Abbygail Brown
Writing and Rhetoric- English 170
Professor Elizabeth Guthrie
11/25/19
Major assignment #2- final draft
In a world so controversial, imagine every time we turn on the TV to channels like CNN or Fox- we can simply close our eyes and let our dystopian fears wash away, in a vision of what we truly believe society should stand for. Imagine if we had individual power to change it, if with a click of a button we can turn the sky red, or end all wars, even free the government from corruption, free our lives from corruption. But amidst all the change, we can finally see where we went wrong, if our dystopias were someone else’s utopian dream and whether we played an active part in trying to build it or destroy it. In his political satire Animal Farm, George Orwell explores these faults in human nature as well as attempts to build a utopian society. When a group of spirited farm animals grow sick and tired of their mistreatment, they rebel against their oppressive leaders and take the opportunity to build a truly equal society from the ground up. Though it appears all prayers are answered, a social hierarchy forms based on the intelligence of the animals, leaving the pigs as the new society’s guiding voice. Taking advantage of their power, the pigs carry out their idea of a perfect world, one where they benefit from all of the hard work of the other animals; all under the guise of equality. By examining the process in which we attempt to build our own utopias, we can address both the faults in our society, as well as the ideological divisions amongst us- ultimately paving the way for true unity and compassion in a divided world.
Within every society, disputable issues often plague the nature of socio-political relationships. This internal battle, isn’t simply a matter of good or bad, but is instead a matter of perception. In these conflicts, “[p]articpants have sometimes been depicted as unitary actors whose actions can be explained by their characteristics”, but the individual’s role amidst any controversy is much more complex (Lounsbery). When an individual expresses their opinion on an issue, their opinion is a direct result of their social standpoint; whether they’re on top of their social hierarchy or at the very bottom- the nature of their social perception stems from their experiences within that society. So, when an individual is conscious of the oppression or inequality happening, their initial course of action often is to revolt against the system they believe is negatively influencing their lives.
Initially, in order to revolt against an oppressive government, citizens must unlearn social standards. Like many marginalized groups, the animals in Animal Farm were also subject to their leader’s inconsideration and cruelty. Farm owner Mr. Jones, “although a hard master, had been a capable farmer, but of late he had fallen on evil days”, “and had taken to drinking more than was good for him”, so in turn “the fields were full of weeds, the building wanted roofing, the hedges were neglected, and the animals were underfed” (Orwell). The social unrest amongst the animals had reached its boiling point, when Mr. Jones irresponsible men left the farm “without bothering to feed the animals”, and with Mr. Jones passed out in a drunken state “when the evening came, the animals were still left unfed”- “[a]t last they [the animals] could stand it no longer”, “pursuing them [the humans] in triumph” “the animals had chase Jones and his men out on the road and slammed the five-barred gate behind them. And so, almost before they knew what was happening, the rebellion had been successfully carried through: Jones was expelled, and the Manor Farm was theirs.” (Orwell).
Despite the clear passion behind the rebellion, it took the animals time to reach this state of self-empowerment. Inspired by a speech given by Old Major “the prize Middle White boar”, the animals began to access their true oppression when Old Major states the reality of their positions- Major declares “[l]et us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given jut as much food as will keep the breath in our bodies and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty.”, “No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth.” (Orwell). Old Major then prompts his audience to question, “is this simply part of the order of nature?”, “[w]hy then do we continue in this miserable position?” – Old Major not only teaches the animals to think about their position in life, but causes them to question why they’ve accepted it as a natural part of it, when they deserve so much more; prompting the animals in turn to want more for themselves (Orwell). It can be argued, that without Old Major’s inspirational speech the animals would have still remained victim to Mr. Jones maltreatment, by teaching them Old Major essentially frees them of their mental enslavement, which allows the animals to finally think freely, and think without having to appease their social hierarchy.
