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Political Power Games: The Case of Animal Farm

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George Orwell's Animal Farm is a story of farm animals who plot a coup against their

human owner Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones is a drunkard and he is not concerned about his Manor farm

and the animals starve. Unfortunately, when they overthrow Mr. Jones, the pigs take the reins of

power under Napoleon who is a dictator and rules them with the fear of the return of Mr. Jones.

This is a display of power games where the oppressed take a bold step to challenge their

oppressors and when they are in control of the leadership, they take control of the leadership and

turn out to be the oppressors themselves and thus no change occurs. The political power games

in the Manor farm are a testament to politics even during this time all over the world.

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For change to be effected, several ideologies must be set such that one political side may

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regard the other as their enemy and hence the need for overthrow from power. In the Manor

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farm, for instance, there were rules such as any animal that walks on two feet is an enemy in
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reference to Mr. Jones and the animals in the Manor farm use this and other "commandments" to
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seek support from the rest of the animals and this eventually brings down his leadership in the
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farm. Consequently, when a certain regime is overthrown, there are law amendments that are

hurriedly passed by the new leaders to make everyone feel protected against a similar regime of
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the rule. However, the leaders become greedy after some time and amend them to suit
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themselves and the subjects soon realize that they have been duped by the same people they
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thought would offer them freedom. In the Manor farm, for instance, the pigs amend the rules to
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exclude themselves from their law-breaking activities such as drinking alcohol and execution of

other animals which was prohibited in the earlier laws. This shows that power obtained from
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coups is not necessarily helpful to the subjects.

Additionally, power obtained through uncouth means such as rebellions often kills and

maims the rebels of the new leadership when they realize no change has occurred and they are

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 Surname 3

being oppressed as in the previous regime. In the Manor farm, for instance, the hens' eggs are

sold by the pigs and when the hens rebel against this, they are executed by the pigs under

Napoleons' leadership. Another instance is when Boxer, the farm's horse is still hopeful of a

change in the farm. Unfortunately, he is sold off to the horse-slaughterer under the guise of being

taken ill by the veterinarian who now "owned" the slaughterer's van. The animals are also

gullible enough to believe the pig's explanation about Boxer and they seem to have accepted

their fate of living under the dictatorial rule. There is an apparent disparity between the ruling

class and the subjects and they enjoy privileges that the subjects would not dream of enjoying in

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a majority of political systems in the world. The manor farms eventually adopt a rule that "All

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farm animals are equal, but some are more equal than others". This statement is ironic since the

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main aim of political leadership is in protecting the welfare of the subjects and it only guarantees
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the good welfare of the ruling class and not the subjects. Thus, Animal Farm is an example of a

majority of political differences between the ruling class and the subjects even in today's political
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world.
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