Wednesday, February 1, 2012

In what way is Animal Farm becoming a civilized society?

The question
hinges on what is meant by a "civilized society." If it means the equal
societyenvisions in which all the animals achieve a comfortable standard of living, an absence
of the coercion of whips and spurs, and a decent retirement, that society never comes into being
on the farm.

More likely, "civilized society" means the world
familiar to most of human civilization through most of history, which is one of hierarchy and
privilege for the few. The pigs, especially under , move quickly to make sure that they are the
privileged group. They almost immediately commandeer the windfall apples for their
"brainwork." Later they move into the farmhouse and sleep on beds. Napoleon trains a
private police force of dogs that uses violence and terror to enforce the will of the pigs. By
the end of the book, the pigs are wearing clothes, carrying whips, drinking alcohol, and living
in comfort while the lower caste animals work very hard and live rough, hungry
lives.

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