Thesis: In George Orwell's "Animal Farm," the story uses animals on a farm to show how good intentions can go wrong, turning a hopeful dream for equality into a new kind of oppression. This illustrates how totalitarian governments can rise and ultimately betray the ideals they originally promised to uphold.
Plan of Development:
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The Corruption of Leadership: The narrative explores how the initial revolutionary ideals, represented by the pigs' leadership, become corrupted as power concentrates in their hands. The pigs, especially Napoleon, manipulate language and rewrite the rules to justify their privileged status, demonstrating how those in power can exploit ideals for personal gain.
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The Betrayal of the Working Class: Through the experiences of the other animals, particularly Boxer, Orwell illustrates how the working class is exploited by those in power. Boxer's unwavering loyalty and eventual demise symbolize the way totalitarian regimes often sacrifice the very individuals who help them rise to power, ultimately betraying their trust and ideals.
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The Deterioration of Equality: The gradual erosion of the farm's original egalitarian principles is evident in the changing commandments and the emergence of a new social hierarchy. As the pigs increasingly resemble the humans they overthrew, Orwell warns of the cyclical nature of oppression, where the oppressors become indistinguishable from their predecessors, thus undermining the original vision of equality and freedom.
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