The Role of Power and Corruption in Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)

The Role of Power and Corruption in Animal Farm by George Orwell (1945)

Expanding the Roles:
Animal Farm by George Orwell is an allegorical novella that satirizes the Russian Revolution and the subsequent rise of Stalinist totalitarianism. The story follows a group of farm animals who overthrow their human owner and establish their own society, only to see their new leaders become as corrupt as the humans they replaced. For literature students, Animal Farm provides a profound critique of power, corruption, and the betrayal of revolutionary ideals.

• Power and the Corruption of Leadership:
  The animals’ revolution quickly becomes corrupt, as the pigs take control and exploit the other animals for their own benefit. Students can explore how Orwell uses the rise of the pigs to show how power corrupts those who initially champion equality and justice.

• Revolution and Betrayal:
  The animals’ initial hope for a better society is gradually betrayed by their leaders. Literature students can analyze how Orwell critiques revolutions that promise equality but ultimately lead to greater oppression, exploring the nature of political power and corruption.

What We Learn:
Animal Farm offers literature students a compelling study of the corrupting influence of power and the dangers of political revolution. Orwell’s allegory provides important insights into the dynamics of leadership, societal control, and the betrayal of ideals.