Later deemed the conscience of a generation, a young George Orwell was weary of being a propagandist for the British war effort against Nazi Germany in the Second World War. He was angered by the provisional alliance between Great Britain and communist Soviet Union, so he put his ideology into a book, called Animal Farm, an allegory showcasing the irony of the Soviet social order.

The book Animal Farm is a novel written by author George Orwell. The main characters of the book, like Snowball and Napoleon, symbolize Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin, respectively, both notable figures in the Russian Revolution, while other characters like Boxer represent certain social groups such as the working class. Tsar Nicholas II, portrayed as Mr. Jones, the lazy farm owner, is overthrown by the very animals he once ruled, which results in internal bickering and violence between the intelligent, power-hungry pigs and the common animal.

In Animal Farm, George Orwell conveys the theme that unchecked power leads to corruption by using imagery and irony. After four pigs who initially defied Napoleon in the Sunday meetings confessed, he ordered the dogs to end the pigs. “The dogs promptly tore their throats out, and in a terrible voice Napoleon demanded whether any other animal had anything to confess” (Orwell 34). This quote shows how the author uses imagery by painting an image in the mind of the reader, of the blood and gore of the innocent pigs, then, the cold, harsh voice of Napoleon ringing out to the rest of the terrified residents of Animal Farm. This shows how corrupt Napoleon had become after his power had become unchecked, killing innocents without remorse.

Right after the sheep returned, the animals, after hearing Clover’s startled neighing, “saw what Clover had seen. / It was a pig walking on his hind legs” (Orwell 52). The author, George Orwell, uses imagery in this scene to show the corruptness of the pigs, painting the image of a fat pig standing on their hind legs. This action is completely opposite to the beliefs of Animalism, which holds animal above man, and the original Seven Commandments, both of which state that no animal shall kill another. This, along with Clover’s expression, shows that power corrupts people.

In addition to imagery, the author uses another common literary device to show the theme that unchecked power is a precedent to corruption: irony.

Three days after Boxer was taken away to a veterinarian in a carriage incorrectly labeled as one of a knacker’s, and it was publicly announced that he had died in his deathbed, Squealer said that he was there when Boxer was breathing his last breaths, and the book states, “‘It was the most affecting sight I have ever seen!’ said Squealer, lifting a trotter and wiping away a tear. ‘I was at his bedside at the very last” (Orwell 49). George Orwell later hints that the carriage did indeed belong to a knacker, and that Napoleon had sold Boxer, one of his most loyal followers from the very beginning, because he no longer benefited him. The irony of the scene is shown when Squealer’s monologue containing all of the pain and sadness Squealer expressed for his fallen comrade was exposed as a lie, and that he had willingly sold Boxer to the knackers so that the pigs could buy another case of whiskey. This quote uses irony to show how corrupt and evil the pigs were, and how unchecked power leads to corruption.

During the meeting between the Pigs and the neighboring farmers near Animal Farm, Mr. Pilkington, a long-time criticizer of Animal Farm, congratulated the Pigs on the working conditions within “the low rations, long working hours, and the general absence of pampering which he had observed on Animal Farm” (Orwell 54). The author, George Orwell, uses this scene to show the true conditions of Animal Farm, and compares the promises made by Snowball and the harsh realities of Animal Farm now under Napoleon’s reign. For example, Snowball promised the animals that the windmill would be used to make the lives of the residents of Animal Farm better, but Napoleon only uses it to mill grain so that he can gain a larger profit. This ironic scene shows the nature of the pig’s actions, and how power can lead to corruption.

In conclusion, the author uses the literary devices of imagery and irony to highlight the evils of Animal Farm under Napoleon. From this analysis, we may learn that although power itself is not corrupt, it has to be limited. If someone is given unchecked power, they will become corrupt with time, with no regard of how morally well they might be at the time.