Animal Farm Quotes

Every leader needs a follower, even the most ruthless of them all. In the novel, Animal Farm by George Orwell, we see the Manor Farm transition from a farm with a cruel human master to the Animal Farm with a cruel animal leader. That ruler is Napoleon and he craves the attention and the status of high power, Napoleon achieves this status with the help of another animal named Squealer. With the help of Squealer’s convincing words, Napoleon is able to have the animals blindly following him not knowing the true evil he is. The behavior of both Napoleon and his loyal follower, Squealer, contribute in the destruction of the freedom and equality on the farm by treating the animals like slaves, executing animals without proper cause, and alternating

The animals hereby obey to Napoleon’s every command so when told to immediately work on a project that would take up to two years to complete, the animals have no choice but to comply. Orwell states,“This work was strictly voluntary, but any animal who absented himself from it would have his rations reduced by half”(45). This quote suggests how the animals were threatened to work sixty hours a week including on Sundays. Yes, the animals’ punishment is to eat half they are given, however, the animal’s rations are small to begin with. By Napoleon doing this, he is starving the animals. Napoleon is already classified as a force not to be reckoned with ever since he banished Snowball. The animals are forced to work like this and although they claim to be happy and that they are doing this for their own selves, Squealer was the one who persuaded the animals to follow Napoleon in the first place. Is happiness truly evoked in these animals for working their lives

Despite the fact that Napoleon did not directly terminate the “traitors”, he is still responsible for their deaths. Orwell writes, “They were all slain on the spot. And so the tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying before Napoleon’s feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood…”(61). This quote illustrates the gruesome results of the animal executions. The animals were killed in the first place for claiming that Snowball visited their dreams and told them to destroy Napoleon’s plans. For Napoleon to be the leader of all of these animals, the audience would expect him to listen to more explanations from them because he should care for his people as a good leader should. Instead, without hesitation, Napoleon kills the animals for their almost over dramatic claims. Squealer, of course, comes into the picture again suggesting to the animals that all of Napoleon’s doings are always correct.The animals are too ignorant to see the true outfold of the situation that they are in yet still manage to listen. The subjects Animal Farm are still afraid of saying anything that will question Napoleon’s right to rule, thus preventing the animal’s entitlement to speak for what they