Nineteen Eighty-four and Animal Farm Essay Example
Nineteen Eighty-four and Animal Farm Essay Example

Nineteen Eighty-four and Animal Farm Essay Example

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  • Pages: 7 (1778 words)
  • Published: April 13, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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George Orwell's Animal Farm is a dystopian and allegorical novella that highlights the corruption of the revolution by its leaders and the destruction of any Utopian possibilities due to wickedness, indifference, ignorance, greed, and myopia.

The novel stresses that corrupt leadership is the true problem in revolution, not the act of revolution itself. However, it also demonstrates how a lack of awareness and concern for issues within a revolution can lead to terrible outcomes if an effective transition to a people's government is not achieved. Jomo Kenyatta's short story "The Gentlemen of the Jungle" examines the exploitation of humanitarian ideals in the workplace and justifies imperialism on moral grounds while exploring the relationship between natives and usurpers. An examination of both "Animal Farm" and "The Gentlemen of the Jungle" reveals many similar themes.

Both Anima

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l Farm and The Gentlemen of the Jungle share a common theme: the inevitable corruption of power. In The Gentlemen of the Jungle, an elephant and his friend's mutual relationship is established when the elephant asks his friend to "put (his) trunk inside". However, the elephant gradually becomes more powerful until he ultimately "flung the man out" of his own hut. This mirrors how Europeans initially came to Africa as missionaries and traders but later stripped Africans of their rights and took complete control over foreign land.

The African people felt betrayed and frustrated by the corrupt power in colonial rule, much like the friend of the elephant in 'The Gentlemen of the Jungle'. In this story, the lion desired a peaceful kingdom and established a Royal Commission. Similarly, the Europeans enforced a barbaric system of law and order on the native population.

Under colonia

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rule, institutions of the state were established, but Africans were rarely appointed as civil servants due to being deemed incompetent or uncivilized. As a result, a corrupt totalitarian government emerged. George Orwell shared this pessimistic view, which is reflected in his novels "Animal Farm" and "1984". In "Animal Farm", Orwell emphasizes the insidious nature of totalitarianism as the novel starts with Jones as an autocratic tyrant and ends with Napoleon taking his place - even wearing his clothes.

Early on in the novel, Orwell critiques the corruption of absolute power by the pigs taking the fresh milk and apples. Justifying their actions through their supposed superiority, the pigs take more nutrition to fuel their intelligence than the other animals. Squealer states that "Milk and apples... contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig" and that "We pigs are the brainworkers". Though there is no scientific evidence supporting their claim, the pigs rely on the animals' ignorance to get away with their actions.

As the novel progresses, it becomes clear that the pigs' original objective was to lead a farm where all animals were equal and supportive of each other. However, their power corrupted them, causing them to resemble the humans they aimed to supplant. Over time, differentiating between the pigs and humans became challenging. Orwell demonstrates how totalitarianism can function under the pretext of serving a "greater good" without being overtly apparent.

The theme of power leading to corruption is explored in both Animal Farm and The Gentlemen of the Jungle, as applied to the pre-totalitarian era in the Soviet Union. Jomo Kenyatta's fable, "The Gentlemen of the Jungle," emphasizes peace and examines themes such

as propaganda, falsehood, cunning, exploitation, deceit, and shattered aspirations. Deceit is introduced at the start when a man allows Mr.

While it was raining outside, the Elephant kindly offered to shelter his trunk in the man's hut. This good deed led the Elephant to promise to repay the kindness someday. However, the Elephant cleverly took advantage of the situation by gradually occupying the man's hut under the guise of protecting his delicate skin from the hailstorm.

Similarly, in George Orwell's 'Animal Farm', deceit and propaganda are presented through the gradual dictatorship of the pigs on the farm.

The destruction of Snowball's reputation as an upright leader is attributed to Napoleon. During a decisive vote over the future of the windmill, the animals appear to favor Snowball. It is at this juncture that Napoleon executes his malicious scheme to become the ruler of Animal Farm. He banishes Snowball from the farm by murdering him and proceeds to spread false information that Snowball was a traitor who colluded with the previous owner of Animal Farm, Mr. Jones. The sole reason for this propaganda is to reaffirm his position of leadership at Animal Farm.

As the new leader, Napoleon successfully spreads his propaganda and gains the support of all the animals. Meanwhile, the Man's case is brought before the Lion, who aims for "peace and tranquility" in his kingdom. The Lion promises the Man that he will have a fair chance to plead his case and that his "hut is not lost," but he must wait for the Enquiry of Commission's decision. The Man falls for the Lion's words, much like how Squealer's speeches in 'Animal Farm' about milk and

apples, Napoleon's takeover of the farm, trading with humans, Snowball's betrayal, the abolishment of 'Beasts of England,' motivation after battles, speech after Boxer's death, and changing of the sheep's maxim all deceive and motivate the animals.

