Animal+Farm+Essay

In the book //Animal Farm//, by George Orwell, political views are shown quite clearly. One of the main and most prominent views shown is that people’s ignorance contributions to their own poetical, social, and physical oppression. He shows this in many ways throughout the entire book. It is shown through the way the pigs treat the other animals, the way the pigs have better circumstances than the other animals, the way the animals are punished for anything they do, and even when they are under Mr. Jones command. In the beginning, Mr. Jones runs Manor Farm, and therefore owns all of the animals. The animals, though no happy with their situation, are too ignorant to see life in any other way. Not until Old Major comes along. He points out to them that their life is not a good one, and with that they agree. However none of the animals are actually smart enough to plan a way to break away from their oppression, therefore contributing to their oppression. When they do finally break away from Mr. Jones’ rule, they then are lead by the pigs, but they don’t even see the transaction of power, already leading to their oppression. The pigs from the very beginning put themselves above the rest of the animals. From the time they take over they are giving themselves better circumstances, such as when "the pigs move into the farmhouse and [take] up their residence there... [and] also slept in beds," (61). From this act alone they are breaking some of the laws of Animalism, and bettering themselves. While they are sleeping in the house on beds, the other animals are still sleeping outside, in the barn, on hay. They are being oppressed physically through this act with the way their bodies are being treated. Then the pigs take away their milk and the apples, stating that they needed them more. Once again the animals are being oppressed, not given the nutrients that they need while the pigs are getting more than their fair share. In the very end the pigs once again give themselves a higher status, therefore putting down other animals. They get rid of the laws of Animalism, leaving only one stating, “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others,” (118). On top of putting themselves in a high status than the other animals, they also put them through hard labor. Napoleon, the “head pig”, decides to have the animals build a windmill, saying, “no more delays, and comrades! ...there is work to be done. This very morning we shall begin rebuilding the windmill, and we will build all through the winter, rain or shine,” (65). But neither he, nor the other pigs, help to build the windmill. As well as having the animals build the windmill themselves, Napoleon has them building during a harsh winter. And it is not easy work, its "cruel work... they were usually hungry... [and] starvation seemed to stare them in the face," (66-67). Despite such hard conditions, the animals are not given mercy. The hard work they are put through is truly a form of oppression to their physical bodies. Making them work hard when they barely have enough energy to survive. Not only does Napoleon make them work thus, but he also punishes them, severely, for nonsense. He gathers all the animals together and he “[calls] upon them to confess their crimes… [and] when they had finished their confession, the dogs promptly tore their throats out,” (75). The animals are confessing to things as simple as having a dream about Snowball, the “enemy”, and they are killed. They are simply too naïve to realize what is being done to them is wrong, and that it shouldn’t be happening to them. And because they don’t stand up for themselves to stop it, it continues to hurt them. This theme is not only true and shown through literature, it happens in real life as well. In the Middle East, right now, the people are being ruled by a dictator. For generations, the people lived that way thinking it was the way life was, and the way it should be. They were too ignorant to see that their ruler was not good for them as a people. But now, they are starting to see this, and are rebelling. The people in Russia were the same. After the Tsar Nicholas was overthrown, they were too ignorant to see their new leader was just as bad as their old. It is a true statement to say that people’s ignorance leads to their oppression. In literature, in real life, it can, and is, true everywhere.