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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 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 brain workers.
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 Squealers manipulative language the animals are tricked into agreeing with Squealer and saying that the pigs need the apples 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 animals 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 Snowballs 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 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 Napoleons 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 automatically 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 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. Bibliography:
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