Amidst the vast societal realization, the adoption of new ideals is integral to the continuation of the movement. After their rebellion, the animals adopted a self-made belief system that would ensure group morale, the pigs eventually named Animalism. Derived from Old Major’s speech, Animalism’s main values are rooted in a sense of comradery between the animals; despite their species: “[w]hatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. Whatever goes upon legs, or has wings, is a friend” (Orwell). To ensure the success of the rebellion, Old Major made sure to remind the animals, “that in fight against man, we [the animals] must not come to resemble him. Even when you have conquered him, do not adopt his vices.”, “All the habits of Man are evil. And above all, no animal must ever tyrannise over his own kind. Weak or strong, clever or simple, we are all brothers.” “All animals are equal” (Orwell).
After Old Major’s death, the pigs preserved his ideas, by “reducing the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments” – “1. Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes upon four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal.”, these commandments “would form an unalterable law by which all the animals on Animal Farm must live for ever after” (Orwell). By holding on to the idea that initially liberated them, and essentially building their life around those ideals, the animals are setting up the foundation for a potentially successful utopia.
To ensure social change, a new government is formed on the basis of new ideals. To ensure the success of their budding paradise, the pigs who took the leading role in Animal Farm structured their new lives on the basis of equality. Though the skills of each animal were different, “everyone worked according to his capacity.” “Nobody stole, nobody grumbled over his rations, the quarreling and biting and jealousy which had been normal features of life in the old days had almost disappeared.” (Orwell). On Sundays, “there was no work”, “ [b]reakfast was an hour later than usual, and after breakfast there was a ceremony which was observed every week without fail.”- “the hoisting of the flag”, “[t]he flag was green, Snowball [a leading pig], to represent the green fields of England, while the hoof and the horn signified the future Republic of the Animals which would arise when the human race had been finally overthrown” (Orwell). After this ceremony, “the work of the coming week was planned out and resolutions were put forward and debated. It was always the pigs who put forward the resolution” (Orwell). The pig Snowball, “busied himself with organizing the other animals into what he called Animal Committees”, “[o]n the whole, projects were a failure”, “[t]he attempt to tame these wild creatures, for instance, broke down almost immediately”- “[t]he reading and writing classes, however were a great success. By autumn almost every animal on the farm was literate in some degree” (Orwell). By changing the lifestyle of the animals, the pigs allowed the beliefs of animalism to live on. By attempting to shift the other animals’ perspective on life, the pigs begin to cultivate their budding utopia through just means.
The style of law in which a government enacts, is a reflection of their desire to move towards their own utopia. However, “[a]ny utopian vision that willfully excludes the darkness, the storm, the wild and undomesticated is fundamentally sentimentally- a vision”-when we think about the concept of utopia, we have to initially address “the relationship between utopian production and reception” (Davidson)(Bottoms). Due to our different social standpoints, as well as our personal beliefs, “one person’s utopia is another person’s dystopia”- the differences among us prevent us from not only thinking the same way, but it prevents us from the wanting the same thing. So, to “propose a utopian vision is a particularly audacious”, as audacious as assuming we can all share one world view, despite our very contrasting perceptions (Davidson). So, in order for any said ‘utopia’ to truly function the behavior, as well as the thoughts of its citizens must be constructed by its leaders; creating an unequal power division.
To secure their budding utopia, utopian leaders influence public opinion. In Animal Farm, when the pigs who were now the farm’s supervisors were faced with a possible dilemma, they quickly changed the narrative in order to keep the peace. Since the pigs were the most intelligent, they easily deceived the other animals, especially when they were being accused of being hypocritical for example: when the pigs take a bucket a milk and apples for themselves and are confronted one of them cries out “[y]ou do not imagine, I hope, that we pigs are doing this in a spirit of selfishness and privilege? Many of us actually dislike milk and apples. I dislike them myself. Our sole object in taking these things is to preserve our health. Milk and apples (this has been proved by science, comrades) contain substances absolutely necessary to the well-being of a pig. We pigs are brainworkers. The whole management and organization of this farm depends on us.” “It is for your sake that we drink the milk an eat those apples” (Orwell). The pigs “dissemination of information” is textbook propaganda, and by changing the narrative of their misdeed the pigs successfully manipulated the other animals into continuing to participate in their own utopian vision, not the one they had originally hoped for (Access Britannica School).
