Domination in the Book “Animal Farm” Essay

The animals believed in the concept of equality and democracy. According to them, a good life without working for others (humans) was pivotal in the society. They fought and risked their lives for democracy within the farm due to these convictions. However, nothing ended up as they expected. It is notable that the democracy turned out to be a dictatorship. On the other hand, working hard turned out to be slavery propagated by adverse ideologies.

It is obvious the animals were left with nothing to stand for in the end. There are five basic reasons why Napoleon attained superiority in the Animal Farm (Orwell, 2003). The factors that promoted this include propaganda, dogs (military force), censorship and the seven commandments. The principal rules changed to favour people in power. Animals were always kept busy in the pretext of patriotism. This discussion highlights some of the factors that influenced the social life of the animals within the farm.

Propaganda

The leader applied the concept of propaganda to instil fear amongst the animals. This aspect was also used to cause tension and anxiety. The animals feared the system of rule. The oppressive regime used the principle of “divide and rule.” This propagated the state of anxiety in the entire farm. The oppressive regime recruited different lead animals as potential personalities that caused fear through propaganda. Dictatorial regimes have applied this concept to oppress their followers.

The “less equal” animals became disadvantaged and suffered neglect (Orwell, 2003). Exploitation was the key theme in the farm. This included material and strength in the form of labour. The grievances of the animals never reached the higher levels of rule. This is because propaganda, fear and anxiety caused significant tension and apprehension amongst the regular animals of the farm.

Dogs (Military Force)

The dogs in the animal farm represented the military force. The force caused a considerable stir and impact in the management and protection of the farm. Under the pretext of citizen protection, they managed to curtail and oppress the regular animals. They applied dictatorship to inspect and supervise work activities within the farm. Apart from this, they applied selective judgment and punishment of the “offenders.” Apparently, the highly discriminated animals were innocent (Orwell, 2003).

Napoleon used the military force to encourage and sustain tyranny within the farm. In fact, it is observed that many of the innocent animals died out of frustration and neglect. The military supported too much work with minimal pay or income for the regular occupants of the farm. Indicatively, the role of the dogs during the instances of rebellion and uprising within the farm can be noted. They helped Napoleon to scatter the riots, arrest and molest the various leaders and lobbyists within the farm.

Censorship (No Body Can Talk)

Additionally, the dictators within the animal farm operated through censorship. The animals facing the oppressive rule could not complain. The authority undertook various security surveillance measures (Orwell, 2003).

These measures targeted advocacy groups and other informal leaders who complained against the severe oppression and dictatorship within the farm. Every animal was to remain obedient to the overall authority. Total submission was encouraged and regarded as an important indicator of patriotism, hard work and dedication.

The 7 Commandments (Rules Changed for Whom in Power)

The regime designed seven basic commandments that governed the animal farm. It is critical to note that all these commandments only favoured the people within the high ranks of power. The regular animals were not involved in the development of these discriminative rules (Orwell, 2003). The rules encouraged hard labour. The normal animals within the farm only executed these manual and tasking jobs.

Notably, the leaders did not engage themselves in the core manual duties. However, they were the main beneficiaries from the proceeds of the farm. Their families benefited from the large portion of the harvest. On the contrary, the regular occupants of the animal farm did not benefit. Instead, they were used as tools for hard and demanding labour. The seven commandments were used to propagate these forms of oppression. Therefore, the rules were crucial in enhancing the suffering of animals in the farm.

Patriotism and Keeping the Animals Always Busy

The animals were kept busy with the daily manual jobs. The concept of patriotism also made the animals believe that all activities were done to promote the overall growth and development of the farm. Patriotic belief made the animals work hard in the spirit of development.

The animals that complained were punished and regarded to be unpatriotic (Orwell, 2003). In this regard, many animals endeavoured to sustain compliance and obedience to the farm and its leaders. The leaders also discovered that the animals could work effectively if they were kept busy at all times. Generally, the occurrences in the animal farm reflect a typical dictatorial society. Such occurrences are evident within many societies. George Orwell applied a satirical and reflective literature to elucidate these negative trends.

Works Cited

Orwell, G. (2003). Animal Farm: 1984. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.