Animal Farm Critical Lens Essay

Orooba Ahmad

Animal Farm Critical Lens Essay

        Vladimir Putin said “Those who fight corruption should be clean themselves” This quote means that if one is to fight injustices then they themselves should be pure themselves. I agree with this quote because in order to fight against you should be clean of the wrongdoings yourself. Otherwise it would just be hypocritical. Both the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell and the novel The Burial at Thebes by Seamus Heaney support the quote. The novel Animal Farm supports the quote through Napoleon and the characterization of old Major.  The Burial at Thebes supports the quote through the characteristics of King Creon and Antigone.

        The novel Animal Farm by George Orwell shows that a person fighting against corruption cannot be corrupt themselves.  This is shown through the characterization of Napoleon and the pig’s superiority over the other animals.  The 7 commandments that the animals had set up were quickly and quietly all broken by the pigs.  The 7th commandment that “All animals are equal” (21), was quickly broken because the pigs took charge and took extra food.   This shows that they trick the animals into letting them take extra food but this is against the seven commandments and everything the revolution was based on. Then Napoleon came to power and threw away the revolution and seven commandments. The animals 1st commandment was “Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy” (21). This was broken by Napoleon who signed contracts with Mr. Whymper, a human. This shows that Napoleon was corrupt in that he ignored the seven commandments for his own needs. Napoleon also broke the 4th commandment that animals cannot sleeps in a bed. He slept in Mr. Jones bed and also changed the law to no animal shall sleeps in a bed with sheets. He did so to fit his own needs not caring for the needs of the other animals and the laws they set up against humans.