Animal Farm Theme Analysis Essay

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Animal Farm Theme Analysis Essay

“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” A quote from the book, Animal Farm written by George Orwell, which excellently described one of the major themes of it. The quote is accurate as the pigs, having the authority and power, looked to themselves as better and more powerful than any other animals which symbolize corruption and inequality.

The pigs’ actions in the book clearly signify corruption and inequality. First is when the pigs appointed themselves as the decision-makers of all the animals and the farm when Mr. Jones was driven out of the farm. After their revolution against Mr. Jones, the pigs appointed themselves to be the brain-workers or leaders of the farm. They would ask the other animals to do their work while they steal from them and defend themselves by proclaiming, “We pigs are the brain-workers.” (22). Second is when the pigs slept in the beds whereas their Seven Commandments said not to. When the pigs reason out that they “…should have a quiet place to work in…” (42) They chose to stay in the farmhouse where they “…took their meals in the kitchen and used the drawing-room as a recreation room, but also slept in beds.” (42) Some of the animals were disturbed by the pigs’ doings. Clover even remembered about the rules against beds but she then found out that it said “No animals shall sleep in a bed with sheets” It is evident that the pigs changed the rule after they did their wrongdoings just to proved that they did nothing wrong. Lastly is when Napoleon forced the animals, which were against him, to confess that they were in touch with Snowball. After their confessions, the animals were executed immediately by his guard dogs. “They [the animals] were shaken and miserable…it seemed to all of them that it was far worse now that it was happening among themselves.” (53) The animals knew that it was wrong for an animal to kill any other animal. But they could not do anything for they knew that if they do something, they will also be executed. These evidences show how cruel and atrocious the pigs turned out. They only did not become like Mr. Jones but worse. They brainwashed the other animals and controlled them for their selfish purposes. Having the power, they thought that they are better than any other animals.

These kinds of situations not only happen in the book but also in reality. Orwell’s Animal Farm is a satire book. The book specifically symbolizes what was going on during the Revolutionary and Post-Revolutionary Russia and, by extension, on all revolutions and dictators. It was the time of Stalinism. It was when Joseph Stalin, the ruthless and cynical leader, ruled Soviet Union (Russia) where he was effectively the dictator of the state. In the book, Napoleon drove Snowball out of the farm by his guard dogs. The scene actually happened when Stalin, as Napoleon, exile Trotsky, an idealist acting as Snowball, out of Russia by his KGB (secret police). Corruption and inequality did not stop there, it is still going on up to present and continues to ruin civilizations

Therefore, because the pigs looked to themselves as almost as gods, thinking that they are far off better than any other animals and that deserve everything they want, the theme is “All animals are all equal but some animals are more equal than others.” The animals unite to revolt against Mr. Jones, whom they hate and despise, but in the end it turned out that they, the pigs, are too becoming like him. The irony of the pigs’ overthrowing Mr. Jones and ended up like him clearly described one of the themes of the book. I realized that greed for power will always be a bad thing and will always result into trouble, misunderstandings and even death. The book taught me that in being a leader, power should not control you but you should control power and use it for good. Overall, it taught me that “revolution ends where it begins.”