For the overall success of their utopia, the ‘threatening’ behavior of its citizens is policed by utopian leaders. Initially on the farm, “the work of the coming week was planned out and the resolutions were put forward and debated. It was always the pigs who put forward the resolutions” (Orwell). The pigs “Snowball and Napoleon were by far the most active in the debates. But it was noticed that these two were never in agreement: whatever suggestion either of them made, the other could be counted on to oppose it” (Orwell). The ideological tension between the animals, came to a head during a dispute over whether or not a windmill should be built on the farm. The farm’s first “Man vs. Man” conflict, resulted in “Snowball and Napoleon battle [ing] for power in the farm”, and “Napoleon banishing Snowball and taking sole power” (Spilled Ink). When threatened by Snowball’s voice, Napoleon immediately silences it by banishing him, which not only demonstrates the true lack of individual rights within their said ‘utopia’, but whose voices are truly valued in their ‘equal’ world.
Though the roots of animal farm are doused with a utopian fare, in the end the utopian dream the animals had worked for, became their very own dystopian reality. Even with the fair and just animalistic beliefs working behind their government system, they couldn’t escape the destruction and dehumanization that would soon ensue. The root of their issues stems from the fact that “[h]uman [or animal] society is partially segregated already”, if not by factors like biological make up then the difference in their world view (Creating a Powerful Dystopia). The experience of pig, is not the same as the experience of say a horse or a cow, so naturally their opinions would differ despite being bred on the same farm; so, the animals naturally had different utopian visions as well. This truth, as a well as the fact that the pigs still managed to create a social hierarchy, in a system that literally built on basis of equality amongst the animals- all demonstrates how both utopias and dystopias are “walking paradoxes”; and “can serve as cautionary reminders as to what we could become, and they can provide an escape into a world that isn’t quite like ours” (America’s Future: A Dystopia).
Amidst every rebellion, or every step taken towards building a utopia, one truth remains the very concept of their being a utopian society is biased in nature. In order for a utopia to truly thrive, every citizen would have to think the same, and in turn want the same things for themselves and their nation- but as proven earlier, our differences stem from our different experiences; so until we all begin to live the same lives, it will remain highly unlikely that we will share the same utopian vision. Yet, we still consume ourselves in attempting to build the perfect world, instead of realizing that a perfect world is one where we can actively celebrate our differences, instead of avoiding them. In fact, when we truly begin to understand each other’s experiences, and learn to accept both the beauty and the pain, is when a true utopia can reign free. A perfect world in which we can stand together, united in empathy and compassion.

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Annotated Bibliography

– “Access Britannica School.” Britannica School, https://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/propaganda/109443.
This piece on propaganda, provided by the Britannica School explores mainly the various definitions of propaganda, and later goes in depth on its effect on society as a whole. The article also points out the difference between propaganda and general manipulation, two concepts that are often confused with one another; according to the piece Propaganda is more of a systematic effort versus a social occurrence taking place on the micro level. These definitions, as well as distinctions were integral to the development of my piece on Animal farm. When discussing the role of propaganda in a dystopian society, this article provides proficient evidence, as well as clarification on what propaganda truly is.
– “America’s Future: A Dystopia.” UWIRE Text, Uloop Inc., 1 Oct. 2014.
In America’s future: A Dystopia, the author explores the role of dystopian literature in modern society. With the success of books like The Hunger Games, and Divergent, the author questions why we are so intrigued by these works, and how ultimately it is a reflection of our view of dystopias as a whole. This article, would play a sufficient role in the development of my piece on Animal Farm. By exploring the way we view dystopias, we can ultimately address the way we view utopias – which would help me as author analyze how the process of building a utopia and the utopias potential success, is actually a reflection of the state of our society as whole.