The speeches of the rulers in 'The Animal Farm' and 'The Gentlemen of The Jungle' are tools used to deceive the animals through persuasive rhetoric. Boxer's belief that "Napoleon is always right" and the Man's waiting in 'The Gentlemen of The Jungle' are examples of the controlling influence of cunning leadership. Similarly, in Kenyatta's fable, the Man ultimately realizes the propaganda used by his deceptive and sly rulers when his supposed friend, the Elephant, exposes the truth. Kenyatta warns that while people may be fooled for a time, they cannot be fooled forever. This idea is echoed in the conclusion of 'The Animal Farm' when the animals witness pigs and humans at ease together, emphasizing the corrupt behavior of their leaders.

The theme of common injustice and imperialism is present in both "The Gentlemen of the Jungle" and "Animal Farm". In these stories, the 'colonizer' or authority utilizes violence, terror, racism, exploitation, and order to maintain extensive rule over the land of opportunities. Those designated as 'colonized' or 'submissive' are left inadequate weak in the means of progression and development, subject to these aspects of common injustice and imperialism. As a result, animals in "Animal Farm" completely understood the propaganda of the pigs but were left with nothing but shock and despair. Both authors use a fantastical approach to indirectly portray that consistent use of violence and terror is exploitative to the rights of the colonized.

The story of "Mr.

Elephant" taking the "Man's" belongings and being granted the right to do so by those in charge highlights the dominance of animals, who possess physical strength through sharp teeth and claws. Despite recognizing this power imbalance, the "Man" accepts the injustices inflicted upon him.

Animal Farm depicts animals as leaders who oppress others unjustly, similar to the previous instance. Despite rebelling with the belief that all animals are equal, the pigs obtained exclusive privileges for food and housing. Their actions were defended through deceitful means, causing a transition from "All animals are equal" to "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal."

Critics contend that racism plays a vital part in the growth of capitalism and the utilization of inexpensive labor. This is illustrated by how "Animal Farm" portrays animals as inferior creatures, while "The Gentlemen of The Jungle" depicts humans as uneducated and primitive.

To function and care for themselves, individuals require the crucial skill of paying attention to accurate information concerning governing a nation and personal well-being. Those facing oppression may opt to disregard requests that conflict with their fundamental values, instead choosing to maintain order and harmony for those in power by simply ignoring them.

Both The Animal Farm and The Gentlemen of the jungle exhibit a clear manipulation of language and words, which are used as tools of control. The pigs in Animal Farm initially remain loyal to Major’s ideas after his death, but soon become corrupted by their newfound power. They twist Major's ideas to present them in a way that benefits only themselves, as evidenced by Squealer's modifications to the "Seven Commandments." This exploitation of other animals' lack of knowledge

is also apparent in the Elephant and Lion's use of convoluted rhetoric in The Gentlemen of the jungle, making it difficult for natives to understand their intentions.

The text describes how individuals employ deceptive language to present 'justice' as a favor to the native population. It highlights that not only foreigners but also individuals from within a nation can become oppressors if they are given unlimited power and left unchecked. Such individuals become corrupt and do not give others their due rights. The imperialists aim to confuse the natives and leave them vulnerable by presenting their ideas in a confusing way. The Gentlemen of the jungle illustrates this point. The imperialists use knowledge and wisdom as an excuse to claim superiority over the "other." They use this power to control the actions, words, and even thoughts of those deemed subaltern.

The novels "Animal Farm" by George Orwell and "Gentlemen of the jungle" showcase similar themes of oppression and suppression. In "Animal Farm," the pigs represent the "imperialist" who prioritize their own well-being over peace. This illustrates that an oppressor can be a native if they are given unchecked power. Similarly, in "Gentlemen of the jungle," the humans are oppressed by foreign imperialists. Both stories showcase the exploitation of humanitarian rights by those in power. Despite the different settings, they both deal with the same concept of oppression and suppression. Furthermore, both stories depict how those who were once well-wishers can become oppressors when given power, as seen in "Animal Farm" when one of the animals becomes a tyrant.

By claiming superior education, the pigs successfully deceive others and maintain their rule over them, only benefiting themselves

at the expense of others. Despite promising to carry on Major's revolution and implement his ideas after his death, the pigs become corrupted by power once their desire for comfort and "milk" increases. Furthermore, they ensure that no other animal has access to knowledge, burning books after studying them. This is reminiscent of how the Lion and Commission in Gentlemen of the Jungle keep all information to themselves and do not allow any representatives from the human species into their council, claiming it to be too complex for them to handle.

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