The Relevance of Exploitation and Literacy in Animal Farm 1

Animal Farm is the novella written by George Orwell in 1945, that talks about how a

farm is taken over by the animal themselves, and they then try to create a paradise for animals

with justice and equality. The story portrays the interaction between pigs and the other

animals and the estrangement between classes. The book has not only criticized Stalin, but

also promoted other educational meanings, such as the relevances of exploitation and literacy,

with a fairy-tale element to grasp the attention of the reader. Rates of exploitation are often

linked with low literacy skills due to the lacks of the education or their own ability. Low

literacy skills and education make it impossible for a laborer to correctly understand the

prevailing salary or the treatment of outside workers, and being exploited by the bourgeoisie

without any conscience for the plights of others. Not only that, laborers will therefore be

unable to understand its own rights and legal requirements. Animal Farm expresses the

importance of literacy to proletarians by showing the circumstances when animals are

uneducated, and how powerless this makes them when the animals confront the exploitation

of bourgeoisie. In the third chapter of the novel,the author clearly discusses about the ability

of reading and writing of each animal, this represents the low education of the proletarian

during the period and the cause of the powerless situation, when they face up to the

exploitation.

In fact, ability of literacy would not change the class of people, but having a basic

level of education can at least ensure the rights and interests of the proletarians. According to

what Orwell wrote in chapter 3, the animals in the farm all have different levels of literacy,

but in general, there is no one who has same reading ability as strong as Benjamin or the pigs.

Orwell noted that, dogs have the ability to read but are not interested in reading; Clover can

remember all the alphabet but cannot put them together as a word; Boxers memory seem to

only accept four alphabets; and no other animal can go further than A (p. 33). Their ability
The Relevance of Exploitation and Literacy in Animal Farm 2

doomed them to not having enough power to subvert the pigs when they are being exploited

by the bourgeoisie. As as opposite example, the Chartism movement during 1838 to 1848

was the result when the proletarians got educated, which was caused by the majority of the

working-class population not having the right to vote after the political reform. The

dissatisfied working class and a small group of middle-class people who have not gained

much had conducted a series of radical campaigns that were named the Charter movement.

Only by hating the bourgeoisie and being against the bourgeoisie can workers earn the

dignity of their own people. The reason why the British proletarian was able to resist the

tyranny of the bereaved families so strongly is all because of their education(Engels, 1844).

By the way the author describes the level of the animals education, we can link the

possibility of being exploited by bourgeoisie and how weak they are when they want to fight

with their lack of literacy. Moreover, the evidence demonstrates the circumstance when the

proletarian have the ability of literacy.It also gives an assumptions when the animal got the

opportunity to fully understand the rights and treatment that they should really have, then the

future rebellion against the tyranny of the pigs may be possible. However, the low education

level is the biggest reason that assisted the regime of Napoleon, he fully seized upon the trait

that animals use a lack of literacy to suppress others.

After becoming the leader of the farm, Napoleon grasps the characteristic that animal

are mostly low educated and exploit them by changing the commandments for his own

benefit. As author noted, It ran: No animal shall kill any other animal without cause.

Somehow or other,the last two words had slipped out of the animals memory. (Orwell,

1984, p.91). Napoleon decided to add the last two words into the commandment that was

created for protecting the animals and the equality between each others. Without the proper

documentation and unable to read the commandments by themselves, animals wouldnt have
The Relevance of Exploitation and Literacy in Animal Farm 3

the clear idea of what is correct and what has been changed by the pigs. Hunter(1984) has

stated that Napoleons control over the government depends on his apparent strength and

infallibility (p.174). His behavior is a systematic and powerful method, which he claims to

establish greater authority for pigs. Napoleon utilizes the characteristic that animals are not

well educated, and takes the action of distorting the meaning of commandment to steady the

infallibility to the animal. The incapability to record the commandments led to the follow-up

suppression from the pigs, and which the circumstance clearly shown the importances of

literacy to the proletariat class.

In addition to change the commandments , Napoleon keeps betraying others for his

authority and for the benefit of the offsprings by utilizing the trait that animals are not

educated. Napoleon takes the advantage of lack in literacy and animals awful memory, he

decided to lie on the fate of Boxer. Because of the untrusted memory and incompetence in

documentation, animal have no way to know the truth. The unthinking public and their

blindfolded nature give Napoleon a chance to contrive and fully control the farm. The

exploitation of the pigs and the suffering of the others animals resulted from their power in

understanding the process of farming and government, and this further determines the pigs

power to control the fates of other species (Fowler, 1995, p.174). As Orwell noted in chapter

nine about the death of Boxers death, Napoleon once again betrayed the animals and took

advantage of their lack of literacy. Benjamin shouted, Alfred Simmonds, Horse

Slaughterer and Glue Boiler, Willingdon. Dealer in Hides and Bone-Meal. Kennels

Supplied. Do you not understand what that means? They are taking Boxer to the

Knackers!(p.122). As Boxer can no more bring advantage to Napoleon, he decided to

bring Boxer to the knacker for the last few benefits that he could have made, and lied to the
The Relevance of Exploitation and Literacy in Animal Farm 4

animals that Boxer had been well treated in the hospital. This similar situation keeps

appearing as the animals dont dont have the ability to overthrow Napoleons jurisdiction.

Thus, Animal Farm displays the importance of literacy and the relevances between

exploitation and education by showing the circumstances when the animal are low educated.

The exploitation and the betrayal of Napoleon expresses that animals would not have had a

chance to control their own fate and their rights, when they are incapable to fight for the

treatment they should get. To sum up, the book is manifesting that the population will be

much more easy to exploit or utilize when they have a lack of literacy.
The Relevance of Exploitation and Literacy in Animal Farm 5

References

Engels, F. (1845). The Condition of the Working Class in England. German.

Fowler, R. (1995). The language of George Orwell. London: MacMillan.

Hunter, L. (1984). George Orwell: The search for a voice. Milton: Open University Press.