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Ignorance In George Orwell's Animal Farm

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A.R. Bernard once said, “The ignorance of the oppressed is strength for the oppressor.” When people are ignorant, they can be mistreated or be manipulated easily because they are unaware of what is right and wrong. George Orwell’s book Animal Farm talks about how the political obtuseness contributes to political persecution. People’s ignorance contributes to their political and social oppression because the leader will not support the people, abuse their authorities, and brainwash the working class.
First, the governor will not treat the uneducated commoners properly nor treat them fairly. In the book Animal Farm, most of the farm animals were illiterate. The pigs, who could read and write, became the leader of the revolution and the farm. Napoleon, Squealer, and even Snowball mistreated the animals as “one …show more content…
Boxer represents the typical proletariat worker who is diligent, but unknowledgable. He is incapable of distinguishing what is good and bad. He did not lead the animals but was loyal to Napoleon as “he adopted the maxim, ‘Napoleon is always right,’ in addition to his private motto of ‘I will work harder’”(37-38). The two mottoes well describe how the labouring class works, but is brainwashed by the leading class. Boxer’s idea that the more he works will contribute better to the society reflects the Russian proletariats who completely believed that Communism will change their lives. In case of the Boxer, he was the most admired animal on the farm. Unlike Napoleon, who was feared, the animals “found more inspiration in Boxer’s strength and his never-failing cry of ‘I will work harder!’”(49). This proves that if Boxer was intelligent and literate, he could have led the rebellion and became the leader. However, he was uneducated and was helping the pigs to do the same to the other animals without realizing. Illiterate people are easily indoctrinated and fails to think

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