Guiding Question: What is Orwell's message in Animal Farm? Write a well-developed, text-based response of two to three paragraphs. In your response, identify a central idea in the text and analyze how the author’s use of one writing strategy (literary element or literary technique or rhetorical device) develops this central idea. Use strong, specific evidence from the text to support your analysis. Do not simply summarize the text. Be sure to: ● Identify a central idea in the text Use strong, specific evidence from the text to support your analysis ● Meet the standard for work expectations (what are some evidence page numbers that support my topic sentence)
One central idea in George Orwell's Animal Farm is the corruption of power and the dangers of totalitarianism. Throughout the novel, Orwell uses the literary technique of allegory to portray this idea. The animals in the story represent the working class and the pigs symbolize the ruling class. The initial rebellion on the farm is fueled by the animals' desire for equality and freedom from oppression. However, as the pigs gain more power, they manipulate and exploit the other animals, ultimately becoming just as oppressive as the humans they overthrew.
A clear example of this can be seen in the pigs' changing attitudes towards the Seven Commandments. At the beginning of the novel, the pigs promise that "All animals are equal" and "No animal shall kill any other animal". These commandments are eventually modified by the pigs to suit their own interests. They justify their actions by arguing that they are the most intelligent animals on the farm and therefore deserve special privileges. As the pigs rewrite the commandments to benefit themselves, they demonstrate their gradual descent into corruption and tyranny.
In Chapter 10, the reader is presented with the final version of the Seven Commandments, which now reads: "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." This absurd contradiction highlights the pigs' hypocrisy and highlights how power corrupts. Orwell's use of this literary technique serves to emphasize the idea that absolute power leads to corruption and the erosion of equality and freedom.
Overall, Orwell's central message in Animal Farm is a powerful warning about the dangers of totalitarianism and the abuse of power. Through the use of allegory and the evolving portrayal of the pigs, Orwell effectively develops this idea and sheds light on the potential consequences of unchecked authority.