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Absolute Power: Animal Farm and 1984

Both ‘Animal Farm’ and ‘1984’ are the work of George Orwell which very well

describe how power is handled by governments and individuals for personal gain, to control

and oppress the governed over and over again and to subdue any effort that may be there

towards resisting the rule. Orwell may have used literature to describe two governments in

the form of stories but interestingly this are books and stories with lessons that prove

important even in the present day. 1984 depicts a government that abuses peoples’ privacy,

fills them with propaganda, tortures and executes them and a nation that is completely

working in the opposites of what it should do. Animal Farm as well is a classic example of

propaganda use, inequality and abuse of power all in one structure of authority. It is

undeniably true that there is more harm than good when one looks deep into these two

governments. Every bad thing that is thinkable on the face of the earth is happening in a bid

to keep these governments in power – from murders, constant surveillance, torture, starving

to different forms of manipulation. Power is begetting more power but not much can be said

that those who are governed are gaining. In order to maintain authoritarian rule and absolute

power, the governments in both 1984 and Animal Farm exert absolute control over their

citizens. Absolute control is necessary to absolute power and is exerted by instilling fear,

controlling thoughts and by manipulating language.

In 1984, the government instills fear in its people with the prevalent ‘Big Brother is

watching you.’ [CITATION Geo491 \p 3 \t \l 2057 ]. Big Brother’s eye is all over from banners
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to posters and is the face of the Party. It is a constant reminder that one is being watched and

anything short of what is legally accepted could lead to possible execution. Murdering the

people is not unheard of in Oceania and it is evident in the Ministry of Love where it happens

in the cellars [CITATION Geo491 \p 63 \t \l 2057 ]. There is a recurrence of trials, tortures, and

executions which shows a government that is doing anything to make sure the people live in

fear and cannot question anything that it is doing. In the end, Winston who survives the

whole story forcedly accepting the Big Brother’s system, not any anger towards the

government and being used as an example to the rest cannot take away the wish of dying by a

bullet [CITATION Geo491 \p 375 \t \l 2057 ]. The reader may not fully tell whether it was a

death in reality but truly it is a show of how far the government has gone in keeping its

citizens in fear, control and total submission to the point of one wishing death upon

him/herself. Throughout the story, Winston is a representation of other people living n

Oceania and is seen to be living in constant fear – the fear to be seen writing, the fear to be

caught getting intimate with his lover and even the fear of the telescreens that are fitted with

cameras and microphones and one has to constantly check what he does or says.

In Animal Farm, a whip is a symbol of control and dominance. This whip is first seen

in the ‘Beasts of England’ song that Old Major sings – that ‘Cruel whips no more shall

crack.’ [CITATION Geo451 \p 4 \t \l 2057 ] . This is as a result of a dream that Old Major has and

is teaching it to the rest of the animals to remember even after he is gone. The animals are

whipped in all directions even when hungry and this way man is able to create dominance

over the animals who then fear him and his men [CITATION Geo451 \p 6 \t \l 2057 ]. It is more

than they can bear and as a result, they rise up against man only for this to happen to lead

them back to the state of fear. The whip is an indication of tools that are at the disposal of a

government that is biased to oppress its people. Whipping the animals to contain them creates
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the scenario of keeping them in line and disregarding anything that is close to their demands

or wishes.

A clear depiction of the fear instilled in the people of Oceania as well is when

Winston is afraid of writing publicly and only does so when he is safe from the telescreens.

Further, the proles fear to interact with the rest of the classes such as when Winston goes to a

Proles bar and fears being noticed. This is obviously a limitation to one expressing

him/herself due to the fear of being persecuted if caught in the wrong which is not exactly

clear from the right. This fear is propelled further through technological advancement – ‘the

cameras and telescreens’ everywhere and one is not sure when he/she is being watched such

that ‘there was no place where you could be more certain that the telescreens were watched

continuously.’ [CITATION Geo491 \p 135 \t \l 2057 ] . The government has hired the ‘Thought

Police’ to monitor the cameras and telescreens which are put in place to enhance patriotic

behavior among the citizens. There are microphones all over as well as spies placed to catch

potential criminals. Based on the fact that the cameras are instilling fear on the proles, the

Thought Police, therefore, push the fear deeper in the lives of these people. Basically, there is

no way that one would monitor another person’s thoughts and this is clearly just another way

the government is investing in the fear of its people, not to assist them but to further degrade

their lives. Children are brainwashed from the moment of birth into reporting anything that

would be thought of as criminal to the extent of reporting their own parents [CITATION

Geo491 \p 168 \t \l 2057 ].

Animal Farm again brings to light evidence on controlling thoughts, deceit and taking

advantage of education. In the beginning, the Old Major in some way takes charge of the

animals while teaching them the song and telling of the days when he was young. Power is

definitely a possession that many desire especially in running a nation. Later in the book, one

gets to see Napoleon; the only Berkshire Boar in the farm and one known to get his own way
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which is a combination of both propaganda and instilling fear in the other animals [CITATION

Geo451 \p 5 \t \l 2057 ] . As soon as the revolution against the man; Mr. Jones is won, the pigs

take charge led by Napoleon whose first act is stealing the cows’ milk and wants it to remain

a mystery. He first manages to fool the others in a manner that he controls their thoughts into

avoiding any suspicion on him. This is clearly a scenario where he takes advantage of them

on grounds that he thinks he is ‘better’ than them. Napoleon again uses intimidation while in

power to torture and threaten animals with death in the event of being in the wrong – he even

orders the slaughtering of the ‘rebellious ones.’[CITATION Geo451 \p 25 \t \l 2057 ] . Making

decisions in the farm is seen to be left for the intelligent animals – the pig leaders Napoleon

and Snowball. With Napoleon in power, there is a price to pay for any disloyalty from the

other animals. At some point also when chasing Snowball, he uses dogs to do so while these

are the same animals that chant all animals are equal. This well shows how easily they have

been controlled into doing whatever is required of them without questioning anything at all.

