?
Jones would come back! Yes, Jones would come back! Surely, comrades,’ cried Squealer almost pleadingly, skipping from side to side and whisking his tail, ‘Surely there is no one among you who wants to see Jones come back? ” Here Napoleon is using Fear of Mr Jones to get what he wants. If the other animals believe that if the don’t do what the pigs are telling them to do then Jones will come back then they shall certainly do what they are told for they are scared of Mr Jones and don’t want him to ever come back. “At this sight the animals’ courage returned to them.
The fear and despair they had felt a moment earlier were drowned in their rage against this vile, contemptible act. A mighty cry for vengeance went up, and without waiting for further orders they charged forth in a body and made straight for the enemy. ” Here the animals in this moment have overcome their fear and one of the most easiest emotions to overcome fear is anger and these animals have a lot of anger in them. They want Vengeance. Fear is a strong emotion. It can be overcome though, usually with anger. It can also be used to power hungry individuals advantage so it can be a weapon as well.
Equality Definition: the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities. Equality is a hard thing accomplish. Maybe almost impossible. But sometimes it can be if worked for. “7. All animals are equal. ” At the start of the of the rebellion just after they have driven out the humans, they make a list of rules and of course they make sure to state that “all animals are equal” it is something that all the animals view as being very important, for all the animals to be equal. “ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS” This is the original rule that has been seriously modified.
They changed from say that “All animals are Equal” to saying that some are actually more equal than others. This is basically Equality that has been corrupted by power. Equality proves to be a hard thing to maintain with power around. “what could be happening in there, now that for the first time animals and human beings were meeting on terms of equality? ” After this long haul of fighting and power brawls the humans and animals somehow found a way to come to together and meet on an equal base as equals. It may not last forever but it is a big thing to have ever happened.
As you can clearly see Equality is not an easy thing to accomplish let alone maintain. Yet sometimes it can be accomplished, even if just for a temporary time. Power, Fear and Equality are very big issues in Animal Farm and George Orwell pays attention to all of them. Especially power which comes into a lot of other issues including fear and equality. all these things can be used for good but things do get out of hand and are used in bad ways or just don’t work out like equality. Maybe peace could be made if there was the right amount of all three fear, power and equality.
