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Mnasnan Se-amorntham (Nancy)

Matthew Bishop

English 12

8th December 2017

How the Pigs Exploit Other Animals in Animal Farm

Animal Farm, the allegorical novella written by George Orwell in 1945 represents the

Russian Revolution of 1917 that extended into the Soviet - Stalin era. The animals rebelled for

their freedom and right. Although the animals chased the owner out of the farm after their

rebellion, their lives were still in disaster. Their lives got worse due to the pigs mistreatment.

As a result, they did have neither freedom nor right. Animal Farm demonstrates how the pigs

utilize the other animals by getting special treatment, changing commands to gain more profits,

and taking the other animals for granted from their belief.

To begin with, the pigs abuse the other animals through getting the unusual

treatments. The allegory implies to the Russian revolution about everything can either go wrong

or get worse when one system switch to another. It described the animals exploitation period

was caused by the bourgeoisie. The author exemplified how worsens in Chapter Two of the

book. There is a farm where animals evolve themselves to read, communicate, and write. The

pigs are the smartest animals in the farm. Among the pigs, Napoleon is the dominant, follow by

Snowball and Squealer, who have formed Animalism. They have incited the animals that Mr.

Jones, the owner is the real enemy they have because he takes all their products and gives them

little food just only prevents them from starving. Until one day, Mr. Jones did not feed the farm

animals because he got drunk and stayed overnight away from the farm. The dietary deficiency

inspires the animals to drive Mr. Jones out. After their rebellion, they set their own farm called
HOW THE PIGS EXPLOIT OTHER ANIMALS IN ANIMAL FARM 2

Animal Farm. In this farm, the pigs started to appoint themselves as the farm leaders and they

were the ones who are organizing and creating the rules for the farm on how it should be

functioned. The pigs act as the bourgeoisie since this point. The very first exploitation was

happening when the pigs asked the animals to do the harvest while they drink milk that should be

shared. Furthermore, Napoleon makes uses of the animals fear by scaring them that Jones will

return to exploit animals. They said that they ate all milk and apple because they are brain-

workers and if the animals do not give them the foods, Mr. Jones will come back. The rebellion

to Mr. Jones who is the former bourgeoisie shows that workers will eventually tire of this

exploitative system and create a revolution against the bourgeoisie for taking control of the

means of production (Marx & Engels, 1886). Also, this demonstrates that the pigs control the

overall process while the animals work really hard after the rebellion. This transforms to workers

who do not own the production revenues, the facilities and resources to produce goods.

Herewith, they get poorer. Although, the animals have a meeting every Sunday, they just knew

how to vote, but did not have insight of resolution. As a result, the pigs were always put forward

the resolution. Eventually, a pig committee would establish all questions which related to the

farm working. This reflects that the pigs marginalize other animals and replace them by all the

pigs meeting members. The animals are the proletariats while the pigs are the controllers or

bourgeoisies. Besides, the pigs get all authorizations that they can amend the rule as desire.

Along exploitative abuse, the pigs change the rules to benefit themselves. In Chapter

Two, the pigs have reduced the principles of Animalism to Seven Commandments. For

example, rule number four, No animal shall sleep in a bed, and rule number five, No animal

shall drink alcohol. The unfairness happened because they do not have the proper

documentation for the commandments and the other animals are not able to read the
HOW THE PIGS EXPLOIT OTHER ANIMALS IN ANIMAL FARM 3

commandments themselves. In Chapter Six, Napoleon changed the Seven Commandments in

order to benefit the pigs comfortable lives. He amended the Seven Commandments to: rule

number four, No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets, and rule number five, No animal

shall drink alcohol to excess. Then, in Chapter Ten, the Seven Commandments are replaced by

one phrase: All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others. Nevertheless,

the pigs changed the rule to make they can slept in the bed and drunk alcohol which is against

the Seven Commandments that they wrote for protecting the animals fairness. They use their

knowledge to make themselves wealthy by exploiting the other animals work. Napoleon also

uses Squealer as a propaganda to announce and advertise misinformation to the public, trying to

convince the animals that all things are not what they have seen. One of the farm cart-horses

named Cover tried to guide the others to see what is actually happenings. However, her attempts

were unfulfilled and the pigs still demanded the animals work hard for the own well-being. The

pigs are not only exploiting the animals efforts but also performing in the other flip.

Lastly, the pigs took advantages of the other animals beliefs. In Chapter Two, Moses,

the raven and spy for Mr. Jones, told the animals about the place called Sugarcandy Mountain

a place where all animals will have all food they want and not have to work after they die. As a

result, the animals worked like slaves for years but they were happy with their hard work. The

pigs do not believe in that place. Orwell notes that The pigs tolerate Moses because they realize

how effectively religious belief can suppress rebellion and even discontent, just as Stalin

permitted the public return of the Russian Orthodox clergy because he realized that he could

exploit the Church for his own purposes (Rodden, 2010, p. 8). Clover and the other cart-horse,

Boxer, appear as proletariats who trusted in the Revolutionary ideals. Despite being

misinformed by unethical leader, they worked hard for this regard. In Chapter Five, Boxer
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accepts Napoleon adopted the maxim Napoleon is always right, and the motto I will work

harder, without question. Subsequently, Chapter Nine shows Boxer is sick and unable to work

for the pigs. Then, Napoleon discharges him to the horse assassin. This shows that the

bourgeoisie will always find ways to increase profit such as reduce wages, raise prices, and so

on. However, the animals are still working hard for them. With respect to Boxers faith in

Sugarcandy mountain and his devotion to the pigs, Orwell's comments that As long as

supernatural beliefs persist, men can be exploited by cunning priests and oligarchs, and the

technical progress which is the prerequisite of a just society cannot be achieved. On the other

hand, when men stop worshipping god they promptly start worshipping Man, with disastrous

results. The humanist has to decide whether what is needed is re-education and a 'change of

heart,' or whether the indispensable first step is the abolition of poverty (Atkins, 1945, p. 27).

In conclusion, Animal Farm displays how the pigs mistreat the other animals through

getting the special operations, transform the commandments to advantage themselves, and used

animals belief to draw their lives down to the deep pathetic. Orwell applied these to the Russian

revolution showing how to make life better by replacing one system with another system.
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References

Atkins, J (1945, July 22). George Orwell. The Observer, p. 27

Marx, K., & Engels, F. (1886). The Manifesto of the Communists. International Publishing Co.

Rodden, J. (2010). Big Rock (Sugar)candy Mountain? How George Orwell Tramped toward

"Animal Farm.". Papers On Language & Literature, 46(3), 315-341.