Animal Farm Themes and Main Ideas

Power and Dictatorship

Orwell’s Animal Farm, much like his 1984, insists that dictatorships are dangerous. The novel makes it clear that people with great power are particularly susceptible to corruption. When Mr. Jones had power over the animals, he abused them. Later, the animals, with pigs as their leaders, take over the farm and are able to make it better for a while. But Napoleon, drunk with power, is just as abusive to his fellow-animals. With more power, his sense of entitlement grows. Under a dictatorship, people are vulnerable to arbitrary attacks sanctioned by their leader; they typically live in constant fear, and dictatorships thrive in an atmosphere of fear. In such regimes, people are afraid of expressing themselves. A single person or a group ought not be given so much power. In effect, Orwell’s condemnation of dictatorship addresses the dangers of centralized power.

Propaganda

Another salient feature of the novel is its focus on the dangers of propaganda. Orwell demonstrates how the powerful rely on propaganda to manipulate people’s perception of history and reality. Tyrannical regimes typically encourage institutions that can enhance their propaganda measures. It must be noted that, throughout the novel, Napoleon and Squealer rely on propaganda for their own benefit. They begin by rewriting history and telling people lies about Snowball. We also realize that these efforts are rather effective: once enough lies have been said, they become the truth. Nonetheless, toward the end of the novel, the sheep are still asked to go around squealing statements in favor of the leaders’ interests.

Social Classes and Revolution

Orwell’s Animal Farm also sheds light on the question of class struggle. Old Major’s speech suggests that there are two classes: the privileged and the under-priviledged, the haves and the have-nots. He suggests that the privileged exploit others for their benefit because they don’t want to cede their power. This is arguably drawn from Marx and the ideas of other socialist thinkers who saw proletarian revolution as the logical end of capitalism. However, one must proceed with caution. Clearly, the animals did not. In Orwell’s example, the animals did not have a very good understanding of the nature of power. Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.