Example research essay topic: Napoleon Decided Animal Farm - 761 words

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Too much power corrupts those who possess it; just as Joseph Stalin committed sins against Russia when he gained power, the main character, Napoleon, committed sins against Animal Farm. In the novel Animal Farm, by George Orwell, Napoleon was corrupted by his power. Napoleon abused and deceived others and finally became what he had rebelled against. Napoleon wronged the inhabitants of Animal Farm. Napoleon terrorized animals by killing many of them. He killed four pigs for communicating with Snowball and he killed three hens for confessing that Snowball came to them in their dreams.

Napoleon also affected the animals by making decisions for them. When Napoleon decided that there was no longer a need to sing the Beasts of England, a favorite song, because the rebellion was over, he banned it. He also decided how much food each animal received. In addition, Napoleon changed the seven commandments to benefit him but not the other animals. The fourth commandment about an animal not sleeping in a bed was changed after the pigs started sleeping in beds to no animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets. When Napoleon drank alcohol he broke the fifth commandment, and so he changed it to no animal shall drink in excess.

All the animals of Animal Farm were wronged by Napoleon when he used his power to terrorize them, make decisions for them, and change their commandments. Another way Napoleon abused his power was by deceiving the other animals. He first deceived by false blaming hen things went wrong. For example, when the windmill was ruined by a storm, Napoleon said Snowball had destroyed it because he was an enemy. The second time the windmill was attacked by humans was also blamed on Snowball because he supposedly helped them. Napoleon also deceived the animals by using Squealer to spread propaganda.

One piece of propaganda arose when Napoleon decided to sell some timber even though all animals made a resolution against engaging in trade or using money. To convince the animals to let him sell the timber he got Squealer to get the animals to doubt their memories by telling them that they must have been dreaming about such a resolution. A second propaganda campaign came about because Napoleon didnt like Snowball so after Napoleon banished Snowball he got Squealer to tell the animals horrible lies about Snowball. For example, Squealer said that Snowball was in league with Jones from the start.

A third example is that Napoleon convinced the animals that he was helping them when he was actually more interested in helping himself. He did this by persuading the animals to worker longer and harder on the windmill. Napoleon said working on it would really benefit all animals. In addition, Napoleon and the pigs told the other animals that the pigs, needed the milk and windfall apples because the importance of keeping the pigs in good health was all too obvious (52). The animals were deceived by Napoleon in many different ways.

Napoleon used his power to deceive the animals by blaming others, spreading propaganda, and coaxing them to work for his benefit instead of their own. Lastly, Napoleons power finally caused him to become what he rebelled against. When inspiring the rebellion Old Major said, Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished forever (29). Thus, the animals rebelled against man.

However, Napoleon did no better than man, which he rebelled against. He became selfish and uncaring. Napoleon limited the rations of food the animals received, but he was always well feed. In becoming what he rebelled against, Napoleon also lost belief in the original cause of the rebellion.

The original cause was for the animals to be free and to live and provide for themselves without man and without a leader. However after he gained power, Napoleon became the leader of the animals and disregarded the original plan of a democracy. In doing so, Napoleon became an uncaring leader the very thing hed rebelled against. Napoleons transition from rebel to uncaring leader shows that he was a corrupted by power.

Corruption led Napoleon to wrong the farm animals. Napoleon abused the other animals on the farm by terrorizing them, making decisions for them and changing the commandments. He deceived the others by blaming others, using propaganda and convincing the animals to work for him. The destruction of Napoleons character and the harm he did to the others on the farm shows that Napoleon was corrupted by power. Bibliography:

Research essay sample on Napoleon Decided Animal Farm