"Animal Farm" By George Orwell.

provide their own food. During his speech of equality and freedom a dog attempted to kill a rat

and the barn was divided into separate groups, each group containing a different species of

animal. Furthermore, the cat votes on both sides to decide if rats are 'Comrades'. This shows

that even that early on in the rebellion animals were being selfish. His speech is to idealistic

although the animals do not realise this at the time. Nevertheless the animals set to work and

begin to plan a rebellion to overthrow the farm and become free of arduous labour.

The education and learning techniques on the farm is also a major factor in the failure of the

rebellion. However, the animals find it difficult to learn how to read and write. The only animals

able to read and write are the pigs, Benjamin and to a lesser extent Muriel the goat. As the pigs

are the only animals that bother to read and write to their full potential, they are able to

brainwash the farm and they proceed to abuse the power they possess. The rest of the animals

are reluctant to learn and are apathetic. This prevents the farm progressing and lowers the

likeliness of the rebellion succeeding. Napoleon takes it upon himself to nurture puppies and

newborn pigs, this adds to his ability to brainwash the animals. He uses the dogs for his own

protection and brings the young pigs up to be how he wants them.

Apathy also helps bring the rebellion at Manor Farm to a premature end. Throughout the novel

Benjamin "seemed to understand, but would say nothing." Benjamin the donkey can read as

well as any pig but he chooses not to interfere to keep himself out of trouble.

Eddie Nisbet 4B2

Most of the animals on the farm have had little or no education and are somewhat gullible. This

makes them vulnerable to the propaganda of the pigs, this is the speciality of Squealer. He uses

statistics and language that the animals cannot comprehend to cover up the egotistical ways of

the pigs. He often makes "a round of the farm to set the animals' minds at rest." As they do not

have the intelligence to prove Squealer and the pigs wrong the animals accept that what the pigs

say is true.

Conclusively, it can be said that the downfall of Animal Farm is due to the greed and lack of

equality shown by the pigs. The apathetic manner of the animals also contributes the failure of

the rebellion. Napoleon, from the very beginning, planned to take control of the farm and run it

as he wished. In the end the rebellion failed and the only one to be blamed can be Napoleon

and his dictatorship.