Loss of Freedom in Animal Farm by George Orwell Essay Sample

In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell the animals give up their freedom because they let other animals control their thoughts,their workforce, and political ideology. The animals are told what they should remember, how they should work, and how they should vote. The pigs control the animals. 

The animals in the novel are constantly turned against their own ideologies. The animals cannot always remember the commandments. “... there were two words that they had forgotten.” (113) The animals cannot remember the details of the commandments. They did not remember that information until they were told lies. The novel states “Now that Squealer described the scene so graphically, it seemed to the animals that they did remember it.” (91) Napoleon lies to the animals' to make them believe something different than what really happened. The animals' thoughts are constantly disregarded as the pigs fill their heads with false information. 

Throughout the novel, the animals are told how to work. The novel states, “...tramp steadily round and round the field with a pig walking behind...” (45) The pigs never have to work, they just tell the animals what to do and how to do it. They do not let them think for themselves. The novel says “The pigs...directed and supervised the others.” (45) The pigs tell everyone what to do, without doing anything themselves. They take over the farm and tell them how to work. This is one way the animals lose their freedom with the invention of animalism.

Alongside these other examples, is that they lost the freedom of their own political views. In the novel, it states “They dashed straight for Snowball...” (67) Napoleon takes away their right to vote, by getting rid of his opponent. If Napoleon gets rid of Snowball then the animals will have to follow him as a leader. “Snowball was in league with Jones from the very start.” (89) The animals no longer have a choice of their new president, they only have Napoleon. The animals are turned against Snowball so they will not leave Napoleon. They have no political power left. 

Overall, the animals gave up their freedom because they let the pigs control their thoughts, labor abilities, and political deliberations. Throughout the novel, the pigs become more like a human everyday until the animals could not tell the difference anymore. The pigs abused their power and controlled every animal left.