In the book Fahrenheit 451 and the book Animal Farm characters who are unaware of their surroundings allow for characters such as Beatty, Mr. Jones, and Napoleon to take over. Often times it is necessary for an oppressive power to be forceful in order to take over. Hitler is a leader who used force to take over the German people. In the case of both of these books the naïveté groups of people are used for their ignorance for the benefit of the leaders, and physical power is not required. Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451 both have a group of naïve people who share the inability to question power, possess loyalty, and stupidity.
In Animal Farm and Fahrenheit 451 the naiveté groups failed to question their authority’s power. In the book Animal Farm Boxer is a horse that suffers from the working class’s major weakness of, continuous trust within their leader’s ability to make good decisions. The blinded horse Boxer doesn’t see the palpable forms of political corruption. Boxer is described to have great strength and to plead a never ending cry of “I will work harder!” (Orwell 85). Boxers cry only more describes his ignorance to the oppressive power. He states his willingness to work harder after being criticized because he takes everything as his own fault and it never seems to cross his mind that his chief could be in the wrong. A willing to please is common among several of the characters in both books. Montage from Fahrenheit 451 has the job of a fireman burning books. His job is to destroy knowledge and to promote ignorance. Information is one way people can begin to form their own beliefs and opinions. Knowledge is destroyed to create an environment where an oppressive government can thrive. Montage works as a Fireman for y...
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...heit 451 make for a naive group who supply for a harsh government. Characters like Boxer and Mildred are ignorant to their oppressive leaders and see no harm in what they are being taught is right. Beatty from Fahrenheit 451 is a domineering leader and is eventually killed. Mr. Jones is also a cruel leader and he was run out of the farm by all the animals’ very early on in the book Animal Farm. The place for an oppressive power can be easily found when characters are so ignorant and coherent to rules. It is because of characters like the ones in Fahrenheit 451 and Animal Farm who uphold such behaviors that a harsh government with selfish leaders can prevail.
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: The Random house Publishing Group, 1950.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Penguin Group, 1946.
In Fahrenheit 451, the regime seeks many ways to deal with factions and factional discord. The regime uses censorship on books and learning. In the novel, the society has banned all books and if one is caught with them or attempts to read it they will then be killed and the books will be burned. Knowledge is frowned upon and most don’t feel it is good to read. Television and technology is looked more upon in Fahrenheit 451. It is there to replace literalism, intelligence, and feelings. Emotion was something in society that was not made conscious. The only individual who evoked emotion and ...
Power is a capability, a potential to do something, yet it is very often misunderstood for the façade it dresses in. Many people see power as strength, or brute force, the ability to cause pain. Others see power in a more positive perspective, in relation to offering assistance and having the ability to give it. Though these are all examples of power in use, neither strength nor altruism allow one to be powerful. In Ray Bradbury's award-winning novel, Fahrenheit 451, society feels the true weight of those who are powerful, the government, but the beauty of it is that the people do not realize it. The government works to destroy all books and knowledgeable material, and essentially eradicate all the individualism, the personal opinions of the people. Guy Montag, the main character and protagonist, makes an effort to resist the oppressiveness of the government, yet soon realizes that his sole efforts will never be sufficient to bring awareness to the oblivious people, as the government had removed all judgment and personal opinion, destroyed any evidence of their existence. The people had been lost to the power of the government. Hence, Fahrenheit society falls victim to the government because the people allow their minds to be overtaken and their individualism to be destroyed.
The novel can still be used as a warning to show the effects if the government had total power over a nation. They would abuse their power if the citizens had no say. The government will make the residents believe what they want them to and hear what they want them to hear. For example, in Fahrenheit 451 the narrator says,”The innocent man stood bewildered, a cigarette burning in his hand. He stared at the Hound, not knowing what it was. He probably
Contradictions of beliefs can bring about war, despair, and anarchy. A society that does not have a set rules and guidelines cannot find agreement and a sense of direction. Yet, immeasurable change, progression, and development have all occurred in response to an idea that is contradictory to our understanding and rules of said concept. Throughout Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451, the idea of how cruelty can manipulate and alter a society in the physical world is invigorated throughout the novel’s world. Its society is controlled by strict social rules, restricting all originality, removing all civil wars. Inaccuracies are placed upon the population, removing the society’s ability to know more than what is wanted by the government, so social
For example, firefighters burn novels and the authority restricts people from reading books; however, today, firefighters stop fires, books remain safe from destruction, and people encourage reading. The relationship between the government and citizens are different within the novel and today’s society. In the novel, the government provides happiness for the people through entertainment and false security. For example, they “…cram them full of non-combustible data, chock them… full of 'facts ' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant ' with information” (Bradbury 58), which demonstrates the manipulation within the relationship. Another difference is in Fahrenheit 451 society disapproves of the individual mentality, but today’s society embraces the independent mentality. Beatty says, “We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal as the constitution says but everyone made equal” (58). Lastly, war is not serious within the novel but seen as a common task. When Mildred’s friends come over, they talk about their husbands going to war like they are going to the store. Today, war is not an every day occurrence, and it is respected and taken seriously. There are many differences in Fahrenheit 451 and today’s society and each still play a vital
Throughout the book Animal Farm, by George Orwell, the protagonist Napoleon emerges as an active political member in a utopian communist society after the animal revolution with the intention of benefiting society as a whole. Napoleon eventually turns into a ruthless dictator without any political opposition. Napoleon’s Transition from political activist, to unitary political figure, to ruthless dictator brings a whole new meaning to the statement, “power corrupts”.
