Friday, December 17, 2010

In what ways has Napoleon proven himself a similar tyrant like Jones?

Before Old Major dies, he convenes a meeting where he tells all of the animals that their problems lie with man. If the animals remove Man from their lives then they will never be hungry or overworked again. He says that animals would never treat each other the way Mr. Jones treats the animals on his farm. After Old Major dies, Mr. Jones gets drunk more often, and beats the animals so much, that one weekend when they are neglected they revolt and throw him off the farm. The whole point of getting rid of Mr. Jones is so they can have a happier and more productive life. 


Once on their own, they create seven commandments about never becoming anything like humans, such as, never wearing clothes, sleeping in beds, drinking alcohol, and killing other animals. Every animal is to be considered equal and anything that walked on two legs except for chickens is an enemy. All seems safe and organized for most of the time, but slowly Napoleon demands more work from the animals with less food and no vote. For example, Napoleon creates a contract with the attorney Mr. Whymper for 400 eggs a week from the chickens. The result is as follows:



"When the hens heard this, they raised a terrible outcry. They had been warned earlier that this sacrifice might be necessary, but had not believed that it would really happen. They were just getting their clutches ready for the spring sitting, and they protested that to take the eggs away now was murder" (68-69).



The situation with the hens shows that Napoleon did not take their opinions into account when he made the deal with Whymper, which creates an unequal relationship between him and the hens. This situation is minor, though, compared to the many lies Napoleon tells the animals in order for him to gain control of the farmhouse, live off of their labor, and control their lives.


Another way Napoleon secures his position as leader and dictator is by raising puppies to be his bodyguards. Napoleon is cunning and patient. He shapes and molds the puppies to love, protect, and obey him. He makes them fighters against anyone who might challenge Napoleon; and out of fear, he gains control over the weak and the weak-minded. 


By the end of the book Napoleon is walking on two legs, wearing clothes, sleeping in beds, drinking alcohol, killing other animals and considering himself more equal than others. He does not respect the other animals and he does not treat them like equals. Napoleon probably becomes worse than Mr. Jones in the end. The final scene shows Napoleon drinking and playing cards in the farmhouse with other humans at his table. The irony is that the animals end up with exactly what they had fought and worked so hard to eliminate--a "Man" for a leader.

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