changing ideas of Utopia in "Animal Farm" by George Orwell

Essay by Anonymous UserHigh School, 12th gradeA-, January 1996

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The definition of Utopia is 'no place.' A Utopia is an ideal society in which the social, political, and economic evils afflicting human kind have been wiped out. This is an idea displayed in communist governments. In the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell Old Major's ideas of a Utopia are changed because of Napoleon's bad leadership.

Old Major explains his dreams and ideas to all the animals before he dies. At his speech all the animals go to hear what Old Major has to say. This happens on the night that Mr. Jones comes home drunk. Old Major explains his ideas to all the animals:

Man is the only creature that consumes without producing. He does not give milk, he does not lay eggs, he is too weak to pull the plow, he cannot run fast enough to catch rabbits. Yet he is lord of all the animals.

(p.19)

This speech gets all the animals riled up and sends the toughts of getting rid of man. Old Major then teaches them the song the Beasts of England which teaches them the 'great' life without man and with no more bad leaders:

Beasts of England, beasts of Ireland,

Beasts of every land and clime,

Hearken to my joyful tidings,

Of the golden future time.

Soon or late the day is coming,

Tyrant Man shall be o'erthrown,

And the fruitful fields of England,

Shall be trod by beasts alone.

Rings shall vanish from our noses,

And the harness from our back,

Bit and spur shall rust forever,

Cruel whips no more shall crack.

Riches more than mind can picture,

Wheat and barley, oats and hay,

Clover, beans, and mangel-wurzels

Shall be ours upon the day...(p.22-23)

After the song the animals were even more excited. They sing the song so loud...