In Orwell’s 1984, the manipulation of the language is used as a way to further control

the masses. This way definitely, the government is able to limit the ideas that the people can

come up with as well as express themselves while communicating. However the

manipulation would be done, it would mean that the conception of disobedience and rebellion

also change to fit the desired situation. A new language; Newspeak has been made official

and is to replace the Oldspeak[CITATION Geo491 \p 6 \t \l 2057 ] . The language involves

abbreviations which thus limit the meaning attached to them and in such a way that all the

associations are removed. With a new language, the government is aiming to make all the

other ways of thinking for the people impossible thus getting rid of all profane thoughts,

narrowing down to a population with a similar thinking. Each and every passing day is seeing

less and less of vocabulary which is being used to avoid criminal activities as there will be no

word known to describe any of them [CITATION Geo491 \p 55 \t \l 2057 ] . The government has
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gone to these extents of changing the language to hide truths and to be constantly in control

of the people’s way of thinking – changing not only newspapers but also books, pamphlets,

posters, and periodicals. At one point even Winston himself is not sure of the reality anymore

as he works with the Ministry of Truth [CITATION Geo491 \p 37 \t \l 2057 ] . This is an

indication that as time goes by, the past is distorted, and history doesn’t align with anything

in the present and the future. With what the government is doing, Orwell captures that spirit

in; ‘who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present, controls the

past.’[CITATION Geo491 \p 37 \t \l 2057 ] . Definitely the constant changes in the vocabulary

will go on wiping out history.

Similarly to this manipulative language, in Animal Farm, it is used to build up power.

Napoleon’s rule is made possible through the use of eloquence, choice of words and

language. After Mr. Jones is displaced from the farm, the animals come together and

formulate commandments to live by. Despite all this, the pigs still find a way to manipulate

this by rationalizing every one of their actions especially through powerful speeches such as

when Napoleon is announcing that they will trade with neighbors so as to acquire what they

need [CITATION Geo451 \p 42 \t \l 2057 ] . Again, the animals originally agree that anything on

two legs is their enemy but the pigs persuade the other animals that it is important to

communicate with those around them for their existence – this is possible through the pigs

using mannerisms that make what they say seem so important. ‘No animal shall sleep in a

bed’ is also one of the commandments that the animals had formulated but the pigs’ ability to

utilize the language results to their taking over Mr. Jones’ house. It turns out that instead of

the bed it was the idea of sheets that they were opposed to and once again their twisting of the

words leads the other animals to continue tolerating their ways [CITATION Geo451 \p 45-46 \t \l

2057 ]. Another scenario of using persuasive speeches and words is when Napoleon banishes

Snowball from the farm and blames it all on him telling the other animals that he (Snowball)
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is responsible for destroying the windmill the animals built [CITATION Geo451 \p 47 \t \l

2057 ]. All this show a government that is bent to manipulate everything, twisting the facts for

the sole purpose of gaining themselves every point of their lives. In the end, one gets to

understand that the animals reached a point that they could not differentiate between man and

the pigs; in fact, their rule only left them worse off than they had been during man’s era. This

is only a reminder that absolute control is necessary to absolute power and the moment one

clinches power, it is only a matter of time that they begin to want more. With the use of these

tactics in words, speeches and language, it is clear that the pigs have managed to carry out

their malicious activities without the other animals rising up against their rule.

Conclusion

George Orwell is able to show two instances of totalitarian governments. It is clear

from the beginning that these two governments are hell bent to suppress the common citizen

geared towards their self-gain in the end. Everything they do is going to giving them more

and more power – towards absolute power. Even as time goes by, any form of progress seen,

more of it is on the negative side – it really may not be worth referring to as progress.

Manipulation is rampant, twisting of facts is rising every now and then, the people’s way out

is constricting more and more as individuals are being used as examples of what could

happen to one if he or she went against what the government is rooting for. Fear is a key

aspect that the governments are using to completely subdue the citizenry making sure that no

one would dare go against them at any point. The reality for one, in 1984 reaches a point that

it is no longer conceivable. Everything is moving literary towards the opposites and the

citizens have no option but to align with the government. Similarly, in Animal Farm, what is

initially hoped for goes on diminishing as time goes by. Leaders are getting greedier and

anyone who crosses their path is in for it. As the two governments go on staying in power,
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they are gaining more power at the expense of the governed and truly they achieve this

majorly with the use of the fear tactic, manipulation and controlling their thoughts altogether.

References
1. Orwell, George. 1984. London: Secker and Warburg, 1949. Print.
2. —. Animal Farm. London: Secker and Warburg, 1945. Print.