Animal Farm: 7 Commandments
What is the significance of the 7 commandments? Do you think George Orwell has a message for his readers?Animal Farm, by the controversial author George Orwell, was written in the 1940's after the 2nd World War, 3 decades after the Russian revolution of 1917. It was first published in 1948 after being rejected several times.This critically acclaimed book begins during the reign of the incompetent drunkard Farmer Jones, who manages his farm badly and neglects the animals. The wise boar, Old Major, gives the animals a speech about rebellion and fighting for the good of all animals ("4-legs good. 2-legs bad."), then promptly dies. The animals, led by the pigs, carry out Old Major's wish: they rebel and begin to run the farm. As time progresses, however, the pigs take more and more control. The pigs slowly but surely break all of the 7 commandments laid out by Old Major to give guidelines for the rebellion that all the animals could understand and refer to. Soon the pigs impose a reign of terror and slavery similar to that of Mr. Jones. In fact, by the end of the book they walk on their hind legs - like humans, like Mr. Jones. The book appeals to a wide audience, as it can be read on many levels. It can be read at face val
Animal Farm is a warning - to stop history from repeating itself. So "No animal shall sleep in a bed" now reads "No animal is to sleep in a bed with sheets"I think that George Orwell definitely wrote the book to show a general moral that people in power betray their principles, and also a message with a more specific historical significance. On an even more general scale, Animal Farm showed that not all authority was good authority, no matter what the leaders said they stood for before they took control. 'The perfect society' would always end up with a leader, and there was never a case where all of the citizens were happy. When he feels his time has come he summons all the animals and tries to pass on the knowledge and wisdom he has acquired in his long life. The ideals and hopes of the animals are sold down the river when the pigs come into power. The book, to anyone with any historical knowledge, is a clear allegory of the Russian revolution of 1917. They were easy to understand, with 7 clear rules (i. To stop people from causing problems to themselves and others there have to be guidelines. On a more general note, Animal Farm talked about communism and its ups and downs, theory and reality, at a time when countries of Eastern Europe were experimenting with communism. " Squealer, the propaganda pig, is sent to alter all the commandments (which were painted with white paint on the wall of the barn) to suit the leader's changing lifestyle. He explains to the animals, in less than kind words, that unless they rebel they are going to be killed to feed the enemy - humans. The 7 commandments are based on the biblical 10 commandments.
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Acceptance Essays
