Social Construction of Reality: Animal Farm by George Orwell How does this book demonstrate the social construction of reality?

Essay by RachylloUniversity, Bachelor'sB+, May 2002

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In looking at Orwell's novel, Animal Farm, it is easily recognized that through wit and craft he has outlined, through animals living on a farm, playing respective roles, a critique of Stalin's rebellion towards communism. The end result, after the trial and error sessions of democracy and equal division of labor, is a theme is revealed that prevails in so much of today's society. Animal Farm is the story of a revolution gone sour. Animalism, Communism, and Fascism are all illusions which are used by the pigs as a means of satisfying their greed and lust for power. As each animal, through his or her innate abilities attempts to find their role in the society, the final commandment of the original seven written for the government, is not quite our motto of "liberty and justice for all." More to the point, it is, "All Animals are Equal. But some animals are more equal than others."

Of course, in our case, this refers to people, and this is the way that the majority of today's more "productive" societies are able to flourish. It is basically a facade that the rich live by, a way of life where everyone plays a role, and in essence, those in lower classes are the peasants, and it is they who help the rich get richer and the poor sink into inhumane levels of poverty.

Though the farm animals' original intention of overthrowing Mr. Jones is not inherently evil in itself, Napoleon's subsequent adoption of nearly all of Mr. Jones' principles and harsh mistreatment of the animals proves to the reader that indeed communism is not equality, but a form of inequality that from the outside can appear to be of value. The pigs and dogs take most of the power for themselves, thinking...