That power corrupts is an inevitable conclusion of Animal Farm. When the pigs take over they claim that their goal is to preside over a farm of equal animals, all working together to support one an...
In Animal Farm, the pigs take power after the Rebellion because they claim that they are the most intelligent animals on the farm. Yet it soon becomes clear that intelligence and good intentions ne...
Like much else in Animal Farm, deception is used to gain power. The pigs deceive the other animals about the past, convincing them that certain events did or did not occur. They deceive them as to...
Rules are often thought of as a way to maintain generally accepted notions of order. Traditions might be thought of as a way of remembering one’s debt to the past, of re-affirming one’s...
Foolishness in Animal Farm takes it root in the lower class animals, who are essentially duped into a life of hardship because of their lack of intellect. They fail to recognize the horrible nature...
Animal Farm, narrowly perceived, is simply an allegory for the Russian Revolution. More broadly, however, it is a criticism of utopian ideas in general. It is easy to see that the dreams instilled...
At the very beginning of Animal Farm, it is easy to laugh at Squealer’s professed ability to "turn black into white" (2.2). Yet as time goes on, it becomes clear that Squealer’s clevern...
Violence in Animal Farm is a tool of political oppression. Not only do we see actual violence used to kill and to exile enemies of the leadership, but equally important is the threat of violence. I...
In Animal Farm, pride serves to unite the animals as a common group; in this way it is something akin to camaraderie. The animals take pride in banding together to overthrow their oppressive leader...
Religion in Animal Farm is used, as Karl Marx famously said, as an "opiate of the masses." The animals are distracted from their horrible living situation and life of labor with visions of "Sugarca...
