Hypocrisy on Animal Farm

Hypocrisy on Animal Farm

In George Orwell's novel Animal Farm, the animals possess many traits that humans portray such as emotion and physical qualities and activities. The novel withholds many examples of hypocrisy among the animals. These acts of hypocrisy originate from the animals hatred for the humans, which eventually transforms them into humans in an animal form and the major downfall of Animal Farm. These acts of hypocrisy are primarily summoned by the pigs in many different fashions including the higher equality, the ban on human characteristics and activity and the basis of "four legs good, two legs bad".

The higher equality of certain animals was a major contribution to the general act of hypocrisy that takes place on Animal Farm. During the beginning of the novel, all the animals are equal and happy, but once the pigs gain total control, they decide to change the rules. : "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."(90). This is hypocritical due to the sudden change of the animal's views. During the beginning of the novel, all the animals are equal and agree upon equality as a group. After a while, the pigs begin creating rules that help to provide and advantage themselves. After the pigs make this statement, the other animals begin to see that Napoleon and his committee are very similar to their previous owner, Mr. Jones. While the pigs are living the simple life of relaxation, the other animals are doing slave labour to ensure that humans do not regain control of Animal Farm and ensuring that they don't not lose control of their own lives.

Another ac of hypocrisy located in the novel, deals with the ban on human appearances and human activity. During one of the first meetings after the rebellion, the animals make the rules clear and state that they will apply it to every animal on the farm. : "No animal must ever live in a house, or sleep in a bed, or wear clothes, or drink alcohol, or smoke tobacco, or touch money, or engage in trade."(6). Despite the rules agreed upon by the animals at the starting of the novel, the pigs decide to become more like the humans and gain complete control over Animal Farm. Things at first seem pretty reasonable, like the learning to read and write, but when the pigs begin wearing clothes and compromising with the neighbouring farm owners, the animals become suspicious of their motives. At the end, the animals spot the pigs sitting inside the house, playing cards and smoking with the humans while dressed in human clothing, all of these in which the pigs had previously banned. As the pigs take part in more and more human activities, they becoming more like Mr. Jones. At the end of the novel, the pigs own