Power Corrupt In Animal Farm (Essay Example)

“Power does not corrupt, fear corrupts… perhaps the fear of a loss of power” (John Steinbeck). In the novel Animal Farm by George Orwell, the setting takes place on a farm. In the beginning, power was held by Mr. Jones but later on, would be led by the corrupted pig Napoleon. The pigs on the farm lead the charge who are Snowball and Squealer. The main goal of the farm is to change the ways it was running before and make it greater. There is a similarity between the book and the movie V for Vendetta which is directed by James McTeigue. This film takes place in England with Chancellor Sutler the leader having corrupt power. V the main character wants him out of power and will do whatever it takes to do it even with deadly actions. Greedy who works for Sutler is taking orders from him at first but in the end, is wondering if it is really worth it. Leaders in George Orwell's allegorical novel Animal Farm and in Warner Brother’s film adaptation of V for Vendetta both use censorship in order to tell lies to the people, propaganda to have the security, censorship to protect themselves, and fear to maintain the power.

Propaganda allows security in control to limit the freedom from others in the film and in the novel. In Animal Farm the pigs have a sense of feeling secured by the protection of the dogs. There have been multiple situations where the pigs got what they wanted without worrying about the other animals stopping them. They limit important resources like food on the farm, so with the consistent work they put in only a few rations of food are rewarded. Neverless a few of the animals questioned the work on the windmill “the three dogs… growled so threateningly, that they accepted his explanation without further questions” (Orwell 58). Napoleon, Snowball, and Squealer the smart swine on the farm do the least amount of work. The hardest working animals which include Boxer never question what work has to be done, and they accepted the rules. To continue on another example of security happens in the film V for Vendetta. The chancellor is the man in charge of the city, and there is a twelve o clock curfew for the people. One night Evey Hammond a girl who lives on her own decides to go out past this curfew. Her main goal was to go to the Gordon Dietrich house which is her boss. However while in a dark alley the Fingermen who are the so-called “cops” of the night stopped her (Warner Brothers). If it was not for the help of V the main character in the film the men would have blacked bag her. Once a human is blacked bagged the hearing of their name is not heard anymore and is presumed dead. Although the curfew of the town is pretty early no one dares bother going out past curfew for their safety of their own. The freedom in both Animal Farm and V for Vendetta is narrowed by the power of security. 

Both the film and the book use censorship to lie to the community so it would never change. Throughout the book, the pigs so often tell lies to the other animals so they will always keep working. Without working the farm would collapse, and the pigs would no longer be leading it. One important reason they lie is so they can be doing what they want without having to face any of the consequences. At one point the pigs discover whiskey, but one of the seven commandments is “no pig shall consume any alcohol”. Even though they should follow if they decide to drink it but then, later on, change the commandment to no drinking “to excess’. They can get away with it and the farm will keep carrying along with the work. One of the nights a disastrous storm came through destroying the windmill. With no answers to what happened the animals were confused, “do you know the enemy who has come in the night overthrowing our windmill… SNOWBALL” (Orwell 70). Napoleon did not want the other animals to know the truth about why the windmill came down. The main idea was to trick the animals so they all hate Snowball in case of a future return. The destruction of a building piece was also a huge conflict in the film. Chancellor Sutler does not like sharing information on any terrorist like an event taking place. The beginning of the film kicks off with an explosion that exploded the Old Bailey building. To not put any fear into the citizen's eyes the Chancellor had the media say it was a planned explosion (Warner Brothers). This way no one should be concerned that they are under attack by anyone which could start some chaos, and Sutler can get time to find out more about V. To not let the community change the leaders tell lies to their own people.

Censorship plays a important part in the power of holding off the truth, to not letting the citizens rebel. Napoleon and the other pigs are very good at keeping the truth from the other animals on the farm. There have been times when the animals believed that they are equal and had the full desire to want to keep working until great things come. At one point Moses who is the raven on the farm told the animals about a place called Sugar Candy Mountain. That is the equivalent of heaven so they think to get the hard work done now, and then it will pay off. This is huge for Napoleon and the other pigs because they do not have to share any other information with them without being suspected. Later throughout the hardest worker Boxer collapsed. For a while, his lungs have been bad without any rest but his main goal was to see the windmill finished. Eventually, Napoleon calls the knacker to take him away. All the animals believed that he is going to the vet to get fixed, but in reality, he was being put down for some booze. As the van is driving “disappearing down the road Boxer was never seen again” (Orwell 123). Some had the suspicion that he was going to never come back from the reading on the side of the van. Napoleon insisted to all the other comrades that the van was never changed in design and that he will be back soon.  V for Vendetta has great events for not sharing the truth to protect themselves. There was a building named Larkhill which served as a detention center. People that are either homosexuals, people that know too much, or other people that did not fit into society went here. The main purpose of this center was to run tests on people and most of it is torture. One of the doctors that worked there was doctor Diana who was one of the main ladies in charge. Unfortunately, the building caught on fire and nothing else was left of it. However, she still had a notebook about the center and the different drugs that were put into the patient. After her death Inspector Finch had it and the Chancellor wanted none of the information shared about the notebook (Warner Brothers) If the information inside it was released to the public they would soon realize how cruel it was and could turn on the Chancellor. Since it was kept hidden Sutler did not have to worry about the public coming after him only V. To keep the citizens from rebelling the truth needs to be kept a secret.

Due to fear getting rid of power to get new power is easier. Throughout the novel, Animal Farm being scared on the farm has always been the story. Mollie who is one of the horses on the farm did not mind Mr. Jones, during one of the battles between the humans and the animals she hid. Even one of the main leaders Napoleon avoided fighting in a battle leaving it for the others to fight for him. The animals wanted their own rebellion so they kicked open the food, when about to be stopped “Jones and his men found themselves being kicked from all sides” (Orwell 19). After this Jones and the other men ran away officially making it Animal Farm. Excited to have new power in control they came up with commandments for the farm and other plans on what they wanted to do. Getting rid of the power in control can take a long time shown in V for Vendetta. V’s main goal is to get rid of the Chancellor and the control of the government. The reasoning for this is he thinks it is a corrupted system and he wants revenge for the torture he was put into at Larkhill. At one point he dresses up as someone else going to meet the detective to give them some information. When met up he begins saying that Sutler is corrupted and he is the main issue why all of these events and killings are happening. While having an opportunity to kill Creedy he lets him go, but asks for a favor to kill the Chancellor (Warner Brothers). The favor was given V does kill Sutler in order to get a new leader in the main positioning spot. The Fingermen and Creedy were the ones that blacked bag him in order to attempt the capture of v and the disposing of Sutler. Using fear is an easy way to obtain a new power while eliminating the last.

All things considered the different propaganda, censorship, and fear in the film V for Vendetta and in the novel Animal Farm shows the different tactics used to remain in power the leaders have in both the novel and the film had protective security to make sure none of the citizens get many benefits in return. Making them know what the rules are and not obeying them. Also to keep the people from rebelling and taking over there have been lies told to avoid all of the chances. Censorship was very important for both Napolean and Chancellor Sutler. The important truths in major conflicts have been avoided coming out because they decided to lie on their own to cover up the fact. Once the community tried to figure out what is really going on fear was put into their eyes. In the end, both of the powers have collapsed, leading to no benefits throughout the film and the novel. The importance of Animal Farm and V for Vendetta is realizing these actions that take place are possible to happen in modern-day society. Seeing corrupted leaders taking over just to ruin the community and only benefit themselves.