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.