The theme leadership was a memorable idea in the text of the novel ‘Animal Farm’ by George Orwell. Leadership is the main reason the rebellion happened and that is what makes it memorable. Napoleon, Mr Jones and Old Major all had very different ways to lead. They are all representations of leaders in the Russian Revolution. In the novel, Orwell shows how some use leadership to gain power over others and some use it to inspire others.
One of the reasons leadership is memorable is because without it, the rebellion would never have happened. Mr Jones is an example of bad leadership. He is memorable because George Orwell uses him to show that being a bad leader has consequences and repercussions. With Mr Jones in charge, the animals were neglected, abused and treated cruelly. These are just some of the reasons that lead the animals to plot against him. Because of Mr Jones being a cruel and neglectful leader, it led to him having the consequence of being chased away from the farm. Mr Jones represents Czar Nicholas II. Czar Nicholas II was an autocrat which is a self-appointed ruler who holds all the power. Mr Jones had all of the power and was a leader because he owned the farm. Like Mr Jones, Czar Nicholas was also overthrown. They were both bad leaders and that led to consequences and repercussions. This is why Orwell uses Mr Jones to make leadership a memorable idea.
On the positive side, before Old Major died, he gave the animals inspiration and hope. He makes leadership memorable because he was a strong, reliable and trustworthy leader. He led through inspiration and hope. His speech about a rebellion inspired the other animals and it gave them hope and something to believe in. Without his speech putting the idea of a rebellion into the animal’s heads, they would never have overcome Mr Jones and got what they wanted. Old Major is portrayed as a well respected, good, strong leader. The animals took what he said, believed in it and used it to start better lives. Old Major represents Karl Marx in the russian revolution. Both Old Major and Karl Marx believed that their people were being mistreated and they both helped get change for them but they both died before they could see change. Karl Marx created the Marxist theory. The Marxist theory supposes there is no classes to ensure equality. Animalism is similar to this because it is also about all animals being treated as equals and having an equal share and responsibilities. Old Major led through inspiration and gave the animals hope and that is why he makes leadership a memorable theme in ‘Animal Farm’.
Another example of poor leadership is Napoleon. Napoleon used leadership to get what he wanted and to manipulate the other animals into doing everything for him. He stated that ‘all animals were equal’ but then goes on to say, ‘but some more than others’. Napoleon was ruthless; he did whatever it took to stay in power. This is one of the reasons he is used to make leadership a memorable idea. He killed some of the chickens because they refused to do what he asked of them and other animals because they disobeyed him. Napoleon used his role in leadership to gain power and control over the other animals. Napoleon is a representation of Joseph Stalin. Joseph Stalin was a dictator of the Russian Revolution, who was a brutal leader and was responsible for millions of people’s deaths. Just like Stalin banished Trotsky, who is represented by Snowball, Napoleon banished Snowball from the farm. Napoleon and Stalin are similar because they are both ruthless, brutal, corrupt dictators. Orwell uses Napoleon to make leadership memorable by showing that Napoleon is the type of leader who uses leadership for his own wants and desires.
George Orwell makes leadership a memorable theme and idea in the novel ‘Animal Farm’. He does this by using the characters Mr Jones, Old Major and Napoleon to represent and demonstrate different types of leadership and show how different people can use power and leadership in different ways. He uses them because they are all different and powerful leaders. Some use it to inspire and influence others and some use it to control and manipulate.
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