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Orwell shows that the animals have the power to challenge Mr Jones' control and take over the farm - using power in a positive way. He then explores how the pigs use rhetoric and propaganda to establish themselves in power and take control of the farm. It is interesting that the working animals, especially Boxer the horse, have great physical power but they don’t use it to break free from the control of the pigs.

Old Major is partly based on Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin. Karl Marx, was a German philosopher who lived during the 19th-century. His ideas formed the basis of communism - his ideas are collectively known as ‘Marxism’, like ‘Animalism’ in the novel. He developed theories on how power structures in society keep people under control. Vladimir Lenin was a Russian revolutionary who established a form of ‘Marxism’ in Russia in the early 20th-century.

Orwell explores the idea of power leading to corruption. Many of the characters in the novel are eventually corrupted by the power they have, particularly the pigs, as they manipulate their position of leadership to exploit other animals.

How is the theme of power and control shown in the novel?

In Animal Farm, Orwell explores power and control through:

• Mr Jones exploiting his power and treating the animals badly
• the rebellion and how the animals use their power to take over the farm
• the pigs and how they cleverly control the other animals

Analysing the evidence