Michael Santulli
9/12/08
English Essay
In the novel Animal Farm the government starts and ends in almost the exact same place. The government goes through many changes in the bulk of the story. These changes include dictatorship to communism, which is slowly twisted before the animals even realize or are two ignorant to become more and more corrupt. This corrupt communism soon reverts back to a dictatorship.
In the beginning of the novel Mr. Jones, the original owner of the farm, represents an irresponsible inconsistent and overall poor leader. Mr. Jones represents Czar Nicholas II. His rules is equivalent to a dictatorship specifically the deteriorating Russian dictatorship. The animals ban together to run Mr. Jones of the farm after being inspired by Old Major, a pig who dreams of an ideal society. Old Major represents Carl Marks the father of communism an author of The Communist Manifesto. This revolt represents the Russian Revolution and is led by two pigs Napoleon and Snowball, Stalin and Trotsky. These two pigs end the dictatorship rule of Mr. Jones creating a new communist society where all is equal and everything is shared.
As this new system of government continues to mature it is confronted with its first real challenges. Issues such as work, and rations predominantly when the pigs steal the milk and apples claiming they hate the taste but have to eat them as “brain food”. This is one of the first instances of corruption in the government. Already the reader can tell that the government is being slowly but surely twisted by corrupted leadership. Additionally when the puppies are stolen by Napoleon without question the vanity and ignorance of the animals, Russia’s people, really begins to show. There are good thing going on at this point for instance meetings and reciting of “The Beasts of England” the anthem of the farm. They also change the name from Manor Farm to Animal Farm, making a flag and writing the seven commandments on the side of the barn showing that they have completely abandoned the old government liberating themselves entirely. The event that really throws the government out of Communism is the expulsion of Snowball. The government is now lead by one, Napoleon, and he is free to twist it as he likes. This government is now a dictatorship but it does not admit to that.
The Government of Animal Farm becomes more and more corrupt. When boxer is killed it is liked a piece of every animal on the farm went with him. In addition the pigs separate themselves from the other animals by doing things such as moving into the house, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and changing the commandment from “All animals are equal” to “All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.” The removal of meetings and making Sundays “optional” workdays shows that the revolution is dying even more and the old ways are returning. When the pigs change the name of the farm back to Manor farm it shows that they openly have given up in the communist system of brotherhood. Finally when the pigs are seen walking upright with the men it proves that the pigs have become in essence men, the exact thing that they have been fighting for two years. Now the Government has gone full circle back to dictatorship.
The Government of Animal farm started off on the right track but was destined never to get far off the ground. As long as there were pigs controlling the government it couldn’t resist corruption. Ultimately the government never went anywhere but a point was proven. It only takes a few corrupt leaders to destroy a political system from the inside out.
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