Comparison Of 1984 And Animal Farm Essay

, Research Paper

Comparison of 1984 and Animal Farm

In George Orwell’s 1984 and Animal Farm, reality is defined by what

the leaders tell the commoners it is, and the idea of individuality and free

thought are abolished in order to preserve that reality. 1984 demonstrated the

concept of a perceived reality versus a true reality, and Animal Farm revealed

that reality is in the beholder.

The Outer Party members in 1984 were oblivious to the true reality of

their lives and blindly accepted whatever was told to them. An excellent

example of the Outer Party’s ignorance to truth is when they are told that their

chocolate rations have been increased, when actually the rations were just

reduced a week earlier. Because of the Party’s successful assault on the

individuality of its members, people became cheerful when they heard of the news.

This perceived reality is the truth to the Party members.

The true reality in 1984 is shown only to the reader and some Inner

Party members. O’Brien knows the real truth of things as shown by his torturing

of Winston. He tells Winston that if the Party tells the people that 2+2=5,

then it does. He also instructs Winston that if the Party informs its members

that 2+2=3 or 4 or all at the same time, then it is so. Although this true

reality is available to Inner Party members, they too do not have the freedom of

thought or individuality… they are only just aware of its existence. Only the

outside reader is able to think and understand the true nature of the reality

established by the Party.

In Animal Farm, Orwell unveiled that reality is a simple mental state

that can be easily manipulated. Napoleon and the pigs proved this theory by

repeatedly changing the Seven Commandments and reporting to the other animals

that the ‘laws’ had always been in their changed condition when they were

questioned. Napoleon uses the terror wielded by the dogs to rule the farm with

an iron fist, and none of the animals realize it, none that is, except Benjamin.

The pigs are able to defeat free thinking and retain ultimate supremacy by

controlling the minds of the other animals, and by controlling the minds of the

commoners, both Napoleon and the Party demonstrated that reality can be changed

and manipulated to abolish individuality and ‘force’ the people to see the

reality that is placed before them.