Brittany Gallez
Mr. Green
2nd hour/English IV
17 November 2014
United States vs. Animal Farm - Dystopia or not? American Society, today and yesterday, has many similarities as Animal Farm that George Orwell presents in this book. The book was used to represent the Russian Government under Stalin’s command, but also an allegory for corrupt aspects of government, politics and class of the United States. Elements of dystopia found in Animal Farm are propaganda. The
Commandments, the news that Squealer spreads to the other animals, and the restriction of individual thought and freedom are all a kind of propaganda. “Bravery is not enough, loyalty and obedience are more important… when we shall find Snowball’s part in it was much exaggerated… Discipline, comrades, iron discipline.” -Squealer (page 60, chapter 5). The animals on the farm are arguing about Snowball’s bravery at the Battle of Cowshed, but Squealer is determined to find Snowball’s part in telling the humans what is going on on the farm. In this quote Squealer is telling the animals that they can’t deviate and work on your own. Loyalty and obedience aren’t enough; you need discipline. Boxer naively trusts the pigs to make decisions for him. He said “I will work harder” and “Napoleon is always right” (Animal Farm character list). The pigs in Animal Farm wrote The Seven Commandments reduced the principles of Animalism down to the seven commandments. “The Seven Commandments
Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.
Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend.
No animal shall wear clothes.
No animal shall sleep in a bed.
No animal shall drink alcohol.
No animal shall kill any other animal.
All animals are equal. ” (page 33, chapter 2). The Seven Commandments restrict the idea of individual thought by not allowing them to do anything that a human would do to keep them from turning their back on the animal society. The power of individual freedom had been restricted also to keep them from knowing any way other than the way they live then. The idea of social and human living have been terminated. The seven commandments constitute the unalterable law by which all the animals in the Animal Farm must live forever after. The propaganda and restriction of freedom and the idea of social and freedom living being terminated are ways they kept the animals from knowing anything. By creating the commandments, they stopped all ways of the animals ever finding anything different out. The commandments set the laws the animals follow until they die or get killed by Napoleon. Other elements of dystopia found in Animal Farm are the fear of the outside world (human beings) and the citizens live in a dehumanized state. ”Man is the only creature who consumes but doesn’t produce… Yet he is lord of all animals… And even the miserable lives we lead are not allowed to reach their natural potential…” (Page 19-20, chapter 1) This quote says that humans take what is not rightfully theirs, and that the animals are to never reach that part in their lives. No human produces anything they need to live their everyday lives. The evils of dehumanizing state is not crystal clear to the animals, and has them fearing a tyranny of any human. “Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of any human?” (Page 20, chapter 1) In these quotes Major was telling the animals not to be afraid of the humans but envy them. They take but do not give. The humans are the government, and government that isn’t quite equal. All animals work all their lives and are happy with working, but they’re worked like slaves. Everything the animals do are not done for themselves, but for the human beings who are working them to death. ”All that year the animals worked like slaves. But they were happy in their work; they grudged no effort or sacrifice, well aware that everything that they did was for the benefit of themselves and those of their kind who would