Avoidant Personality Disorder In Orwell's Animal Farm

A outcast, socially unaccepted, a reject, an outsider. That is how you feel when you have Avoidant personality disorder. The disease means the person has “the low self esteem and hypersensitivity to rejection are associated with restricted interpersonal contacts” (Bressert). This means that Benjamin is afraid of having personal contact because he is afraid of rejection, and failure. In the story Benjamin often acts distant they even mention how, “Only old Benjamin refused to grow enthusiastic about the windmill, though, as usual, he would utter nothing beyond the cryptic remark that donkeys live a long time” (Orwell). Therefore, Benjamin in fact has Avoidant Personality Disorder because he doesn’t talk to anyone accept Boxer and he doesn't

Having the disorder means that “People with Avoidant Personality Disorder experience long-standing feelings of inadequacy and are… sensitive to what others think about them. These feelings … leads the person to be socially inhibited and feel socially inept” (Bressert). Benjamin avoids being in social scenes as much as he can. Because of that he isn’t seen much throughout the story only when something very important happens. He doesn't show off how intelligent he is because he's afraid it won't be socially acceptable. He doesn't become friends with other people because he is afraid of rejection. Because of all these things that he does with pulling away from society and the other animals that is strong evidence to prove he does have APD. Therefore, Benjamin is socially inept and doesn't like to be in

Those who believe he is a active part of society think that because he helps the animals at the end, he works sometimes, and the fact that he is friends with Boxer proves he doesn’t have the disorder. Although aspects of this argument are enticing, it ultimately fails to be stronger argument because Boxer is his one and only friend on the farm. Boxer had to prove the trust of Benjamin and these instances are the only that Benjamin really participates in society, and again those are both for Boxers benefit. Also, it might say he works a little bit but thats just because he feels obligated to do so. In the text it states that “He did his work in the same slow obstinate way as he had done it in Jones's time, never shirking and never volunteering for extra work either” (Orwell). This just proves that he might have worked but he obviously doesn't want to do so and never did. Therefore, they have no counter claim it is very obvious through the facts I provided that he does in fact have Avoidant Personality