Seven Commandments of Animal Farm

In George Orwell's Animal Farm which is on the subject of the existence of a society of animals living
on the Manor Farm. One first thinks that this novel is about the animals living in a farm from the
title. But as the story goes on, it gradually begins to make the readers understand the depth content
of the workings of society in Communist Russia. Orwell has accurately compared the society of
human to the animals to the animals living in the Manor Farm. In this novel, author has compared
the Russian revolution, where animals represent the significant personage and act as the leaders in
the Russian Community. Animals are used to demonstrate the operation of the communist class
system and how the citizens(people) respond to this and the effect of the leadership by early Russian
leaders such as Stalin on the behavior of the people of Russia. For instance, the Old Major makes the
speech to other animals about the idea of revolution. Since he dies before the beginning of the
revolution, it could be compared to the Karl Marx, whose ideas set to the Communist revolution in
motion. The seven commandments are consider as one of the important step in the revolution
which changed by the rulers of the Farm.

After the rebellion took place in Manor Farm, it changed to Animal Farm where the set of laws are
introduced to the citizens of the farm by the leaders. The set of laws which are known as The Seven
Commandment are said to be "form an unalterable law by which all animals on Animal Farm must
live forever after."(Orwell) These Commandments were so important that they were painted by
Snowball and Squealer "in giant white letters that could be read from thirty yards away."(Orwell)
The original Seven Commandments ran as:

Whatever goes upon two legs is an enemy.

Whatever goes upon four legs or has wings, is a friend.

No animal shall sleep in a bed

No animal shall drink alcohol.

No animal shall kill other animal.

No animal shall wear clothes.

All animals are equal.

These commandments were to be followed by all the animals living on the farm at all times
regardless. As one can think from the reading, the simplest phrase that explains these
commandments is "Four legs good, two legs bad." As time passed by, the commandments were
altered by the rulers of the farm. Napoleon (the pig who emerges as the leader of Animal Farm after
rebellion) who very cleverly broke the commandment and reintroduced as "four legs good, two legs
are better" Even though the first two commandments state that anyone on two legs is bad and
should not be allowed in the farm, they were wracked in the first year. Since the pigs started walking
on two legs, the first commandment was violated and moreover, the hero of the Battle of the
Cowshed, Snowball turned into an enemy of the Farm as he was thrown out by Napoleon and
allowing trading through Mr. Whymper resulting in violation of commandments.

The pigs moved back in to the farm house which result into alteration of the first commandments.
The third commandment restricts animals of the farm to sleep in the bed which was forced to
change by Napoleon with the modification of the commandment by adding "with sheets." After the
rebellion took place in the farm, the first commandment overruled which was being "all animals
equal." As we read through the story the pigs were keep on changing the "unalterable laws" for
their comfort just like we saw above with sleeping in the bed. According to Napoleon, sleeping on
beds is not a major change yet it was not allowed earlier since humans lived on the farm slept on the
bed. The pigs changed the commandment so wisely that the other animals of the farm didn't think
of it as the violation of the commandment. This shows their naivety and also the manipulation that
occurs when language is used to control and

The next commandment to change is "No animal shall kill other animal". This happens not long after
the confessions and executions of animals on the farm that were supposed traitors and in league
with Snowball. After these executions, again Muriel, Clover and also Benjamin plus some other
animals felt this did not correlate with this commandment. Once again, the pigs have changed the
Commandments in order to justify their actions. The animals read the Commandment they though
did not agree, "No animal shall kill other animal without cause", and then the animals see how really
the Commandments had not been violated. They are quick to believe the principles that essentially
they all helped to establish, they lack the ability to think for themselves and find almost comfort in
the commandments, despite their concern with the events on the farm.

The next commandment to change is when Napoleon abuses his power and made life harder for
other animals. The pigs impose more control while reserving privileges for themselves, they start to
manipulate and rule for their own gains. Squealer justifies every statement Napoleon makes, in role
as propagandist, even the pigs' alteration of the Seven Commandments of Animalism. "No animal
shall drink alcohol" is changed to "No animal shall drink alcohol to excess" when the pigs discover
the farmer's whisky. This is significant here, as this represents the absolute transition into human
behaviour and excess; mirroring Jones behaviour on the farm- so its as in the farm has now gone
full circle and is back where is started. To excess is almost a mocking of this.

One would never think that pigs ever made change to the commandment about the clothes as they
were enough powerful to rule other animals. The seventh commandment explains that all animals in
the world are treated equally without distinction. Instead of considering the commandments as
"unalterable laws," they were replaced by worthless slogan "All animals are equal, but some are
more equal than others," which is totally opposite to the original vision. Here, Orwell is presenting
the inevitability that replacing leadership in this way leads to the same behaviours- the animals
needed to create socialism, whereby they are all equal, instead of a dictatorship, where power is
maintained by the minority again. This commandment is possibly the most significant violation and
symbolises the futility of the rebellion.

Orwell has used images to make his argument stronger. He has used events to help readers to
understand his views on power and corruption. Without a significant plan, the rebellion is
unsustainable and lacks the vision to truly change; therefore the animals can only recreate whats
gone before. While reading, we develop a deep feeling of sadness that the animals fail in their
mission. Orwell writes in a way to targets readers emotions because they have the ability to
experience and feel the pain suffered by the animals in the farm. The following scene could create a
strong sorrow to the readers, "So Napoleon, with the help of his dogs, slaughters anyone who is said
to be disloyal. The tale of confessions and executions went on, until there was a pile of corpses lying
before Napoleon's feet and the air was heavy with the smell of blood, which had been unknown
there since the expulsion of Jones." To top it off, Napoleon outlaws Beasts of England, which had
served as one of the only remaining ties between Animal Farm and old Major." (Orwell 65). Here, the
unpleasant image is coupled with the self-flagellation of Napoleon and we are timely reminded of
Old Majors warnings; so Orwell is able to contextually remind readers to be aware of almost the
inevitability of dictatorships in some societies.
In conclusion, it is clear that George Orwell intended his novel to allegorically represent the figures
and events of the Russian Revolution, and through the characters of Mr. Jones as Czar Nicholas, Old
Major as Karl Marx, and Napoleon as Joseph Stalin, Animal Farm makes a profound statement
regarding the abuse of power. The animals began their revolution with the best intentions. However,
their noble ideas of a utopian society where "all animals are created equal" gradually deteriorated
into a totalitarian state with a cruel and unjust dictator which, of course, mirrors the chain of events
that turned Marx's dream of a classless society into the nightmare of Stalin's ruthless regime. This
evil cycle of rebellion, power, and then corruption is best described by Barbara Tuchman: "Every
successful revolution puts on in time the robes of the tyrant it has deposed." This is seen quite
literally in Animal Farm, when the pigs adopt human clothing; this Orwell is able to satirise those
who behaved in such ways in the our very real world.