Animal Farm: Pigs vs other animals Pigs The pigs are highly intelligent, particularly Snowball. - Napoleon, Snowball and Squealer “had elaborated old Major’s teachings into a complete system of thought”(ch2). Their advanced analytical skills enable them to fully absorb the complex ideals of Old Major and pass them on to the others during secret meetings. - During the secret meetings, the pigs are also in charge of enhancing the animals’ understanding of Animalism and expelling any misunderstandings they may have. - The pigs “were so clever that they could think of a way round every difficulty” when collecting the harvest. - The pigs teach themselves to read and write fluently; Snowball even teaches himself how to plan military campaigns by learning from Julius Caesar. Later they even begin studying blacksmithing, carpentering and “other necessary arts” from books. Other Animals The other animals are considerably less intelligent. - Apart from the pigs, dogs, Benjamin and Muriel, none of the other animals on the farm can read as they do not have the cognitive abilities to. - The sheep, hens and ducks are unable to learn the Seven Commandments by heart, and must instead resort to the simple maxim “Four legs good, two legs bad”. - During the Sunday-morning Meetings, the animals are unable to think of any resolutions of their own. Power Hierarchy The pigs’ intelligence enables them to take control of Animal Farm, even before the Manor Farm is overthrown. 1. Their intelligence makes them more knowledgeable. They learn various arts, e.g. blacksmithing, carpentering etc. Their cleverness enables them to further acquire skills the other animals do not have. 2. They are able to manipulate Animalism however they wish. The animals rely heavily upon them to absorb Old Major’s teachings of Animalism and the Seven Commandments. As a result the pigs can distort the beliefs and ideals of Animalism before passing them on without facing any suspicion. The animals are gullible and easy to deceive. 3. They gain the animals’ trust. 4. - -“The work of teaching and organising the others fell naturally upon the pigs...the cleverest of the animals.” (ch2) Due to their intelligence, they are in charge of educating the other less clever animals. -”With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership.” Their intelligence enables them to establish their power over the farm with no opposition from the animals. - “The birds did not understand Snowball’s long words, but they accepted his explanation.” The animals blindly accept the pigs’ teachings as they completely trust them, and as a result they do not realise that they are gradually being cheated of their rights. The animals cannot object to their rule due to their lack of intelligence. “Several of them would have protested if they could have found the right arguments.” (ch5)/ “(Boxer) set his ears back...and tried to marshal his thoughts, but he could not think of anything to say.” At times the animals do realise that Napoleon’s tightening of control infringes on their rights in some way, but they cannot protest as they do not know how to. Absolute power corrupts absolutely The more power the pigs have access to, the more corrupt they become. ● During the early stages of Animal Farm, the pigs are skilled and capable leaders, although their power causes them to hoard certain luxuries for themselves. They use their authority as the leaders of the farm and their superiority as “brainworkers” to hoard the milk and apples. ● Eventually Napoleon overthrows Snowball’s leadership and assumes all the power, even depriving the animals of their right to vote and make resolutions. The pigs now hold all the power. After that the pigs become increasingly corrupt. - They continue to use their status as the “brainworkers” and leaders of the farm as an excuse to enjoy human luxuries such as beds (“You would not have us too tired to carry out our duties, comrades?”). - They begin to indulge in alcohol and revelry - Eventually they take all the fruits of the animals’ labour for their own; the farm “grows richer without making the animals themselves any richer” because the pigs have taken all of the profits (as the operators of the farm, they have access to all the money) - Towards the end of the story the pigs begin walking on hind legs, adopting human habits and engaging in friendly relations with humans → openly defying the spirit of Animalism. They have become so corrupt that they now resemble the very things they were fighting against in the first place. - The other animals have neither the courage nor the cognitive abilities to stop them. (“Four legs good, two legs better!” “Napoleon is always right.”) This further encourages their behaviour. The Evolution of Animalism ● Animalism begins as an idealistic, utopian concept, brought forward by Old Major. According to Old Major, Animalism will give rise to a wonderful, heavenly society where animals live in abundance and equality (“Riches more than mind can picture/ wheat and barley, oats and hay”), free from abuse and hard labour: (“Bit and spur shall rust forever/ cruel whips no more shall crack”). ● The gradual corruption of Animalism begins even before the pigs begin their tyranny. - Snowball reduces Animalism to the maxim “Four legs good, two legs bad”. While it seems like an effective maxim, it restricts the animals’ ability to think for themselves as they will mindlessly follow the pigs’ decisions, even if the pigs begin to act increasingly like humans, simply because they have “four legs”. Animalism is not about physical attributes; rather, it is about human behaviour. ● The first blatant violation of Animalism occurs when the pigs take the milk and apples for themselves. From this point on the pigs begin to define themselves as a separate, superior class deserving of special privileges such as milk and apples, which is contrary to the commandment “All animals are equal”. ● Animalism is further damaged when Napoleon expels Snowball and abolishes the Sunday-morning meetings. He makes official the pigs’ power over the farm. ● The pigs then begin their manipulation and distortion of Animalism by violating the Seven Commandments one by one and then rewriting them to legitimise their gluttony. The Seven Commandments are now a tool for the pigs to manipulate Animalism so that they may enjoy more special privileges ● As the novel progresses, Animalism is mentioned less and less; instead, Napoleon and Animal Farm itself become idolised by the animals. “Beasts of England”, the anthem for Animalism, is replaced by “Animal Farm, Animal Farm”, the anthem for Animal Farm. ● Napoleon suppresses any complaints made by the animals about their harsh, bare lives and low rations by claiming that Animalism requires it. - “A too rigid equality in rations, said Squealer, would have been contrary to the principles of Animalism.” - “The luxuries of which Snowball had once taught the animals to dream… Napoleon had denounced such ideas as contrary to the spirit of Animalism. The truest happiness, he said, lay in working hard and living frugally.” ● In the end Animalism is officially dead. The pigs do away with Animalism altogether and begin using whips, standing on two legs, smoking pipes and wearing clothes. They also begin socialising with humans and completely change the Seven Commandments.
