Quote Analysis

This may not be as sophistocated as other essays here in some of your opinions but I am in 7th grade so my writing caliber may not be as high as yours. But nonetheless I will put it here for viewing. “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others”(Orwell) it was written on the wall of the old barn where the animals used to meet. Over the course of the political allegory in the book, Animal Farm by George Orwell, the farm in which the animals reside undergoes drastic governmental changes. When the reader first meets the protagonists, they were under the bidding of the “Cruel”(as they originally saw it) farmer names Mr. Jones, who ruled them under a capitalist dictatorship. He is overthrown by the animals and after a struggle, they find a leader in a pig named Napoleon who begins to rule them under a totalitarian dictatorship. Driven by fear, and ruled by propaganda the animals menially did his bidding, but can too much power in one official be a bad thing? Mr. Jones, the man who had previously owned the manor farm, represented the capitalist monarchy led by Czar Nicholas II before he was forced to abdicate his throne during the Russian revolution. Everyone on the farm worked very hard, and they were fed relatively well. Overall the animals were innocently content with their lifestyles under his control. Above all the other animals, a horse named Mollie was very happy with her life. She represented the bourgeois or middle class citizens during that time in Russia. Mollie worked hard like all the other animals on the farm, and likewise she was fed the same rations as the rest of them, but additionally, the farmer treated her with a little more affection, giving her simple luxuries such as putting a nice ribbon into her hair. However certain animals, in particular the pigs, were dissatisfied with the way their lives were. One night Old Major gave a speech in the barn, as a kind of rally, which gave the sudden realization to the animals that they could have so much more than they currently possessed. This lust for superior power ignited the revolution that overthrew the old government. Subsequently, the animals found a leader in Napoleon. Right from the start, Napoleon laid down the rules of the road for their “Animal Farm” 1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. These rules leaned towards a less controlling form of government than they had previously been ruled over by. Over time, certain rules were altered to “contribute to the farm” in a better way, although they mostly were altered to benefit the pigs. The animals worked twice as hard as they always had, and even built a mill on the farm to increase productivity and create a rise in profit (similar to the NEP of Russia). Through these immense efforts, the profits of the farm increase by astounding numbers, 100%, 400%, and even more as they put more effort in. Although the animals were working harder than ever before, they were receiving no greater benefit for themselves, and on occasion, they would receive less food than they used to with Jones. Napoleon’s henchmen, Squealer, spreads an abundance of propaganda, portraying Napoleon as a kind saint that was always there for you, or that they were much better off than they had been under the “harsh” rule of Mr. Jones. Any time that a person contradicts Napoleon, the pigs would threaten them saying “Do you want Mr. Jones to come back?” and the animal would generally back out. It was at this point that Napoleon’s form of government began the transition into true Totalitarianism, he no longer ruled with laws, but with fear. Similar to the “great purge” of Russia, many innocent animals were mercilessly killed by Napoleon’s secret police, his army of trained dogs. Napoleon falsely affiliated his victims with the “turncoat” Snowball, and therefore, in his mind, giving him cause to take federal action. Truly, the animals were much better off following the capitalist government, although their lack of intellect let them be jaded by the pigs’ propaganda. “….but some animals are more equal than others”(Orwell). The rules originally laid out by the pigs followed a type of pantisocracy government, where all members would help rule equally. However, Napoleon and the other pigs found themselves to be a little bit “more equal” than others. The rule originally stated that “All animals are equal”(Orwell), but over time Napoleon had a burning desire for more power, and greater luxury, so he altered the rules to benefit himself and the other pigs. For instance, their rations were much greater than the other animals’, including milk, apples, and so on. The animals questioned why they were not treated so lavishly, but Squealer quickly shot back with more propaganda, “You do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by Science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers.”(Orwell). Animals such as the sheep, acted as ignorant followers (a necessity for a revolution) who bleated and acknowledged any piece of propaganda handed to them. Eventually so many rules had been changed that their lovely idea of a Democracy, turned into the overpowering Totalitarianism. No longer were meetings held in the barn amongst all animals, the laws and amendments were solely decided by the pigs from then on. The reason that the animals revolted in the first place was due to the tyranny of their previous government run by the humans. The ironic fact was that gradually the animals were becoming more and more human, the tyranny of their leaders amplifying day by day. The moral of the story is that absolute power corrupts people, absolutely. A situation such as this shows the reason for a democratic/capitalistic type of government like the US. Without the system of checks and balances of our government, one branch would get too overpowered, such as Napoleon did in this allegory. Be happy with what you have, and do not let lust and desire for power corrupt you.