“Cruelty” in Chapter 8

Napoleon as a cruel and ruthless leader.

A way of violence and intimidation to keep the other animals in line.

To employ tortures and kill any animal who dares to oppose Napolen

Napoleon symbolizes a cruel and impulsive leader. On another note, 'cruelty' refers precisely
to Napoleon who willingly uses violence and intimidation to manipulate other animals and
fulfill his selfish ambitions. Instead of treating others as equals as Immanuel Kant referred to
categorical imperative, he sees all of peers as just means to serve his own interests and at
last discard them, demonstrating his 'cruelty'. Like this, Napoleon relies on 'cruelty' as a
means to torture and even kill any animal that opposes him.

The theme of cruelty: the one of the most important themes in Animal Farm

Cruelty, helping explore political power and how it changes people!

The pigs, nothing different from the owner of the farm in that both are cruel!

Cruelty, strengthened through propaganda and lies

'Cruelty' is one of the crucial themes in Animal Farm. It evokes feelings of fear and dread
among others. Fear and dread make it impossible for the other animals to think with sound
rational reasoning, which is why leaders in most cases, who possess 'cruelty' are likely to
regress into dictatorship.
Additionally, cruelty enables the exploration of political power and transforms people into
compliant followers of leaders who possess 'cruelty'. In this sense, the pigs in Animal Farm
are no different from the previous human farmers. The only change is the shift in authority,
while the characteristic of 'cruelty' remains unchanged.
In this way, 'cruelty' can be reinforced through political manipulation and falsehood.

The pigs, not only oppressive, but also sadistic!

Causes of pain and suffering to others

Forcing animals to work hard

Feeding them poorly

Punishing any animals severely even for minor infractions

'Cruelty' symbolizes the oppressive nature and hypocritical disposition of the pigs. Through
cruelty, they subject the other animals on the farm to suffering. In pursuit of the interests of
Napoleon and the other pigs, the animals lose their self-esteem and their worth as purposeful
beings, succumbing to the power dynamics.
In essence, cruelty subjects them to harsh labor and gradually deteriorates their living
conditions. In short, cruelty transforms the value of equal animals into unequal outcomes.

Cruelty, harmonious with dishonesty and stinginess

Machiavellism, associated with a dark or sinister figure

Humans never giving up freedom under cruelty

Resist cruelty by saying freedom or death

Cruelty, never lasting up more than virtuous power

Struggles empowered with human will, overcoming cruelty

Cruelty aligns with dishonest deceit and stingy stubbornness. Cruelty, dishonesty, and
stinginess are the virtues emphasized in Machiavelli's The Prince. According to Machiavelli,
a prince must be cruel, deceitful at times, and strict in adherence to principles for the sake of
the well-being and order of the community. This is because a prince needs to command
reverence and fear to control the destiny of both the state and the self, not to mention his or
her own subjects.
Here, it is noteworthy that the problem lies in the dark aspects of Machiavellianism. When
cruelty is misused, that is, without principles, the prince can descend from being an object of
fear and reverence to just an object of hatred and contempt from the people. In this sense, we
can observe that Napoleon's cruelty generates not reverence, but hatred from its constituents.
Like this, the keyword 'cruelty' in Animal Farm implies that humans can never relinquish
their freedom through cruelty and oppression. Humans, as rational beings, cannot surrender
their freedom. Therefore, humans must resist cruelty and be willing to say, "Give me freedom
or death."
We must recognize that cruelty can never endure longer than good power. The struggle linked
to human will can ultimately overcome cruelty.