In Fahrenheit 451, it represents a threat to people and power of knowledge. For example, Beatty states, “‘So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door”(58). In this quote, Beatty is telling Montag about how bad of book and it would ruin people’ happy life. This shows that Fahrenheit 451 books symbolize as the threat to people’s daily life. This proves that symbolism adds a deeper and more complex layer to the novel’s story beause it shows is not peope fear by books but government fears book. There are a lot of ideas in the books, and people would know what they should do, includes against the government. Just like Americans were inspired by John Locke, people would be influence by those ideas after they read the book and do the “right” things. Another example, Fahrenheit 451 states, “‘Mrs. Phelps was crying”(100). In this quote, Milred’s friend, Mrs. Phelps is crying after Montag read ‘Dover Beach’ to them. This shows that Fahrenheit 451 books symbolize as power of knowlege. This proves that symbolism adds a deeper and more complex layer to the novel’s story because a lady, who doesn’t have read any book, is crying for a poem. She didn’t read book before and she doesn’t know what peom is about, but she is crying withou any reason. This shows the influence of the knowlege, even someone doesn’t know it as well, it still can touch people. It is the power of
"He who wants to persuade should put his trust not in the right argument, but in the right word. The power of sound has always been greater than the power of sense."
Often times in a communist society, a leader’s use of language can lead to abuse of power. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, the farm leaders, the pigs, use unknown language, invoke scare tactics, and create specific laws, thereby enabling them to control other animals, to suit their greedy desires, and to perform actions outside their realm of power. Because of the pigs’ use of broad language, implementation of scare tactics, and creation and manipulation of laws, they are able to get away with avoiding laws and convincing other animals into believing untrue stories and lies that are beneficial to the pigs.
It was was a dark night, all the animals huddled around Old Major to hear what he had to say about his dream. It turns out Old Major talks about rebelling against man so that all animals can have a better life. Ironically, after Rebellion, no one except Napoleon has a better life and he makes their lives even harsher. This is a story of communism, this is the story of Animal Farm.
Lord Acton, the British historian once said, “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, the author gives many examples of how power is used to manipulate and produce fear. In this book the main character, Napoleon, became a master of using various tactics to gain and maintain power over the rest of the animals. Napoleon used propaganda, manipulation and fear to gain more loyalty and power throughout the farm.
Have you ever felt that your government was lying to you? Hiding things, changing things behind your back, or convincing you they never said things that you distinctly recall them saying? In the book Animal Farm by twentieth century British author George Orwell many of the animals on the farm felt the same way. They also had suspicions about how honest their leaders were, but like most of society when rulers make excuses or explain their reasoning, citizens almost immediately believe or forgive them. Most of society prefers to be treated like a faceless heard, preferring to let someone rule and control them so they don't have to make any big economic choices on their own, but what most people don't consider is that when you grant someone the power to rule a district, were also granting the power to control that districts inhabitants. No matter how wrong it feels in our hearts, society will believe lies and turn its head to injustices if the man in charge has a good enough excuse, it's no secret that mankind allows itself to be easily persuaded and taken advantage of by it’s dignitaries.
George Orwell represents leadership as an easily corrupted and abused power through the characters throughout the novel, Animal Farm. This source of power has been used by leaders at the expense of their followers for their own personal gain, like Napoleon, the other pigs, and even including Snowball to an extent, who‘s first sign of corruption occurred early in the book when they took the milk harvested from the cows while the other animals were working. The pigs' corruption, excluding Snowball, grew worse and over time made life extremely difficult for the animals. In addition to this, the animals were forced to work more hours and rations were constantly being cut, yet the pigs still convinced them that they were living a better life. As well as the pigs, other characters of the book have also abused their leadership and showed signs of corruption. Mr Jones abused his lea...
In Animal Farm by George Orwell, the theme that Knowledge is Power is present. This is shown in the original organization of the farm when the author states, “The pigs did not actually work, but directed and supervised the others. With their superior knowledge it was natural that they should assume the leadership.” (Orwell 11). With the pig’s knowledge, they were automatically placed in a position of government over the intellectually inferior animals. This knowledge gave them a capability of having authority and dominance over the other animals. The pig’s superior intellect was used to assert control and beliefs over the naïve animals. This knowledge was also used to take advantage of other animals. This was presented in the confusion of Boxer
The allure of power and the difficulty of resisting said temptation has long been an issue for several rulers. In the metaphorical comparison of the Russian Revolution and Animal Farm by George Orwell, both face the temptation of power and ultimately fall to is corruption. Stalin and his animal representation, Napoleon, are proof that the quote “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” by Lord Acton rings true.