Absolute Corruption In George Orwell's Animal Farm

George Orwell, in his novel Animal Farm, illustrates the flaws involved in a system where equality amongst all individuals is the basis for governance. Orwell represents society through various animals living on a farm under the control of human farmers. Throughout the novel, the animals revolt against their human owners under the leadership of pigs who state that once they gain control of the farm they shall all be equal. However, as the novel progresses it becomes clear that the pigs have a hidden motive and assert themselves into positions of power, becoming corrupt and eventually resembling the humans which they initially overthrew. The novel serves as a commentary by Orwell about the ‘’too-good-to-be-true’’ nature of socialist governmental policy, primarily focusing on the rise and eventual spoiling of the communist USSR government, which was present at the time the novel was written. Animal Farm focuses on human nature and the tendency of humans to become corrupt when they are placed in a position of power, hence the

It can be said that Old Major had absolute power over the animals at the start of the novel as he was the one who introduced the idea of a rebellion against the humans and had the support of all the animals. With this absolute power Old Major remained honest and therefore was not corrupted absolutely. However, he died, and that symbolized corruption overshadowing his ideals absolutely.
Animal Farm tells the story of the rebellion of the animals against the humans which eventually places the pigs (mainly Napoleon) in absolute power, which leads to the absolute corruption of the system which was initially put in place. At the end of the novel, this absolute corruption eventually leads to the animals seeing the pigs as the humans which they initially overthrew: “The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to