-Bottoms, Stephen1, Stephen.bottoms@manchester.ac. u. “Utopia.” Contemporary Theatre Review, vol. 23, no. 1, Feb. 2013, pp. 71–75. EBSCOhost
Author Stephen Bottoms reviews an Uninvited Guests performance titled ‘Utopia’, when going over the highlights of the play, Bottoms also provides social commentary on the concept utopia as a whole. Though Bottoms piece may not seem relevant to the makings of my piece on Animal Farm, his social commentary provides powerful insight to how utopias are typically viewed; making integral to the cultivation of my essay.
– “Creating a Powerful Dystopia.” Mail Today (New Delhi, India), SyndiGate Media Inc., 27 Sept. 2015
Creating a Powerful Dystopia, explores the book Padmanabhan’s The Island of Lost Girls and how in all of its extremity is actually social commentary on how throughout history society consistently experiments with oppression as a means to maintain social hierarchy. This evaluation on dystopian life, or the creation of it, is integral to the cultivation of my essay on Animal Farm. By examining the way, a dystopia is created, I as an author can better analyze the process in which a utopia is created, and draw possible comparisons.
– Davidson, Joe P.L. “My Utopia Is Your Utopia? William Morris, Utopian Theory and the Claims of the Past.” Thesis Eleven, vol. 152, no. 1, SAGE Publications, June 2019, pp. 87–101
In his work My Utopia Is Your Utopia?, Davidson examines the relationship between utopian production and reception, through a reading by William Morris a famed utopian author and theorist. Based on his research, Davidson concluded that the relationship between the two variables is inherently unequal, which in the end constrains production as a whole. This article would provide sufficient evidence for my essay, because like my essay it too examines the process in which utopias are built, and provides powerful insight into how society’s reaction to it can affect its success.
– Lounsbery, Marie Olson, and Alethia H Cook. “Rebellion, Mediation, and Group Change: An Empirical Investigation of Competing Hypotheses.” Journal of Peace Research, vol. 48, no. 1, 2011, pp. 73–84
In Rebellion, Meditation, and Group Change, author Marie Olson Lounsbery explores the conflicts and the mediated settlements in intrastate conflicts. Lounsbery analyzes the stances and dynamics of the groups on each side of the conflict, all to determine whether group change is a direct result of mediation attempts. Lounsbery’s work will aide me in analyzing the dystopian aftermath that takes place after a failed utopian attempt, making it integral to the cultivation of piece on Animal Farm.
– Orwell, George. Animal Farm. 1945
In his political satire Animal Farm, George Orwell tells the story of a group of farm animals who come together and rebel against their oppressive owners, by pushing them out of the farm. With this new found freedom, the animals move to self-govern on the ideal that inspired their rebellion- equality. Though their system appeared as a utopia, the greed of the smarter animals corrupted the foundation that they worked so hard to build. Now forced to live under the totalitarian rule of a dictating pig named Napoleon, the animals realize that their leaders are as oppressive as the humans they despised. Since my essay is based on Orwell’s piece, it would be integral to the cultivation of my essay as a whole. Using direct examples from the originally source text, would give my argument more credibility; further persuading my reader.
– “Research/Controversy.” Spilled Ink:
The Story of Animal Farm, https://animal-farm-blog.weebly.com/researchcontroversy.html.
The blog The Story of Animal Farm explores the different aspects of George Orwell’s Animal Farm. From the dystopian aspects, to the literary themes, the blog works to provide any budding Orwell fan a proper background of the famed author’s piece. Acting as a guide to Orwell’s Animal Farm, this blog was a great tool in navigating Orwell’s work, especially as a new reader- the impact it had on my researching journey makes the blog integral to the cultivation of my essay.