The Use of Totalitarianism in Animal Farm

The Use of Totalitarianism in Animal Farm

Totalitarianism is a political system in which one ruler has control over every aspect of public and private life. One very well known totalitarian ruler was Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union. The book Animal Farm by George Orwell is a novel indirectally based on the government of Totalitarianism. After the war was over Orwell had written this book, basing all of his characters on famous men in history.

Napoleon was the Joseph Stalin of the Animal Farm. He was a harsh ruler who used the methods of totalitarianism to keep the animals on his farm under his control. One major method Napoleon used was propaganda. Propaganda was information or material spread that was used to either advance a cause or damage an opponent's cause. Although Napoleon does not directly use propaganda himself, he has others do it for him. The pigs used propaganda as a way to spread the ideals of animalism. The held secret meetings to get their points across to all the animals. Napoleon also had the sheeps say the slogan "Four legs good, two legs bad" during Snowball's speeches to distract the others from what he was promoting. Both Snowball and Napoleon used propaganda when campaigning against each other, by creating their own slogans. Snowball's was "Vote for Snowball and the three-day week" and Napoleon's was "Vote for Napoleon and the full manger". One last way that propaganda was used to help Napoleon was when the other animals asked about the changes in the commandments. He had his right hand man, Squealer, tell them that it was their memory that was at fault and that it is all imaginary due to the lies that Snowball had spread.

In the Soviet Union, Stalin had used Secret Police to keep his community under control. Napoleon had his own version of secret police, the dogs. Napoleon used the secret police to exile Snowball just as Stalin did to Leon Trotsky. The secret police of dogs was used as a form of intimidation towards the other animals. By doing this they kept all the animals in line and working hard. Another use for the Secret police was so that they could emphasize the pig's points and to carry out orders given by Napoleon. Not only did the Animal Farm's secret police watch the animals on the farm but they also made sure that no human would enter. In the Soviet Union, the Secret Police were treted well and also fed well. In Animal Farm the pigs and the dog were the ones who had plenty to eat.

Indoctrination was also used by Napoleon as a form of Totalitarianism. Napoleon had taken the newborn animals from their parents and educated them in a way that Napoleon's way was instilled in their minds from the beginning. Napoleon had trained the dogs and the pigs to be his followers from the very start. One last way totalitarianism makes an appearance in Animal Farm was the killing of anyone who didn't