7 Commandments In Animal Farm

Animal Farm, by George Orwell, is based around a simple concept called ‘Animalism’. Animalism, the idea that all animals should be treated with freedom and equality, not the cruelty that they were previously treated with, when governed by humans, was mostly created by the pigs. This concept, similar to communism in our world, was outlined by 7 commandments. However, throughout the story, we see the seven commandments gradually being eroded by the pigs, to suit their own benefit. They start to reflect human vices, and manipulate the animals for their own power. This slowly affects the whole demise of animal farm.
In Animal Farm, the pigs impose seven commandments upon the animals, to structure animalism. These commandments, throughout the novella, …show more content…
It is obvious from the start, that Orwell demonstrates a social hierarchy throughout the farm. Although it changes slowly, we see by that the pigs are always aiming to be at the top. They strive to hold power over the other animals, ‘Napoleon, with Squealer, sat on the front of the raised platform, with the nine young dogs forming a semi-circle around them’, and is shown as the pigs gradually rise to ‘higher’ up than the others. Napoleon erodes into the commandments, determined for the power to run the farm. As the Novella progresses, we see the rest of the animals starting to refer to him in a way that pictures him as their ‘ruler’. They acknowledge things that have happened on their own will, but praise him, ‘under the guidance of our leader, Comrade Napoleon, I have laid five eggs in six days!’. The use of ‘leader, Comrade Napoleon’ demonstrates the control that he would have always wished for, and we see this slowly being foreshadowed as Animal Farm progresses. Not only does the name calling signify the power the pigs wish to uphold, we see them further foreshadowing possible behaviour, in the whisky incident, and when they take extra milk and apples for themselves. This behaviour, although it is does not follow the animalism concept for a fair and just society, is taken as ‘normal’. All animals who may disagree, are manipulated and …show more content…
It is something that all the animal’s appeal towards, and strive for, however the pigs gradually break this commandment, to reflect what they desire. This commandment, possibly the most important, is broken down from the constant lies, manipulation and ‘authority’ that the pigs have. It is clear that not all the animals are equal, as we constantly see roles and dictators throughout the Novella. Individual animals start to work to serve others, and we see animals working ‘extremely long weeks’ that still are not rewarded to the same extent to animals, pigs, who barely work at all. In the ‘Battle of the Cowshed’, a fight to protect their farm, and each other, Napoleon takes almost ‘no interest’. Demonstrating his lack of support for the other animals, it can also be recognised that he has less care about certain animals – the seventh commandment proving to be eroded to how he would like the farm be controlled. In addition to the authority, and lack of work ethic, the pigs constantly lie to the other animals. Squealer, the animal which represents propaganda in the Russian Revolution, is constantly stressing to the animals that ‘no one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal’ and that the ‘improvement was enormous’ since Mr Jones had being overthrown. The animals of which often didn’t understand, ‘the birds did not understand…but accepted