摘 要

《动物庄园》是乔治`奥威尔所作的一部著名寓言小说，其通过动物与人类的统治与被统治冲突表现了反对极权，追求民主的宗旨。

小说围绕权力这一个点开展了跌宕起伏的情节，推翻权力很简单但是掌握权力却很困难。被统治者在长期的压迫下遭受苦难，最终发起反抗，然而权力得到释放后依旧会腐蚀新的掌权者，导致集权体制再次迫害着社会。

本文从三个角度分析了权力在社会中权衡一切的地位。第一部分主要分析人类对于权力的争夺。第二部分则主要分析动物作为被压迫的对象为了反抗权力的统治而进行的革命。第三部分主要分析了动物群体在得到权力后再次被权力腐蚀的悲剧。这些围绕权力而发生的冲突揭示了个人独裁的黑暗，从专制与民主的两个对立面来探讨社会制度的蜕变。

关键词：乔治·奥威尔；权力；压迫；腐败；社会

Contents

1. Introduction 1

2. Demonstration 2

2.1Power relations among human beings 2

2.1.1 Rulings of human beings 2

2.1.2 Mr. Frederick’s intrusion into Mr. Jones’ farm 3

2.2Power relations between human beings and animals 4

2.2.1 Revolutions launched by animals to overthrow human 4

2.2.2 Differences among Mr. Jones and Pigs’ leader 5

2.3Power relations among animals 5

2.3.1 Seven commandments created by pigs to dominate other animals 5

2.3.2 Pigs’ behaviors to exploit others 6

2.3.3A sarcastic slogan:all animals are equal 7

3. Conclusion 8

Works Cited 10

Bibliography 11

An Analysis ofthe Power Relations in Animal Farm

I. Introduction

Animal Farm is a representative work of George Orwell's political allegory, which has been a hit since 1945. The obvious conflicts between human and animals in this novel reflect the two totalitarian groups during World War II. Orwell’s obscure writing style pointedly satirizes those characters who use unscrupulous divisive tactics in pursuit of power. This novel shows a special phenomenon from totalitarianism to democracy and backto totalitarianism anda society from backwardness to progressand thento backwardness.

The background of Animal Farmis set in the Manna farm. The storybegins with the old major telling animals a strange dream. His speaking encourages all animals to carry on the revolt, overthrowing the rule of Jones's violence to build an equal, free society without oppression. Old major’s revolutionary idea,summarized as “Animal doctrine”,was spread among animals. As a result, the animals occasionally clash with humans.Before long, they launch a revolution to drive the farm ownersaway, and finally establish the animal farmwhich supervised bytheir law - seven commandments. This is the first step to fight against totalitarianism.

Animal Farm has aroused widespread concern of the societyafter the publicationfor a long time.Foreign scholars made a lot of researches on the totalitarianism in this novel. Hannah Arendt shows her view to totalitarianism: “Totalitarianism is the supreme power over all things, which derived from a ruling and political theory.However, the core principlesof thetheory is to destroy the diversity of civilization, to create a single civilization” (Arendt21).Since the date of its publication,Animal Farm has been interpreted as anti-Soviet, anti- Communist and anti-Stalin. Foreign scholars often think of Napoleon and Snowball as Stalin and Trotsky, but it is not a bad idea tointerpret them as the representatives in the French revolution ofRobespierre and Georges-Jacques Danton, German Nazi period of Hitler and the Roman empire. Their only one objective is to establish a totalitarian rule, so Orwell has the practical basis to attack totalitarianism in the novel.

This thesis will focus on the conflicts of three periods in the farm, to explore different power relations among human beings as well as between human and animals. Therefore, this thesis will be divided into three chapters. The first chapter discusseshuman’s intrigueagainst each other, for power. The second chapter mainly analyzes the outbreak of animals’ revolution to overthrow human beings’ ruling and win their own power to build an animal society. The third chapter comes to late period of animal society. Pigs hold the power so they begin to be arrogant, and the democratic system moves towards collapse. Eventually the temptation of power leads to the failure of the animal revolution. It turns out thatbetween the so-called fair animal society and autocratic human societyno longer exist.

2.Demonstration

2.1 Power relations among human beings

2.1.1 Rulings of human beings

On the first day of the farm built,the human beings hold all power.Mr. Jones is the master of the farm.He feeds animals and plans to control animals.When the farm has taken a shape,Mr. Jones becomes lazy.In this novel, the character of Mr. Jones is a typical ruler. He is arrogant, and he does anything in the mood because nothing can shake his position.

Humans in the novel insinuate fascist party in the Second World War. Human beings hold all power in hands, and rule the world in his fascism dictatorship. Treat other people tyrannically. They don’t allow there is anything disobeying their wills. The party negates all personal property and concentrate social resources, all the reactionaries are eliminated. These behaviors from the true life are all showed in the novel. Mr. Jones patrols animals, and plunders work achievements of animals to support his luxurious life.