Krystle Colbert
English Pre A-P 9-1
December 8, 1999

                    Animal Farm

     Theme. What is it? A theme is a central idea of a story that
usually reveals something about human nature. A theme is usually
unstated as are the themes in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. One
theme that can be taken away from the story is weakness can be
easily dominated through language and ignorance. This will be
seen through the manipulative language of Squealer and the
gullibility of the animals.
     One way in which this can be seen is through Squealer. In
one situation all of the apples and milk will be given to the pigs a
few animals disagree with this. “Comrades!” he cried. “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 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. The whole management and organization of
this farm depends on us. Day and night we are watching over your
welfare. It is for your sake that we drink the milk and eat those
apples. 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 form
side to side and whisking his tail, “surely there is no one among
you who wants to see Jones come back?” The animals all are in
agreement that they do not want Jones back, therefore; believing
that the pigs health was the upmost concern (Orwell 820).
Here one can see that the animals are easily deceived through a
few big words and a lot of fast talking that can be easily confused if
one does not pay attention closely. When the animals agree with
the fact that they do not want Jones back they assume that they
must also be saying that the pigs need the apples and milk to help
keep them in health. Although this is not what they are saying,
they are saying that they do not want Jones back, and they believe
that the way to keep him away is to give the pigs the apples and
milk because they stand vehemently against Jones. So
now the animals believe that the pigs are entitled to special
privileges in order to keep Jones from coming back. Time and time
again the animals are deceived because by agreeing with one
thing they believe that they are agreeing with everything. Through
Squealer’s manipulative language the animals are tricked into
agreeing with Squealer and saying that the pigs need the apples
and milk.
     Another reason supporting the theme is that the pigs were
lazy and convinced the other animals they needed to be leaders.
“The pigs did not actually work but directed and supervised the
others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they
should assume leadership” (Orwell 818). This shows that through
the animals ignorance they believe the pigs are superior. Although
a commandment is “All animals are equal” (Orwell 816). They are
tricked into believing that all animals are equal, but some animals
deserve to be leaders because they are better than some. Here
again the weaknesses of the animals are exploited and then preyed
upon like a pack of rabid dogs feasting on a bloody cow. The pigs
take the animals for granted by manipulating the fact they the are
ignorant. All the animals think that they should do the work and
that the pigs are the natural leaders, therefore; they do not question
when the pigs supervise instead of actually working.
     A third way in which the animal’s weakness’ is used to their
disadvantage is when Squealer and Napoleon make the animals
question their memories. “Snowball now gave the signal for the
charge. He himself dashes straight for Jones”(Orwell 822). Then
later they are told, “...I believe the time will come when we shall
find that Snowball’s part in it as much exaggerated...” (Orwell 828).
Finally ending up as, “...And do you not remember, too, that it was
just at that moment, when panic was spreading and all seemed
lost, that Comrade Napoleon sprang forward with a cry of ‘Death to
Humanity!’ and sank his teeth in Jones’s leg? Surely you remember
that, comrades?” exclaimed Squealer, frisking from side to side
(Orwell 836). Here Squealer and Napoleon make up a plot in which
to use indignation against Snowball. They accomplish that and
they also make the animals perceive Napoleon as more of a leader
than he is towards the animals who put their faith in Napoleon.
Through their lack of trust for their own memory or because of their
complete trust in Napoleon and what he tells Squealer to say, they
believe that it was now Napoleon not Snowball who charged after
Jones in the fight even though they were there they trust
Napoleon’s word more than they trust their own memories.
     Another way in which the animals are taken advantage of is
by the crooked election that takes place on the farm. “In April,
Animal Farm was proclaimed a Republic, and it became necessary
to elect a President. There was only one candidate, Napoleon who
was elected unanimously” (Orwell 846). Here again deception is
used to hoodwink the animals into believing that there is only one
true leader that is appointed by a higher power. They fully believe
that there could only be one leader and there could not be anyone
else to run against him. They have already seen how the people
who rebelled were treated. It was punishable by death (Orwell
826.) Therefore anyone who would want to run against him infers
that they would also be punished by death, immediately and
atomatically dismissing any thoughts of a challenge. They are again
ignorant to the ways of the pigs. By scaring them into a submission
where there was no competition in the “election”. The animals
believe that they are being treated well and that their welfare is the
upmost concern of the pigs.
     As one can see the theme that weakness can be easily
dominated through language and ignorance is exceptionally
supported in Animal Farm. This can be seen through the
manipulative language used by the pigs and the blatant ignorance
of the animals. The pigs actions can also be seen in the human
race. Many times humans can be manipulative towards each other
and they may also take advantage of each others ignorance of
something. The main moral that one should take away from the
novel Animal Farm is that one should inform thyself on all aspects
of a topic and should not be, or appear to be, naive.