Animal Farm Dystopia

Animal Farm Dystopia
Humans are just as bad as animals, or is it the other way around? True equality between societies can never be accomplished because of true human nature leads societies to become dystopias. Animal Farm by George Orwell is the perfect example of a dystopia for three main reasons. One, propaganda is used to control the citizens of the society. Two, a figurehead of concept is worshipped by the citizens of the society. And third, the natural world is banished and distrusted. Coming up first, is propaganda.

Propaganda provides biased information to a susceptible public. One example on how it affects the public in Animal Farm is, “It is for your sake that we drink that milk and eat those apples. Do you what would happen if we pigs fail in our duties? Jones would come back!” Squealer uses fear tactics to scare the animals into thinking that the pigs really do need the apples and milk to survive. And if they don’t get the apples and milk, Jones would come back and make their lives miserable! Not that it is any better than before. Another example from the text is one of Boxer’s favorite phrases. “Napoleon is always right.” This is a major example that is commonly ignored as it just mistaken just to be a motto. First, that phrase comes up commonly throughout the book. Second, Boxer is a celebrity on the farm. He is the most dedicated worker out of all the animals and humans in the entire book! So saying his motto would lead to the other animals believing Boxer. So it would be an example of a testimonial. Along with propaganda, there is another reason why this novel is a dystopia.

In each society, there never truly is an equal social class system. There is always one, or a group of leaders that gets special treatment, or is revered by all the residents of the society. In Animal Farm, that leader would be Napoleon. It could be the whole group of pigs, but Napoleon always gets more for doing less. One example of this is, “Then there were lamp oil and candles for the house, sugar for Napoleon’s own table. (He forbade this to the other pigs, on the ground that it made them fat.” All pigs are fat! Not giving them sugar isn’t going to help them. But this shows that Napoleon gets more than everyone else. And from evidence from all over the book, he doesn’t deserve any of it. Another example is, “Napoleon was now never spoken of simply as ‘Napoleon.’ He was always referred to in formal style as ‘our leader, Comrade Napoleon,” and the pigs liked to invent for him such titles as Father of All Animals, Terror of Mankind, Protector of the Sheep-Fold, Ducklings’ Friend, and the like.” The pigs are practically worshipping Napoleon and giving him cockamamie, misleading names. And all the animals believe that Napoleon really has deserved that name for being such a good leader. Along with the main figurehead, there is one more reason Animal Farm is a dystopian society.

The last reason why this allegory is considered a dystopian society is because the natural world is banished and distrusted. The first example is right in the Seven Commandments! “1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.” Not all humans are inhumane and abuse animals, but the Commandments make it seem like all humans are and do, and will do that every chance they get. No trust is formed between any of the animals and the humans aside from Napoleon and his business partners. The second and final example is in Old Major’s Speech. “No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade.” Those are some heavy restrictions that may limit on what the animals can do or afford. All of the animals are cut off from the humans in every way, no trading, “socializing,” or having to do anything with them. Not trusting the outside world can be a very common thing to hear from adults, but can be very true sometimes. But in certain dystopias, it goes on too far. And that is the final reason Animal Farm is considered a dystopian novel.

Many leading factors can lead one to believe one society has become a dystopia, but in Animal Farm, there are three main reasons. First, propaganda hypnotizes the animals into believing the leaders/pigs are doing the better good for the farm. Second, there is a main figurehead that is worshipped by its followers. And last but not least, the natural world is banished and distrusted. George Orwell really shows the true human nature behind being in charge with a large amount of power in this novel. It shows how no matter how good someone might be, their true person is shown when nobody is looking.